Kufuor warns his ministers - I won't tolerate vices

The President, Mr. John Agyekum kufour, yesterday warned that drastic measures would be taken against Ministers of State who would fall short of government's expectation.

He said that exploitation, ostentation, "conspicuous consumption" and other negative behaviors on the part of Ministers would not be tolerated by his administration. President Kufour gave the warning when he swore into office 12 more Ministers, including 10 Regional Ministers at the State House in Accra.

This brings the total number of Ministers to 37. The latest are Dr Kwesi Ndoum, Minister to Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation and Mallam Ali Yusif Isah, Minister of Youth and Sports.

The Regional Ministers are Sheik I. C. Quaye, Greater Accra; Dr Osafo Mensah, Eastern Region, Nana Owusu Yeboah, Volta Region, Mr. Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti, Mr Isaac Edumadzi, Central Region and Mr. J. B. Aidoo, Western Region. The rest are Mr. K. Debrah, Brong Ahafo Region, Ben Bukari Salifu, Northern, Mr Salifu Mahama, upper East and Mr Koktar Sahanoon , upper West.

The President Kufour administers the Official Oath, the oaths of Secrecy, Allegiance and Minister of State to them and presented them with their instructment of appointment. He advised the new Ministers to be servants of the people and not to throw their weigh about adding the under hand dealings would not be tolerated.

President Kufour told the Minister to be mindful of the tribulations, which the nation is going through, and is witness to the fact that the people of Ghana voted massively for a change thus making history.

That, he said was significant in that since independent it was the first time that the people had changed a government through the ballot box, because the people desire to see qualitative change in their lives.

He said that behaved on the ministers to accept the accomplishment of such a tack by the being competent and conducting themselves well. That the president explained would be put the government on the right path to work to give the qualitative change it had promised the people.

He advised the Ministers to be transparent I the dealings in line with the constitutional provision stressing that they would also be held accountable for the actions they took in office.

In a related development the Government Spokesman and Minister of State in Charge of Media Relations, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, has said the today's state of the Nation address to be delivered by President Kufour to Parliament will entail his vision for the nation.

The address will also contain all the elements, which the President considers as crucial in stabilizing his administration with respect of the economic challengers facing it. Ms Ohene was briefing newsmen on the first cabinet meetings held at the State House yesterday.

She said that the Presidnet address would in that respect, come out with priority areas, which the government had identified to tackle. On the meeting she said that President Kufour and the Ministers took the opportunity to know each other and to fraternize apart from discussing other issue.