Information reaching the New Statesman indicates that President John Dramani Mahama’s impending, or ongoing reshuffle could see the second deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Abdul Nasiru Isahaku, rising again to take up the job of Seth Terkper as the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.

Sources close to the presidency say advisors of the president are pushing for Mr Terkper to be replaced by Dr Nasiru Isahaku because they have not been convinced about the ability of the current Finance and Economic Planning Minister to deliver to salvage the nation’s ailing economy.

President Mahama appointed Dr Isahaku as the second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana in July, following the appointment of Dr Kofi Wampah as Governor of the nation’s central bank. Until his appointment, Dr Isahaku was the Chief Executive Officer of the Export Development and Agricultural Development Fund. He had also worked with the World Bank.

The New Statesman is also reliably informed that advisors of the president have asked him to do away with the services of his embattled National Security Advisor in the wake of disparaging comments he made against suffering Ghanaian workers, even though Mr Mahama has no plans to get him out of his government entirely.

As reported earlier, President Mahama Monday assured his National Security Advisor that his job was safe and that he would not seek to dismiss him despite the spirited public outcry against his continued stay in office, following his invitation to agitating workers to leave the country if they were not prepared to sacrifice.

The president’s advisors, however, insist the embattled Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah (Rtd) has outlived his usefulness in the current scheme of affairs of the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress administration.

According to Mahama’s advisors, relieving his security advisor of his job will also send a clear message that he is firmly in charge of his administration and will not condone any appointee taking Ghanaians for granted.

The impending (or ongoing) reshuffle in the Mahama administration is expected to sweep through the seat of government to the ministries, hitting some state institutions and ending up with appointments of some key loyalists for ambassadorial positions.

Ras Mubarak is expected to be announced as the new boss of the National Youth Authority following the appointment of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Micro and Small Loans Centre. Until her appointment, Mr Sedina Tamaklo was the Co-ordinator of the NYA.

An initial plan by President Mahama to send Ras Mubarak to Nigeria as High Commissioner has been put down, following strong criticisms that he is ‘too young’ to handle a very difficult portfolio as high commissioner.

Dr Stephen Opuni, Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, who has been accused of high-handedness in his dealings with players in the pharmaceutical industry, has been penciled for the Chief Executive position at the COCOBOD, amid stiff resistance while former Adentan Member of Parliament, Kwadwo Adu Asare, would be heading the National Service Scheme.

A statement from the Flagstaff House yesterday announced that President John Mahama had appointed the controversial Kobby Akyeampong, former Deputy Minister for the Interior, to be in charge of the restructuring and reorganization of the operations of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency. More new appointments are expected in the coming days and weeks.