Mills’ Musical Chairs

*Kumbuor eyes Deputy Finance post, Tony Aidoo for Castle as Spio returns to London

WITH ALMOST ALL ministerial posts announced except the constitutionally-required designation of National Security Minister, numerous Ghanaians within and without the ruling NDC have begun raising questions on what cards President John Evans Atta Mills and his kitchen cabinet will continue to play in the master game of deciding who serves where in his administration.

The fate of some notable names who kept the party’s spirits high and whose contributions in various small ways helped the NDC re-launch its campaign to return to power have also been raised, though sources say quite a number of those names may be picked for other key jobs.

For example, the absence of Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, a law lecturer and one of the finest legal brains of the NDC while in opposition until he lost his seat in the 2008 elections has raised some questions.

Sources, however, say the immediate past MP for Lawra Nandom may see a return to government as a Deputy Minister at the Finance Ministry, which he is said to be eyeing, though one of the freshest faces on the political limelight, Seth Tetteh, has already been pencilled in for the job.

Perceived party hawk and firebrand, Dr Tony Aidoo, is also set to return to government at the presidency where he monitors all ministerial assignments and projects undertaken by presidential team and report on them directly to the newest ‘old man’ of the NDC party, President Mills.

Tony Aidoo happens to be a former head of research of the NDC. For those who really know him, he is a fine man with a huge sense of humour but to many Ghanaians in and outside the NDC, he is one of the hawks they would probably avoid.

Dr Ewkow Spio-Garbrah, CEO of the London-based Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisations (CTO) is said to have been pencilled in for a return to the world of diplomacy. Though Spio initially had his eyes on the Foreign Affairs Minister portfolio, some say the one-time successful Ghana Ambassador to the US may be offered the absolutely tax-free $5000-a-month job to return to London as Ghana’s head of chancery at the UK capital.

Spio-Garbrah returned in November to join the NDC campaign to wrestle power from the NPP and is believed to have been deemed inappropriate for a ministerial post now following his bitter failed attempt to unseat then candidate Mills at the NDC primaries in 2006.

Sources say the ambassadorial post may be a test for Spio-Garbarh, a former ally of the President, who is believed to have ambitions to succeed Mills that needs to be capped before he makes the attempt again.

He is however one of the highly qualified members the NDC can boast of. It’s unclear whether he would accept any post below a ministerial nominee, having served as minster in various portfolios under the Rawlings presidency or return to his CTO job in London..

It’s also unclear where one of the finest and freshest faces to have brightened the NDC campaign, Alex Segbefia would he heading, though some say the handsome, articulate and likable lawyer will join the equally young, beautiful, legal mind tasked with the duty of managing Mills’ Information Ministry, Mrs Zita Okaikwei.

Zita nearly whipped the devils out of the current Second Deputy Speaker and former Minister for Communications, Professor Mike Ocquaye.

Baba Jamal, who is looking forward to win the Akwatia seat for the NDC in a possible re-run after two previous attempts failed is also banking on a deputy ministerial job together with a long line of young Turks, including Afriyie Ankrah, Seth Ohene Ofori, among others.