Reshuffle in the works - Statesman

Hints picked up by The Statesman indicate that President Kufuor is readying himself for possibly his last reshuffle before his term of office ends on January 6, 2009.

Our sources say at least five Ministries will be affected, with many of the sector ministers swapping positions in the reshuffle expected before the end of this month.

There are also plans for an internal reshuffling of the New Patriotic Party's Campaign Committee. The reshuffle has been informed by the decision by the party's flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, not to have a serving Minister of State head any of the committees in his campaign team, our sources say.

Felix Owusu-Adjapong, who was named as head of the Traditional Affairs Committee on March 13, was last week nominated for the position of Energy Minister.

Alhaji M N D Jawula, Lepowura and currently Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, is tipped to replace Mr Owusu-Adjapong, but only if he is prepared to resign from the Ministry. His position as a chief stands him in good stead, we are told.

President Kufuor’s latest reshuffle, apart from ensuring that his government continues to deliver, is expected to bring more bite to the government to ensure it leaves on a high note, our sources say.

Information and National Orientation Minister Oboshie Sai-Cofie is expected to be moved to either the Manpower, Youth and Employment or the Tourism Ministry, to be replaced by either Nana Akomea, who served as Information Minister in President Kufuor’s first term, or Stephen Asamoah-Boateng.

The move, insiders say, is to make the Ministry more combative in countering propaganda being put out by the opposition National Democratic Congress on the Kufuor administration’s achievements.

Nana Akomea, the handsome and eloquent Member of Parliament for Okai Koi South is a regular on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show and other programmes on TV, and is widely seen as capable of effectively articulating the NPP’s vision and achievements.

The first term MP for Mfantseman West, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, aka Asa B, has been a strong defender of the NPP government, both on radio and on TV, and many an opponent has commented on his combative but effective defence of the Kufuor administration.

There are also moves to bring back into government Alan Kyerematen, who resigned as Trade Minister last July to contest in the NPP’s flagbearer race. There are indications that Mr Kyerematen, who was recently named chairman of the Identifiable Groups Committee of the Akufo-Addo For President ’08 Campaign Team, is not very enthusiastic about his role in the campaign.

The presidency also appears to be worried by talk that Mr Kyerematen may be pressured into contesting the December poll as an independent, thereby taking a crucial chunk of voters from the NPP.

What is yet to be decided is his role in the Kufuor administration, although some have tipped him for the Foreign Ministry.

President Kufuor last reshuffled his cabinet in July 2007.