Statesman: Mills' Reshuffle List Out!

President John Evans Atta Mills is beginning the New Year with a new, hopefully enhanced team to pursue his promise that 2011 will be ‘a year of action.’ The list, of what is being termed ‘Action List’, is expected to be made public before January 7, 2011.

The Statesman has obtained, exclusively, a draft copy of the list. We can also exclusively disclose that lobbying has intensified as Ministers get wind of their pending delisting and backbenchers and others seek to get the President to change his mind and add their names to the Action List.

This major shake-up will affect some of the key areas, including the Office of the Chief of Staff, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Kofi Totobi Quakyi, the Chairman of the National Communications Authority is pencilled to replace the highly unpopular John Henry Martey Newman as the Chief of Staff. Mr Martey Newman is likely to have an ambassadorial position. But, this, from our sources, is meeting a stiff resistance from the Office of the Vice President, which is lobbying for Hannah Tetteh to be given the all-important portfolio, foregoing her difficult-to-measure performance as Trade and Industry Minister.

But, there are others also lobbying for the Chief of Staff job and our sources say the President is so confused that he may end up sticking to the unpopular Mr Martey Newman.

But, with Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom expected to be recalled for a Ministerial post, the Chief of Staff may be heading to St James’ Court. Dr Kwabena Duffuor, who has been described by party hardliners as ‘an incompetent stranger’, will also give way completely. Ghana’s longest serving finance minister, whose competence is beyond doubt, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, in a surprise move, will become the new Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

His term as head of the task force on gas was due to end soon. It is believed his appointment will send a strong signal to both the business and international community that ‘Mills means business.’

Moses Asaga will also be a beneficiary of the Action List, with his name down as Minister of State for Finance and Economic Planning but his friends in Parliament believe, with his combined expertise in finance and energy, he deserves the Energy portfolio more than anyone else.

Fiifi Kwettey will be, arguably, promoted from Deputy Minister of Finance to the substantive Minister of Information. This is seen as necessary to beef up the propaganda system of the Mills-Mahama administration. Another surprise entrant may be Goosie Tanoh, the man blamed partly for causing Vice President Mills’ 2000 defeat, after he left the party to form the National Reform Party. He is being lined-up for the Trade portfolio. This means that Hannah Tetteh’s days at Trade are numbered but as to where her undoubted competence will be required the President is said to be far from making his mind or having it made for him.

As a compromise for his Vice President, who still fancies Ms Tetteh as his running mate, in spite of flavoured overtures from the Ahwois, the President had suggested the Foreign porrfolio for her, but she is said to be not keen on regular air travels.

Mohammed Mumuni, another probable challenger for the presidency in 2012, in the likely event that President Mills drops out, is being brought home to consolidate his base. The 2004 Vice Presidential candidate will replace the 2000 Vice Presidential Candidate, Martin Amidu, as Interior Minister. Martin Amidu is going back to the Attorney-General’s Department as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. In 2000, he was the Deputy to the A-G, Dr Obed Asamoah.

Betty Mould-Iddrisu, in the event of Ms Tetteh not taking the Foreign Affairs job, would become the new Minister for Foreign Affairs. The President’s biggest dilemma, according to Castle sources, is how to meet the constitutional requirement that more than half of his Cabinet Ministers must come from Parliament. The lack of depth in the Majority side of the House is giving him nightmares as he seeks to remove the stigma of institutionalising incompetence and democratising mediocrity. Joe Adjaho’s long lobbying for the job of Minister of Energy may pay off. But, that would mean two senior Cabinet Ministers from the Ashanti Region (Dr Oteng Agyei and Dr Duffuor) would both be dropped. Friends of Oteng Agyei are lobbying for him to be made Chief of Staff. But, it is feared that his poor human relations may make him a more unpopular person there than the incumbent. Our sources say P.V Obeng has been repeatedly asked to take the job but he is not too keen on it. Another old, experienced hand being considered for the job of Chief of Staff is Kwame Peprah. ‘Kwame is more likely to get the nod,’ a source close to the Council of State said. Cletus Avoka is likely to become First Deputy Speaker, paving the way for Alhaji Mumuni at the Interior Ministry. Mahama Ayariga, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry is being considered as new Minister for Youth and Sports to replace the embattled Akua Sena Dansua. With the Mills-Mahama administration having given up on its promise to seek to reserve at least 40% appointments for women, she is likely to lose out completely. With Fritz Baffour, likely to face stiff competition from Ursula Owusu for the Ablekuma South seat, some are arguing for him to be given a portfolio. He is likely to become a deputy minister. This would be the President’s second reshuffle since he won in 2008.