Shake-Up Looms In Majority Front
…After Akufo-Addo’s Val’s Day ‘Gift’
President Akufo-Addo’s much awaited major and final lap of ministerial reshuffle, has finally been announced with some heavyweights axed or reassigned, to inject fresh energy into the government which has barely ten months to be dissolved.
The list has been submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, to pave way for vetting by the Appointments Committee.
Apparently, the reshuffle exercise was not limited to only the executive as the legislative arm of the governing party, is also expected to witness major changes.
The Anchor has gathered that, Members of Parliament on the Majority side, has been holding a crunch meeting to do their own changes more than a year now, after their counterparts on the Minority side did theirs.
This paper’s monitoring of event has shown that, barring any last-minute changes, MP for the Effutu constituency, Alexander Afenyo Markin, will replace his boss and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu as majority leaderand minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
The experienced legislature, Kyei Mensah-Bonsu,who is not seeking reelection, has reportedly been penciled down for the Foreign Affairs Ministry job, where the current minister,Shirley Ayorkor Botcwey, is seeking an international appointment as Commonwealth Secretary-General.
The 46-old year Effutu lawmaker,would be deputized by his colleague MP for the Nsawam Adoagyiri constituency, Frank Annor-Dompreh.
It is, however, unclear, who will replace Annoh Dompreh and his Deputy Chief Whip, Lydia Seyram Alhassan,who has also been appointed Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The recent reshuffle has affected about 13 ministers of state, comprising 10 cabinet ministers and two regional ministers.
The release issued yesterday February 14, had hounded Finance Minister, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, and his position now taken over by MP for the Karaga constituency, Mohammed Amin Adam, who until now was the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
The investment banker, who has been pursued by many, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority Members of Parliament (MP) as a result of his handling of the economy, was in office for seven (7) years.
Also affected by the shake-up are Health, Roads and Highways, Information Ministers; Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Kwasi Amoako-Atta and Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah, respectively.
Their positions would be taken by Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, Francis Asenso-Boakye and Fatima Abubakar.
The rest are, Ministers for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Works and Housing, Local Government and Rural Development, Gender, Children and Social Protection, as well as Sanitation and Water Resource, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Francis Asenso-Boakye, Dan Botwe, Lariba Zuweira Abudu.
They are to be replaced by Ophelia Mensah Hayford, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Dakoa Newman and Lydia Seyram Alhassan, respectively.
The others are Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister,Ibrahim MohammedAwal, and Greater Accra Regional and Oti Regional Ministers, Henry Quartey and Joseph Makubu.
Stepping in their shoes are, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Nii Kwatei Titus Glover and Daniel Machator.
The listalso included five (5) re-assigned Minister of State and Deputy Minsters, who were instructed to take their offices immediately as they have already been vetted by Parliament.
They are Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Interior Henry Quartey, Roads and Highways Francis Asenso-Boakye, Works and Housing Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Minister of State, Office of the President Ambrose Dery and Deputy Minister of State at the Local Government and Rural Development Abdulai Abanga.
In the deputy minister category, ten of them mainly Members of Parliament were either sent home or elevated to a higher portfolio.
Tina Gifty Mensah, Ama Pomaa Boateng, Moses Anim and Gifty Ampofo Twum, Bright Wireko-Brobbey who all lost their parliamentary reelection tickets were also removed.
Much ado About Nothing
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament, has described the recent reshuffle as belated and much ado about nothing.
In a statement, Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, characterized the reshuffle as a “mere remix of the Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia’s failed government.”
“It is also a little too late, coming barely nine (9) months so the exit of the government. Neither will it solve the suffering and hardships confronting the people of Ghana as a result of the bad governance and massive uncontrolled corruption of the Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia’s government.”
“The tenure of this government has been characterized by excessive borrowing, unsustainable debt, an economic crisis, high appetite for taxes, poor governance, reckless wasteful expenditures, siphoning of state resources into private pockets of government appointees, as well as state capture by family and friends of the President and
his Vice.”
“For the records, President Akufo-Addo has at all material times remained obstinate and defiant when the subject of reshuffle came up for discussion. For example, he rebuffed nearly 100 NPP Members of Parliament who demanded the immediate resignation of outgoing Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta,” he stated.
“The NDC Minority believes that the best way to end the suffering and hardships of Ghanaians would have been for both President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Alhaji Bawumia to resign,” he added.
Source: Anchorghana.com
