Ghana Pundit: Ministerial reshuffle: Ministers panic and kick start media war

Ministerial reshuffle: Ministers panic and kick start media war

Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 January 2010, 11:26 GMT

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Reshuffle in the offing


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General panic has engulfed the corridors of power following disclosures that a major Ministerial reshuffle would be announced within the next four weeks.

The panic intensified when President Mills hinted that what has been described as his “Team B” would be replaced by “Team A”. Checks at the Castle show that many Ministers have been rushing to brief the President about their lofty plans for the future in the hope that it will help them dodge the reshuffle. One Minister was almost direct when he reportedly told the President that he needed at least three more years at the Ministry to implement his plan.

The panic has also led to a media war, which is bound to have long lasting consequences. Mr. Fritz Baffoe, a Member of Parliament tipped to become the new Minister of Information has been viciously savaged by a section of the pro-NDC media. He has been exposed as one of those whose inaction created favourable conditions for Mr. Kabral Blay-Amihere to become Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC).

Mr. Blay-Amihere won the election by only one vote and NDC supporters claim that if Mr. Baffoe and two others had not absented themselves from that crucial meeting, they could have made a difference.

Sections of the NDC which have always seen Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor as an outsider have also intensified the campaign for his exit.

This is in spite of the fact that Dr. Duffour is largely credited with the micro-economic stability the Mills administration is boasting about.

Under Dr. Duffour, the cedi has begun appreciating, the rate of inflation is slowing and the budget deficit has been significantly reduced. There is now, no doubt that Mr. Martin Amidu, former Deputy Attorney-General will replace Madam Betty Mould Iddrisu, as Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.

Mrs. Mould Iddrisu is most likely to replace Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It is expected that Alhaji Mumuni will replace Mr. Cletus Avoka as Minister of Interior even though the consensus is that Mr. Avoka’s performance has been excellent. Substantial changes are also expected at the Ministries of Energy, Roads and Highways and Works and Housing.

Source: The Insight/Ghana