President John Evans Ata Mills has contested three presidential elections in Ghana \u2013 2000, 2004 and 2008. His picture has appeared on five ballot papers \u2013 2000, 2000 (run-off); 2004; 2008 and 2008 (run-off). He is a man who has really experienced defeat and victory at various times of his political career.
\nFrom the above, there is no way anyone can say that he or she wants President Mills to win the 2012 presidential elections than the President himself. If the President declares that 2011 is his Year of Action, he knows what to do. He is also aware that the buck starts and stops at his table!
\nLeading members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC); journalists and political analysts, have over the past few months, been speculating about when the President\u2019s next ministerial reshuffle will be done and those likely to be affected. All these were done in the spirit of speculations but the President has the sole prerogative of appointing, reshuffling and dismissing Ministers of State.
\nOn Tuesday evening, Mr. J.K. Bebaako-Mensah, Secretary to the President, issued a press statement about some ministerial movements: Mr. Martin Amidu was being moved from the Ministry of Interior to Attorney-General\/Ministry of Justice; Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor from Health to Interior; Mr. Yieleh Chireh from Local Government to Health; Mr. Ofosu Ampofo from the Eastern Region to Local Government; Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu from Attorney General\/Ministry of Justice to Education; Ms. Sena Akua Dansua from Youth & Sports to Tourism; Mr. Mike Hammah from Transport to Lands\/Natural Resources; Alhaji Collins Dauda from Lands\/Natural Resources to Transport; Dr. Kwesi Apea-Kubi form deputy Minister of Interior to Eastern Regional Minister and Mr. Kofi Humado, Member of Parliament for Anlo as the New Minister of Youth and Sports.
\nAlthough Mr. Bebaako-Mensah\u2019s press statement indicated that further Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial appointments would be announced later, it was clear two Ministers had lost their jobs. They were Mr. Alex Tettey Enyo (Education) and Mrs. Zita Okaikoi (Tourism).
\nThere is no school or institution that teaches anyone to be a Minister of State. Being a Minister is basically, competence plus managing people and common sense. However, a brief over view of the backgrounds of some of those who have been reshuffled indicates that the President expects them to use their professional backgrounds to help his Year of Action drive.
\nMr. Ampofo was the National Organiser for the NDC when the party was in opposition. He is well-versed in working with party activists at grassroots level and he will be crucial in the NDC\u2019s attempt to retain power at the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. His familiarity with party activists and structures should help him deal with MCEs\/DCEs, who would be undermining NDC Members of Parliament in attempts to beat them at NDC constituency primaries.
\nMr. Amidu was the deputy Attorney General\/Minister of Justice during the 1993-2001 NDC administration headed by Jerry Rawlings. His then immediate boss, Dr. Obed Asamoah did not attend court to embark on any prosecutions, it was Mr. Amidu\u2019s forte. He brings to his new position, a bit of prosecutorial and Courtroom Practicalities that Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu may have been lacking.
\nMr. Hammah is a Quantity Surveyor by profession and that should help him at his new assignment. Dr. Kunbuor has a rich legal background, in addition to his work at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to enable him deliver at Interior.
\nMr. Chireh graduated from the KNUST in 1979 as a pharmacist and in 2006, was called to the Bar. The cornerstone of the NDC\u2019s policy on the health is the National Health Insurance Scheme, which borders on the purchase and payment of drugs used.
\nHis over 30 years experience as a pharmacist, coupled with his knowledge of working in the health sector should be an added advantage. He should also try and change the perception among workers in the health sector that the only language Ghanaian governments have understood over the past 15 years is to resort to strike action to get what is due them.
\nMr. Humado is coming to take up a hot and slippery Ministry. In the eight years rule of ex-President John Kufuor, six persons occupied the seat at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. President Mills starts his third year in office and he (Humado) will be the fourth Minister of Youth and Sports. Mr. Humado should take a cue from his predecessor\u2019s lamentations that there were too many interferences from many quarters. Mr. Humado should disregard all these interferences from many quarters\u2019 and report directly to the one who appointed him \u2013 the President.
\nThe eight-year rule of President Kufuor saw 51 persons having been appointed and sacked as Ministers or deputy Ministers. How many would have been appointed and sacked as Ministers or deputies by 2012?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President John Evans Ata Mills has contested three presidential elections in Ghana \u2013 2000, 2004 and 2008. His picture has appeared on five ballot papers \u2013 2000, 2000 (run-off); 2004; 2008 and 2008 (run-off). He is a man who has really experienced defeat and victory at various times of his political career. From the above, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n