Rawlings calls for cabinet reshuffle

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has demanded an immediate ministerial reshuffle by President John Mahama to clear what he called non-performing ministers and replace them with experienced and competent ones.

According to him, the performance of the government so far indicated that a number of government appointees were simply not up to the task.

Speaking with Joy FM Thursday, former President Rawlings said the changes should have taken place towards the end of last year ‘when Ghanaians had actually reached their saturation point with what they perceived as the incompetence or non-performance of some of the appointees, but it didn’t happen’. Most appointees not competent

‘Of course, a sizeable percentage of them I don’t think were good enough and they demonstrated it with their time in office. I don’t think this is a matter of opinion really. I think we can all see the result of their work. If they had performed better, things would have been different,’ he said.

He disagreed that the young appointees should be given time to find their grip, saying, ‘There were a lot of personalities in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with a lot of experience. This is not the time to be a learning in government. No, no, no. We have people with a lot of experience, a lot of integrity who could have helped and provided wise counsel.’ Rumour

While dismissing rumours that he was holding on to the supposed list of those to be affected by the reshuffle, former President Rawlings said if such a list had come to his office, it would take him not less than 30 minutes to start ticking, putting down and cancelling out names.

‘There is a bit of anxiety, some sense of expectation. That is where my name becomes a convenient tool to be misused,’ he stated.

‘I am not unaware of the occasional misuse of my name by elements in the party and the government to cover up their own weaknesses. No such list has come to my office,’ he declared.

While defending the impression created that he knew everything going on in the government, former President Rawlings stressed that the elected President was his own coach and, therefore, the attention should be directed at him.

‘The elected President is the coach, as he said, and that is where our attention should be directed, not at me,’ he stated.

Source: Daily Graphic.com.gh