Daily Guide: Ministers Pack Out

Information reaching Daily Guide indicates that several cabinet ministers who are serious about pursuing their presidential ambitions will this week hand over their resignation letters to their boss, President John Agyekum Kufuor. Newsmen learnt that at least two ministers- one of whom is Education, Science and Sports Minister, Papa Owusu-Ankomah- are ready to step down.

The Education minister was said to be putting his handing over notes together before he headed for the North at the weekend to join his campaign team. It was gathered that the minister was relieved by the President’s shocking edict to the eight ministers, jokingly referred to as the “Gang of 8” to leave his cabinet and concentrate on their campaign.

Owusu-Ankomah is moving into full gear because he had started late and needs time to catch up with others who have been in the race since 2001. The President last Tuesday summoned the ‘Gang of 8’ to his office and read out the riot act to them, giving them this week to quit or risk being fired. Some of them resisted the directive, quoting the NPP’s constitution for solace.

However, the president brushed aside their plea, insisting that they must quit and concentrate on their political ambitions. The NPP constitution says the moment an aspirant files his nomination to contest the party’s flagbearership, such a person ceases to hold a public office.

Dan Botwe, former General Secretary, was the first person to lead the way when he resigned as Chairman of the party’s Research Committee in April to avoid a conflict of interest situation. Other ministers too will submit their letters of resignation, asking for between two weeks to one month to wind up on projects which they have nursed and natured to maturity or commissioning stage.

Two of these ministers are Nana Akufo-Addo, Foreign Minister, who is the arrow head in the preparations for the hosting of the upcoming African Union (AU) Summit in early July- a project which has seen him travel throughout Africa and Europe, in drawing up the road map to an African Union government.

Another minister who is ready to go but needs ‘a grace period’ is Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade, Industry and the President’s Special Initiative. He is expected to commission a number of finished projects, including garment and shoe factories, starch industries, and the upcoming AGOA conference in Ghana.

Also ready to hand in his resignation and take to the road is Defense Minister, Kwame Addo-Kufuor whose campaign is highly-rated despite criticism that he is the President’s brother.

Communications Minister Prof Mike Oquaye on his part has told sections of the media that he is studying the President’s directive and will respond at the appropriate time.

Unconfirmed reports said Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism, is also ready to quit to inject the much-needed steam into his campaign.

Although some of the aspirants may wish to pull some muscles against the powers of the Presidency, DAILY GUIDE has learnt the President will not relent on his advice to them to resign. “It is a fiat accompli”, said a source.

The paper learnt that President Kufuor has already conferred with Parliament, which rises in late July, on submission of names for vetting by the Appointment Committee.

What is apparent is that should all the eight cabinet ministers file their nomination papers to vie for the NPP flagbearership in the December congress, their portfolios will be left with a yawning gap; because by filing, they are compelled by their party constitution to step down.

The party is expected to open nominations in September. A leading member of the party said, “It is either the President’s neck on the block or the ministers’ head which must be chopped off”.

At the weekend, Dr. Sule Gariba, executive director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, stated that the President’s directive asking ambitious ministers to resign was within his rights. He said the directive should compel those jostling for positions to call it quits because government administration may suffer from their competition.

According to Dr Gariba, though the party position suggests that minister-aspirants can campaign, it is the President and his Government that ultimately suffer from the jostling for position, and as such, the situation may affect the running of government and the cordial relationship among the competing ministers.

“Once you are taking a campaign whether openly or privately, it is presumed that you are doing so in competition with another ministerial colleague.

Cabinet is a cohesive whole to discharge government business and even though it might not be acrimonious, we all know that that competition alone might cloud the possibility of cooperation in the discharge of one’s function”, he stressed.

The ministers in the firing line are Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Defence; Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, Foreign Affairs , Regional Integration and NEPAD; Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Water Resources, Works and Housing; and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Tourism and Diaspora Relations.

The rest are Felix Owusu Adjapong, Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade and Industry; Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, Minister of Communications; and Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports.

Vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has also made clear his intention to run for the office. In all, about 18 party stalwarts have declared their intentions to run for the presidency on the NPP ticket.