Major Cabinet Reshuffle Expected

Tue, 19 Feb 2002 Source:

According to the Evening News, President J.A. Kufuor is in the process of reshuffling his cabinet by the end of the week.The following changes are anticipated

Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo takes over the Minsitry of Economic Planning and Regional Integration

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, moves to Finance.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo will move to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The paper says that although Nana Akuffo Addo has brought his experience to bear on the legal system, his ability to fluently speak French coupled with his well-established personal international reputation, positions him to bring in the envisaged flow of Foreign Direct Investment.

Foreign Minister, Hackman Owusu Agyeman will move to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture having worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization for years

Agriculture Minister, Major Courage Quashigah will move to the Interior Ministry

Alhaji Malik Yakubu, a lawyer by profession, moves from the Interior to the Justice Ministry

The newspaper reports “the fact that the President continues to place confidence in him (Dr Nduom) although regarded as an outsider by many within the NPP, is evidence that his efforts are appreciated.” The paper added: “It should be realized that being an astute finance man through and through, unlike his three predecessors, he may hold the key to laying the necessary foundation for the economy to truly take –off.”

“President Kufuor has so far demonstrated that he is not averse to taking tough decisions as far as the executions of his mandate as the Chief Executive of the nation is concerned. Perhaps this second shake up in less than a year is a pointer to the gravity of the socio-economic problems that confront the government and his determination to effectively handle the situations.” states the paper