Statesman: More G8 Ministers resign

News reaching The Saturday Statesman is that at least five of the group of eight minister-aspirants have tendered in their resignations letters to the President at the Castle.

The latest to do that was Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, MP, Minister for Water Resources, Works & Housing. Yet, his resignation is not expected to take effect until the deadline agreed by the G8, the party leadership and President John Agyekum Kufuor last Wednesday.

Among the first to hand in their resignation letters were Paapa Owusu-Ankomah, MP, Minister for Education, Science & Sports, Mike Oquaye, MP, Communications Minister, and Kwame Addo-Kufuor, MP, Defence  Minister.

Jake Obestebi-Lamptey was at the Castle Thursday to do same. But, he is the only one whose resignation is known to have taken immediate effect in spite of the agreement that the Ministers could wait until the end of the African Union Summit.

Late Friday, Secretary to the President, DK Osei issued a statement which reads: "The President, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, on Wednesday, 20th June met with NPP Executives and Minister of his Cabinet who intend to stand for the flagbearer position of the Party when nominations open in September in accordance with the NPP party [sic] constitution.”

The statement continues, "The meeting, chaired by the President, was aimed at ensuring effective continuity of Government's work and programme, whilst also ensuring sufficient space for the Ministers to pursue their laudable ambitions. “After frank and open discussions, an understanding was reached that the Ministers would step aside from Government soon after the AU Summit to enable them concentrate on their individual efforts to win the party"s nomination and also enable Government continue with its work without any distraction throughout the hectic period ahead.”

The statement, stresses the point that, “The President, thus, accepted their offer to resign and expressed his gratitude for their immense and invaluable contribution to the development of the country during their tenure as Ministers.

The Ministers in turn committed themselves to the continued success of the party and the government of President Kufuor, and promised to work hard to ensure that the NPP retained powers in the next general elections,” it ends. Initially, according to our senior Castle sources, the intention of the President was to suspend the resignation of two of them, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen. The reasons for the two exceptions were that the two men have two significant international events to host here in Accra. The African Union Summit in the first week of July and the AGOA Forum in the third week of the month.

Though some members of the G8, Mr Owusu-Ankomah, Dr Addo-Kufuor, Prof Oquaye had already handed in their resignation letters, a move to get the G8 to act in solidarity was proposed.

This was that all eight should resign together by giving notice this week but for it to take effect in four weeks. By then, the AGOA forum, which takes place between July 18-19 would have been over. But, the President, according to our sources, would have none of it.

The counter challenge from some members of the G8 was this: was it being suggested that the AGOA Forum was more important than the Education reforms which begins in September? What about the Joseph Project which had been initiated and planned for the last three years by Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the Minister of Tourism & Diasporan Relations?

Every Minister may have a project or two that they have a special personal interest in.

A similar argument, however, could not be made against the African Union Summit, which takes place from June 25 - July 3. It is an all-important one item agenda on the future union of Africa. President Kufuor is the current chairman of the AU.

His Foreign Minister, Nana Akufo-Addo, is the Chairman of the Executive Council of the AU.

Certainly, the President, the country and indeed the continent could not risk the organisation and handling of this significant event by bringing in a fresh face at this late stage. It could even compromise his peers' estimation of him. In the long run, all at the Wednesday meeting agreed that since the AU summit ends on July 3, July 4 would be a fair date to quit.

Some have been at particular pains to stress that they were not against quitting in principle since the party constitution requires that of them - but only after filing. And, the opening of that process does not start until September after which they have two months to file their nominations. They were very simply against the impression they were having that they were being hounded out of office.

Some were bold enough to tell the gathering that the ongoing revival of the party can be attributed more to them than any special favours Government or the party can claim to have done for party rank and file at the grassroots level. There have been instances where aspirants have clashed in one constituency, with the same agenda of meeting the ten or so party executives. Through the virtually weekly routine of camps of about a dozen or so presidential hopefuls criss-crossing the country to meet party members, the spirit and sense of importance of the rank and file are generally accepted to have improved significantly over the last twelve months, especially. Some major portfolios are up for grabs. The lobbying has intensified since the weekend as it became apparent that the fate of the big eight minister-aspirants had been sealed.

Thursday's Cabinet meeting was billed to be tense.

The New Patriotic Party General Secretary had already publicly said he was unhappy that the President did not consult the party leadership before going ahead to demand resignations from eight of his Ministers contesting to be the party's presidential candidate on Tuesday, June 12.

Nana Ohene Ntow was at Thursday's meeting with his Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, who has also publicly endorsed the pre-nominations campaign activities of the aspirants.

The President, according to sources close to some minister-aspirants, has since that fateful Tuesday 12 June meeting met about four of them to try and convince them to abandon their presidential ambitions and remain as Ministers. But, a source close to the President"s house said "this friendly, honest and caring advice was resented by the men.”

Indeed, the saying is that this highly publicised presidential ultimatum to resign has now made it more difficult for some of the G8 minister- aspirants, who were likely to withdraw from the contest, eventually.

But, as indicated above, the lobbying is on. Stephen Ntim, the former First Vice Chairperson, and a leading member of the Alan Kyerematen campaign is known to be knocking on the doors of the Road Transport Ministry.

The prospect of the hardworking Richard Anane returning to post is being frustrated by the decision by the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice to appeal against the appeal won by the ex-Minister at the High Court against an earlier CHRAJ decision that he was liable for conflict of interest. But, insiders are not ruling his return out at all. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, the former KMA mayor, may be one of the lucky ones, who may be up for a ministerial vetting before Parliament rises on July 27. Nana Akomea could also be a returnee but this time to replace Prof Oquaye at Communications.

The reshuffle list may not be out at a go as earlier anticipated because the G8 have been given two weeks within which to resign. Though the usual suspects are expected to be the eight or so minister-aspirants, news from our Castle sources is that the reshuffling hand would extend beyond those with clear presidential ambitions.

The changes, we have learnt, are likely not to be exclusive to Ministers hoping to be the governing party’s flagbearer for the December 2008 elections. Some high profile Ministers are expected to be either dropped altogether or shifted to other less controversial portfolios.

Again, some regional ministers may be called (or recalled) to the capital. Mustapha Idris (Northern) and Ato Arthur (Central) are being tipped to be called to Accra.

Albert Kan-Dapaah could see a move to what insiders call a "more challenging portfolio."