Ernest Owusu Bempah, Deputy Communications Director of the National Democratic Party (NDP) says President John Mahama’s recent reshuffle was not motivated by development strategy or his quest to maintain national cohesion.
The reshuffle saw the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, moving to the Central Region, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Eric Opoku, to the Ashanti Region, the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Ebenezer Kwadwo Teye Addo, to the Western Region, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Julius Debrah, to the Greater Accra Region, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, to the Volta Region, the Upper East Regional Minister.
The rest are Dr. Ephraim Avea Nsoh, to the Upper West Region, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng, to the Northern Region, the Volta Regional Minister, Mrs. Helen Ntoso, to the Eastern Region, the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, moves to the Brong Ahafo Region and Minister of State at the Presidency, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed Muniru, moves to the Upper East as Ag. Regional Minister.
According to Owusu Bempah the decision to reshuffle, ‘regional ministers who are barely a month old in their position, stems from the President’s indecisiveness and confusion’.
He says the President’s act is a confirmation of what he wrote in his book ‘My First Coup d’état’: “Danger lurks around any decision I make…” adding, ‘this means the President is taking us nowhere because every decision he takes is dangerous’.
“The first cardinal post he made us aware of was that Regional ministers must come from their own region because they will know how to deal with the people better. But his recent reshuffle states the contrary…if he says he is fostering national unity, I bet to differ,” Owusu Bempah said in an interview during Peace FM news on Tuesday.Meanwhile, Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. says he sees nothing wrong with the President’s reshuffle ‘so far as the ministers will do their work and bring development to the country’.
Contributing to a panel discussion on Tuesday during Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ with host Kwami Sefa-Kayi, he said: “Where the minster will come from is not my concern. The most important thing is for them to work and change the current condition of the country. This is not the first time this is happening…they (regional ministers) should also understand that they are going to the region to work and bring improvement…”
Source: Peacefmonline
