Daily Guide -- Information filtered in indicates that more ministers are expected to be swept away in the on-going ministerial reshuffle, even as the ?chess master? President John Agyekum Kufuor jealously keeps the list to his chest.

Daily Guide learnt that the number of deputy ministers would be massively pruned down, with two regional ministers on their way out.

Hon Rev. Sampson Kwaku Boafo, MP for Subin and Ashanti Regional Minister is being replaced by Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Deputy Attorney-General and MP for Kwabre West. However, Hon Boafo may be given an office at the Presidency as a Minister of State for Chieftaincy and Cultural Affairs.

Mr. Owusu-Ansah, a retired Judicial Secretary who recently survived a coup plot in his constituency would be supported by Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, an ?Abrokyire returnee? in the NPP hotspot, Ashanti. The Western Regional Minister, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, would also be relieved of his appointment with Anthony Evans Amoah, MP for Mpohor Wassa East taking over from him.

Hon Amoah, a journalist, until he was elected to Parliament, was Human Resource Operations Manager of Graphic Communications Group. Hon Aidoo, a hardworking regional minister?s problem, according to sources, is that the chiefs in the Western Region have sent an avalanche of letters, pleading with the President to remove him, sources indicate.

Hon. Isaac Edumadze may retain his position in the Central Region, as would his Greater Accra Regional counterpart, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, who was earlier speculated to have been swept with the tsunami.

Alhaji Mustapha Idris Ali, is staging a come-back into the political scene, warming up to take over from Abubakar Saddique Boniface, MP for Salaga as Northern Regional Minister. Hon Boniface is relocating to Accra as Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, taking over from Joseph Kofi Adda, MP for Navrongo, who moves to the Energy Ministry. The deputy Energy Minister, Hon Kobina Tahir Hammond is likely to lose his position to Kwasi Ankamah, special assistant to the Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Yaw Barimah, a strong Kufuor loyalist is staying put in Koforidua to enable him to have more time for his constituents, in view of the difficulties he went through during the parliamentary congress in 2004, just as President Kufuor has renewed his confidence in Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister, Ambrose Derry, Upper West Regional Minister and Boniface Gambila Upper East Regional Minister.

The fates of Dr. Gashika Agambilla, deputy Minister for Environment and Science and Moses Dani Baah, Deputy Minister for Private Sector Development are unknown as their ministries have been scrapped and their responsibilities transferred to other ministries. The position of Kofi Osei-Ameyaw is very shaky as at press time, because there was a strong indication that the Australia trained lawyer and MP for Asuogyaman may be dropped.

Kwame Osei-Prempeh, MP for Nsuta Kwaman and Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Legal and Constitutional matters, and Joe Badu-Ansah, MP for Effia-Kwesimintsin may make their debut into the ministerial club.

Hon Osei-Prempeh is tipped for Deputy Attorney-General?s position, while Badu-Ansah had already received a congratulatory message from Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey as a replacement for the man popularly called Asabee, Stephen Asamoah Boateng who is taking over from Charles Bintim as the Local Government, Rural Development and Science Minister.

Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah, popularly called OB will partner Asabee, the Mfantsiman MP. The positions of J.B. Danquah Adu, deputy minister for Women and Children?s Affairs, Capt (rtd) Kwame Nkrabea Effah-Dartey deputy minister for the Interior and Isah Ketekewu, deputy minister for Works, Housing and Water resources and Kofi Adusei Poku deputy minister for Local Government and Rural Development are equally shaky.

Ms. Oboshie Sai Coffie is expected to leave her cozy office at the Presidency as deputy chief of staff to the re-designated Information and National Orientation Ministry as a deputy to Hon Kwamena Bartels, MP for Ablekuma North.

The incumbent deputy minister of Information, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is moving to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to assist Nana Akufo-Addo. Hon Kwasi Osei-Agyei might stay.

The reshuffle has already swept away high profile ministers like Hon Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Education, and Sports and Daniel Kwaku Botwe, Minister of Information from their respective positions.

Meanwhile, more information has emerged on how President Kufuor reshuffled his ministerial appointments last Thursday night. According to our information, ministers were scheduled to attend a normal Thursday cabinet meeting, but were informed the President wanted to speak to them individually.

Foreign Minister Nana Akufo Addo was said to be the first to be invited in and was subsequently followed by others. Around 4.00pm newsrooms were buzzing with snippets of information that there were heated arguments at Cabinet meeting and that the expected shake-up was imminent.

Eyewitness accounts said while certain ministers emerged from the President?s office with smiles on their faces, others came out wearing long faces.

?Some failed to take the refreshment on offer, and others took different exit routes out of the Castle? sources indicated. Daily Guide gathered that others scowled because they had been offered certain portfolios different from what they had eyed, especially as the media mounted a daily speculation on the reshuffle. But in all, it was a ?take-it-or-leave-it? situation, as the President stuck to the nominations he had diligently penned down and bound into a booklet, according to The Statesman.

Speaking to reporters on his encounter with the President, former Minister of Information, Mr. Dan Botwe said he was invited into the office where he spent barely three minutes. ?I was asked to step aside?, he said. When a journalist of TV3 ?cornered? the President at Burma Camp on Friday and put to him the suggestion that the reshuffle was sudden, President Kufuor denied that it was a sudden move. ?It was not sudden?, he said, ?but I will leave it like that for now?, parrying off further questions.