What is he up to?

President John Kufuor over the weekend set leaders of the opposition NDC guessing as to what he was up with two key announcements that caught them off guard.

He announced that he was bestowing the nation’s highest honour on the main opposition NDC leader and flagbearer for the 2008 presidential election, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, together with three other prominent Ghanaians.

And in another worrying move, he set free imprisoned NDC MP for Keta, and former Minister of Trade, Mr Dan Abodakpi, on humanitarian grounds. 

A statement issued by the Office of the President on Sunday and signed by Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs said accordingly the President has granted a pardon by way of remission of the remainder of Abodakpi’s sentence.

Abodakpi was serving a 10-year jail term for causing financial loss of over C2 billion to the State.

By press time last night, sources say the opposition was unclear in their minds as to whether to jubilate or cry foul over the proposed honour to their flagbearer and the pardon granted their own MP.

Insiders say the party’s Founder and former president Jerry John Rawlings may himself be added to the honour list.

“The full list of this year’s National Awards is still in preparation and a number of Ghanaian nationals, who have contributed to the growth and development of the country, including high personalities in the previous and current governments are being considered”, a statement from the Office of the President and signed by Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs said.

The news came just as the President dropped Hon. Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Trade, Industries, PSD and PSI, from his government in a mini-reshuffle that caught everybody by surprise and few hours after announced massive tax cuts on a number of products to ease economic pressure brought by rising global oil and food prices.

In the ministerial reshuffle, the President nominated for approval by Parliament Paapa Owusu Ankomah as the Minister of Trade, Industries, PSD and PSI, Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Interior, Mr. Kwabena Mensah Bonsu, Minister of State and Mr Joe Baidoo Ansah, Minister designate for Aviation.

A statement issued on Saturday by the Office of the President said the President has also proposed Miss Gloria Akuffo, who until Saturday was the Minister for Aviation, and Mr Asare Bosompem as ambassadors to the Republic of Ireland and Togo respectively.

President Kufuor has since what some term his magic left Accra for Japan, where he would attend the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), scheduled for May 28th to 30th in Yokohama.

The TICAD conference is a quadrennial summit, and it’s being organized by the Japanese government, the UN and its allied bodies, with the main objective of promoting African development.

A release signed by Mr Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary to the President and Presidential Spokesperson, said the conference would focus on three core areas namely; Boosting economic growth, Ensuring Human security including achieving the Millennium Development Goals and consolidation of  peace.

The summit would also address environmental issues and climate change on the African Continent.

It said 33 African Heads of State are expected to attend the conference, where they would share their thoughts on the major topics of discussion.