General News of Friday, 27 January 2012

Source: xfm 95.1

Mills himself must be reshuffled ­ - Sammy Awuku

Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Sammy Awuku has said the recent cabinet reshuffle by President John Evans Atta Mills will not yield the desired results because Œthey are just reshuffling old birds¹.

According to him this is a reshuffling of ³team B players with new addition from team C², saying, ³it is nothing new².

³This is just team B playing team C in a match that doesn¹t look like it will produce any result. It is likely to be a draw², he told Xfm 95.1 in an interview.

Citing instances of former Deputy Tourism Minister, James Agyenim-Boateng¹s movement from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Tourism and back to the Information Ministry, he said, ŒŠI don¹t see the head and tail of this reshuffle¹

He also said the introduction of some new faces will add nothing new the NDC government going into the 2012 general elections.

MP for Ablekuma South Constituency, Hon Fritz Baffoe will be the new Information Minister, while that of the Nabdam Constituency, Hon Moses Asaga will take oversight responsibility at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.

However, Mr Awuku said ?I do not foresee any significant impact the introduction of new faces like Fritz Baffoe and Moses Asaga would bring to the NDC¹; rather adding, ³the ship is already sinkingŠit¹s like the titanic. It is almost already submerged¹.

He wondered why Hon Moses Asaga, who was sacked by President John Mills in 2009 as Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing designate, has now been called by the President ³to help the NDC salvage an already sinking boat².

He therefore called on Ghanaians to ³reshuffle the NDC² come the general election in December.

³What we have to do is pray that December arrives quickly, reshuffle the government and president and bring in capable hands from the New Patriotic Party (NPP)².

Meanwhile Gender activities have sharply criticized President John Mills for not appointing women in his latest ministerial reshuffle announced Wednesday.

The list of 19 appointees with six new entrants had no female nomination.

Story by Dennis Nii Lantey Lawson/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana