..Resignation/Dismissal Fever Grips Ministers
Key Cabinet ministers aspiring to succeed President Kufuor at the NPP primaries later this year, who have been asked to quit or be sacked, reportedly turned up extremely late at Cabinet meeting yesterday, sparking speculations that they might be trying to avoid their fate following reports that a Cabinet reshuffle was imminent.

By mid-day, sources say almost all the eight ministers had failed to turn out for the meeting billed to start at 10am prompt, when other colleague Cabinet ministers, Vice President Aliu Mahama and President Kufuor were all ready to get going.

Sources say some of the ministers sent word that their delays were the result of the parliamentary debate on the ongoing energy crises between the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led minority MPs.

Castle hounds suggested to this paper that having gathered that the President was going to either accept their resignations or dismiss them, most of the Cabinet Ministers were nowhere to be found at the time they were supposed be at the Cabinet meeting.

The absentee ministers were reportedly busy searching for their seats in Parliament under the pretext of debating their minority colleagues on the energy crises.

The ministers in the firing line, some of whom have reportedly prepared their resignation letters, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister for Defence; Messrsr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing; Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations and Felix Owusu Adjapong, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and sit-in Minister for Road Transport.

Others are Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, Minister for Communications; Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister for Education, Science and Sports; Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD and Alan Kyeremanten, Minister for Trade and Industry.

The eight were informed by the President a little over a week ago to prepare to hand over their resignation letters or risk being dismissed as ministers of state if they were to continue with their campaign for the flagbearer of the NPP.

Significantly, almost all the eight ministers have been hit hard by the demand from the presidency despite evidence that it has been on the cards awhile. While some have quickly regained their composure, others are still holding on trying to find exactly what is on the president’s mind before making any move.

Meantime, sources in the diplomatic intelligence community say there have been grave worries about the number of ministers seeking to outdo each other in the NPP race and the sources of the generous funding being spread around in their desire to outdo each other.

Prior to the President directive, most of the Minister aspirants were gearing up for heated campaigns as they prepare to peak.

Sources told Gye Nyame Concord that some of the aspirants were in discussions yesterday morning by press time to present a common proposal to the President guaranteeing their jobs should they lose in their bid to lead the party, part of which suggest that their deputies be made to act while they pursue their adventures.