Politics of Friday, 2 May 2014

Source: The Informer

Non-performing ministers will be sacked, not Seth Terkper

One of the Senior Advisor’s to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has, in an exclusive telephone conversation told The Informer that, the impending re-shuffle will affect only non-performing Ministers of State, and not performing ones like Mr. Seth Emmanuel Terkper, of the Finance and Economic Planning ministry, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang of the Education Ministry, and Mr. Akwasi Opong-Fosu, of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

The advisor, who declined to be named for now, said this in reaction to incessant calls by certain misguided leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the President to fire his hardworking and uncorrupted Finance Minister, Seth Terkper.

He adds, “The President recently praised Seth Terkper for introducing reforms and ensuring financial discipline within the public sector; so it will be suicidal for the same person (President) to sack or even change him”.

According to him, those pushing for Mr. Seth Terkper‘s dismissal are only displaying their ignorance of the remarkable improvement that the Finance minister has brought into the management of the economy and advised that they be ignored.

“At least, those of us in the helm of affairs and, per documents available to us, know the solid foundation Seth is laying for the big take-off of the economy. In fact, the President is solidly behind his Finance Minister for the prudent manner he is managing the economy for the big take-off, and will not be ambushed by those calling on him to dismiss Seth Terkper," he stated.

“I can state unequivocally that, His Excellency President John Mahama, has confidence in his Finance Minister’s resolve to improve the economic fortunes of this country, and will not bother one bit about the calls from Allotey Jacobs and his team,” the senior advisor pointed out; adding that those calling for the minister’s head are working in vain.

Leading members of the NDC, including its National Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, much uninformed, have persistently blamed Mr. Seth Terpker for the current economic challenges that the country is experiencing and, to some extent refer to him as “Judas," but the President disagrees totally with them.

According to him, even though the country at the moment is experiencing some economic challenges, government’s measures at stabilising the economy are yielding positive dividends.

Addressing Ghanaian Workers on this year’s May Day celebration, the President hinted that, though some of the home-grown strategies being implemented to revive the economy are considered unkind, the measures are achieving the desired effect and the economy is gradually responding.

“This year is a turn-around year for Ghana and I am positive that the Ghanaian economy will show strong signs of recovery by the end of this fiscal year,” President Mahama is reported to have said.

According to him, clear measures had been instituted to deal with the corruption canker which is fast eating into the fabric of the economy, indicating his government’s commitment to plugging all loopholes in the revenue system to ensure sustainable economic growth.

He also hinted of government’s efforts at cleaning the payroll of ghost names, to a perpetual extinction, with a massive audit system so as to save the public purse.

However, intelligence picked up by this paper has it that, the incessant attack on Mr. Seth Terkper is being masterminded by a former Finance minister (name withheld for now) who has sworn heaven and earth to bring the current Finance minister down.

In fact, The Informer is serving notice as its calls on those behind the said attacks on Mr. Seth Terkper, particularly the said former Finance minister, to immediately refrain from their wicked ways or face our wrath.

Meanwhile, we urge Mr. Seth Terkper not to listen to his misguided and uninformed detractors, but remain focused to work for the progress of Mother Ghana.