..Baah Wiredu to Finance & Economic Planning
..Osafo-Mafo to Education ... Quarshigah for Health
... Dan Botwe Rewarded... Apraku, Nduom & Akomea Fired?
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday made ministerial nominations for the consideration of Parliament, as he begins his second and final term, naming Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, former Education, Youth and Sports minister, for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

A statement signed by the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, said former Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Mafo has been nominated for the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The President also nominated

• Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, for the Ministry of Information
• Professor Mike Oquaye, former Ambassador to India and now Adenta MP, gets he Ministry of Energy
• Mr Ayikoi Otoo,Former Ghana Bar Association's General Secretary, will be Attorney General
• Mr Charles Bintim will be Minister of Local Government and Rural Development
• Mr Joseph K. Adda for Manpower Youth and Employment.

Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, and Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communications, have all been nominated for the same portfolios.

Others who have been nominated for the same portfolios are Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi, Harbours and Railway; Dr Richard Anane, Roads and Transport; Mr Felix Owusu Agyapong, Parliamentary Affairs.

According to the statement, Major (Rtd) Courage Quarshigah, former Minister of Food and Agriculture is now slated for the Ministry of Health, Papa Owusu Ankomah, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, for the Interior, and Professor Dominic K. Fobih, Lands Forestry and Mines.

Mr Ernest Debrah, former Northern Regional Minister, has been nominated as Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mrs Gladys Asmah, former Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, is now nominated as Minister of Fisheries, while Hajia Alima Mahama, a former deputy Minister at Ministry of Trade, Industry and PSI, has now been named as Minister for Women and Children's Affairs.

Former Interior Minister Hackman Owusu Agyeman has been nominated for the Works and Housing portfolio while Mr Alan Kyeremanteng remains at Trade and Industry, but no longer responsible for PSI.

Mr Kwamena Bartels has been nominated as Minister for Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiative.

The President has re-nominated five regional ministers for their current regions. They are Sheik I.C Quaye, Greater Accra, Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo, Mr Samson Kweku Boafo, Ashanti, Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central, and Mr Joseph Aidoo, Western.

For the rest of the regions, the President nominated Mr Yaw Barimah, former Minister of Employment and Manpower Development, for Eastern region, Mr Boniface Gambila, Upper East, Mr Ambrose Dery, former deputy Attorney General, for Upper West, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, former deputy Volta regional Minister, now as the substantive minister for the region and Mr Boniface Saddique, former deputy Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, for the Northern region.