In Ghana, the recent cabinet reshuffle carried out by President John Kufuor is attracting criticism from the opposition parties. The main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), calls it a trial and error process, amateurish, and a sign of gross incompetence. The president has also created new ministries, which the NDC says is a cost the nation will [have to] bear. The general secretary of the NDC, Samuel Asiedu-Nketia, spoke to Voice of America's Africa reporter Peter Clottey:

?For the past six years that President Kufuor has been in office, every single reshuffle of cabinet he has undertaken has come along with realignment of ministries. New ministries are created with every reshuffle and some are abolished. And I consider it to be very unprofessional and amateurish.? He added that President Kufuor cannot take advantage of the nation with his constant reorganization of government matters.

As for the president?s explanation that strengthening his team of ministers would help him to rule effectively, Asiedu-Nketia said, ?What it means is that he does not have any clear vision to pursue. If after six years you don?t have any standard way of governing the country and with every reshuffle you have to create new ministries and abolish old ones with flimsy excuses, I think its not a good enough explanation.? He said that from the president?s treatment of the nation?s affairs it seems he is misplacing his priorities.

When speaking of the recently announced 20% salary increase for all workers, Asiedu-Nketia expressed dissatisfaction, saying, ?If the government thinks that raising the minimum wage is a way of ameliorating the adverse poverty in the country, then this is very amateurish.?