The Deputy General Secretary for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Koku Anyidoho has described the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the worse minister for 2017 and has called for his immediate dismissal by President Nana Akufo Addo.

He said Dr. Opoku Prempeh has failed to address the challenges that have emanated from the implementation of the free Senior High School policy introduced this year that resulted in the death of Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) students.

Speaking in an interview with Otec news on Ministerial Performance Rating for 2017, Koku Anyidoho said the Education minister has performed poorly and should be held responsible for the death of the KUMACA students for his woeful performance in dealing with the provision of spacious dormitories, classrooms and other logistics for the smooth implementation of the policy.

“NAPO has failed woefully and this government should have gotten rid of him long time ago because he failed to address the challenges of overcrowding classrooms and dormitories that have led to meningitis and deaths in some schools. Look at what has happened at KUMACA, the innocent students shouldn’t have died if Dr. Opoku Prempeh had put proper measures in place to check those challenges,” he said.

A news story about an imminent cabinet reshuffle in President Akuffu Addo’s administration has sent fear among Ministers, particularly those whose names have popped up as likely causalities.

Sources said the news story sent shockwaves in government circles, with jittery ministers making frantic calls to the seat of government, the Flag Staff House and to close associates of the president in order to get their way through in the confusing logjam.

The ministerial reshuffle, including changes in key posts, is likely to take place in the coming weeks after discussions between the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some prominent persons in his party.

A source from the Presidency says the imminent reshuffle was to take place before the Christmas but upon a second thought, the President decided to allow the existing ministers to have a merry Christmas with their families.

Koku said the first minister he wished to be reshuffled is the Education minister because also of his arrogance position, refusing to release funds to the school matrons for the purchase of food items to feed the students.

“Now go to the schools and check, the matrons are complaining of unavailability of foods to feed the overpopulated students at the various schools, all in the name of free SHS, and when they complain the Education minister will come out and say ‘I don’t care’, what kind of arrogant person is he, in fact, he should be sacked immediately,” he said.

"Some parents are going to celebrate the Christmas with sorrows instead of joy because they are going to bury their children, all because of NAPO, the Education minister who failed to protect their children due to his poor performance and arrogance. In fact, the parents should send the dead bodies to him for him to them back to lives, what a bad minister he is,” he added.