It was, to put it mildly, a heated encounter. The President surprised his Ministers campaigning to succeed him with an ultimatum: quit now or focus hundred percent on your ministerial work. But, the Ministers, who number among the heavyweights of the party, had no intention to take it lying down. The vociferous among them, according to our sources, returned the ultimatum with one of their own: "Then you will have to sack us!”

Immediately after Fathia Nkrumah was laid to rest, some Cabinet Ministers were called individually to come to the Castle. It soon became apparent that the emergency gathering was limited to minister-aspirants. Seven of them were there. Kwame Addo-Kufuor was apparently tipped off when he visited his brother President John Agyekum Kufuor at home in the morning.

The President swallowed some saliva, gritted his teeth and spoke the words that some dreaded but all kind of expected. But some of them, as well as their handlers have been wondering: Why would he want us to resign within a week? A week or so before the African Union Summit and with the contest to elect the next flagbearer not likely to be on before December 15? What seems very likely is that no major reshuffle may take place before July 6.

Notwithstanding the message from the President to the eight Cabinet Ministers, The Saturday Statesman has further learnt no clear deadline was given. “He simply asked them to go and think about it and give him a response next week,” a source said.The President is said to have spoken for about an hour to the seven at the Castle meeting. Some of the Ministers, who felt demanding a resignation from them at this stage was not proper, however, conceded that the President has the prerogative to sack them. “They toyed with the idea of refusing to resign, impliedly daring the President to fire them.”

But, according to another source, though the meeting was intermittently heated, “It was altogether a frank discussion.” Another source added, “The President called them to have a sincere discussion about the way forward. He made them understand the difficult situation they were all in, particularly in balancing their work and campaign and threw out to them the option of either remaining as committed Ministers or as committed aspirants.”

In the end, we are told, it was perfectly understood that they should begin drafting their resignation letters for submission from next week. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, according to sources close to him, may resign next Thursday. His Deputy Joe Baidoe-Ansah may be elevated. Kwasi Ankamah, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, could see himself as Deputy at Tourism & Diasporan Affairs. George Isaac Amoo, head of NADMO is expected to pick up a portfolio. O B Amoah could become a full Minister. He is likely to be sent to Local Government if the pending reshuffle affects Stephen Asamoah Boateng.

The President at an NPP National Executive Committee meeting in April, informed the party that he intended to call all Minister-aspirants to have a “stern" chat about their campaigns. The President, at that time had shown some anxiety about the prospect of dirty campaigns among the aspirants. The Ministers who are expected to resign are Alan Kyerematen (Trade & Industry), Kwame Addo-Kufuor (Defence), Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey (Tourism), Felix Owusu-Agyapong (Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader), Papa Owusu-Ankomah (Education & Sports), Mike Oquaye (Communications), Hackman Owusu-Agyemang (Water Resources, Works & Housing), and Nana Akufo-Addo of Foreign Affairs.