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FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 001520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON GH PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: GHANA'S PRESIDENT KUFUOR BEGINS CABINET SHUFFLE 
 
REF: A. ACCRA 1041 
 
     ¶B. ACCRA 1412 
 
ACCRA 00001520  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  On July 10 and 11, President Kufuor 
submitted to parliament the names of thirteen new ministers 
in the beginning of a Cabinet shuffle.  The new list promotes 
a number of deputy ministers, including Deputy Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Akwasi Osei-Adjei to Foreign Minister.  The 
new Minister of Trade, Joe Baidoe-Ansah, is a surprise choice 
unknown to us.  More names are expected soon and the new 
ministers will take office as soon as they are vetted (by 
late July).  End Summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  On June 19, President Kufuor asked for the 
resignation of all his ministers from the ruling New 
Patriotic Party (NPP) aspiring to be the party's presidential 
candidate in the 2008 election (ref B).  After some internal 
debate, on June 23 Kufuor agreed to give all the aspirants 
until the first week of July to leave office, pending the 
naming of their replacements.  Eight ministers submitted 
resignations:  Minister of Foreign Affairs and NEPAD Nana 
Akufo-Addo, Minister of Communications Mike Ocquaye, Minister 
of Water Resources, Works and Housing Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, 
Minister of Defense Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Trade and 
Industry Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Education and Sports 
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Felix 
Owusu-Adjapong, and Minister of Tourism and Diasporan 
Relations Jake Obestebi-Lamptey (who already left office). 
 
The Shuffle Begins 
------------------ 
 
¶3.  (U)  On July 10, President Kufuor forced Minister of 
Public Sector Reform Paa Kwesi Nduom to resign.  As a member 
of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Nduom was not bound by 
the NPP's constitution requiring sitting ministers to resign 
once they register as presidential candidates.  He reportedly 
had hoped to stay on until November before officially 
launching his presidential campaign. 
 
¶4.  (U)  On July 11 the President submitted the following 
Cabinet changes to parliament for vetting: 
 
Akwasi Osei-Adjei - Foreign Minister (from Deputy Foreign 
Minister) 
 
Cecilia Dapaah -  Minister of Water Resources, Works and 
Housing (from Deputy Minister of the same Ministry) 
 
Ambrose Dery -  Minister of State at the Attorney General's 
Office (a new position, from Upper West Regional Minister) 
 
Anthony Akoto Osei - Minister of State at the Ministry of 
Finance (a new position, from Deputy Minister of Finance) 
 
Nana Akomea - Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment 
(Deputy Minister of Tourism and also Minister of Information 
in the early Kufuor years) 
 
Oboshie Sai-Coffie - Minister of Information and National 
Orientation (from Deputy Minister of the same Ministry) 
 
Joe Baidoe-Ansah - Minister of Trade, Industry, Private 
Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiatives (from 
Deputy Minister of Tourism) 
 
Samuel Owusu-Adjei - Minister of State for Public Sector 
Reform (from Deputy Minister of Health) 
 
Nana Obiri Boahene - Minister of State for Interior (a new 
position, former Chairman of the Brong Ahafo NPP) 
 
Benjamin Aggrey-Ntim  - Minister of Communications (from 
Deputy Minister of Communications) 
 
George Hikah Bensen - Upper West Regional Minister (former 
Deputy Minister of the same region) 
 
Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu - Eastern Regional Minister (from Deputy 
Minister of Trade) 
 
 
ACCRA 00001520  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Alhassan Samari - Upper East Regional Minister 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Some portfolios remain unfilled and we expect more 
names to be submitted to parliament in the next few days. 
The current ministers are expected to leave office as soon as 
the new ministers are vetted, which should happen by the end 
of July.  Minister of Trade Alan Kyerematen is expected to 
stay through the AGOA Forum.  The shuffle will elevate a 
number of deputy ministers and appears to reward loyalty and 
competence, while removing from office ministers who were 
distracted by their presidential campaigns.  The shuffle also 
doubles the number of female full ministers (from two to 
four).  The new Minister of State positions may strengthen 
their respective ministries, but may also create alternate 
power centers which undermine their effectiveness.  It is not 
clear if the current ministers in charge of those ministries 
will be staying on. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Minister Nduom was a key player in the development 
of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact and in 
our fiscal decentralization efforts.  He can stay on as the 
Chairman of the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA, MCC's 
Ghanaian counterpart), although our information suggests he 
may not last long.  Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Ghana's next Foreign 
Minister, is an excellent Mission contact.  He is polished, 
well-informed, reasonable, and personable, although he lacks 
Akufo-Addo's political stature and breadth of experience. 
Anthony Osei, Cecilia Dapaah, Oboshie Sai-Coffie, and Ambrose 
Dery are well known to us and very capable.  A surprise 
choice is the relatively unknown new Trade Minister Joe 
Baidoe-Ansah, a former journalist and a Deputy Tourism 
Minister for one year. 
BRIDGEWATER