VZCZCXRO9190
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #0082/01 0271138
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271138Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8838
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000082 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM GH
SUBJECT: Mills Cabinet Re-shuffle Seeks to Incorporate Critics, 
Revamp Communications 
 
Ref: (A) 09 Accra 1325, (B) Accra 73 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On January 25, one week after concluding a 
contentious ruling party Congress, President Mills announced a major 
cabinet re-shuffle in an attempt to energize his National Democratic 
Congress (NDC) government.  The action represents an attempt to 
address the concerns of vocal NDC critics such as former President 
Rawlings and Majority Leader Alban Bagbin (reftels) by incorporating 
new faces - including respected party figures such as Bagbin - into 
the cabinet, while overhauling the government's troubled 
communications operation.  The President has abolished the 
presidential spokesman position and enhanced the power of the 
Information Minister.  Mills has also used this re-shuffle to move 
out weak performers such as Interior Minister Cletus Avoka, Northern 
Regional Minister Nanyina, and Information Minister Okai-Koi. End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Following is a list of government changes announced by 
outgoing Presidential Spokesman Mahama Ayariga: 
 
-- Minister of Interior: Martin Amidu replaces Cletus Avoka 
-- Minister of Information: John Tia replaces Mrs. Zita Okai-Koi 
-- Minister of Tourism: Zita Okai-Koi replaces Juliana Azumah-Mensa 
-- Minister of Employment and Social Welfare: Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah 
replaces Stephen Amoanor Kwao 
-- Minister of State at the Presidency: Stephen Amoanor Kwao 
-- Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing: Alban Bagbin 
replaces Albert Abongo 
-- Minister of Youth and Sports: Mrs. Akua Sena Dansua replaces 
Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo 
-- Northern Regional Minister: Moses Magbenba replaces Mr. S.S. 
Nanyina 
-- Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry: Mahama Ayariga replaces 
John Gyetuah 
-- Minister of State at the Presidency: John Gyetuah 
-- Deputy Minister of Energy: Inusah Abdulai Fuseini replaces Dr. 
Kwabena Donkor 
-- Deputy Minister for the Northern Region: Nasamu Asabigi 
 
¶3. (U) Newly appointed ministers, and deputies being promoted to 
full ministerial positions, will require confirmation by Parliament. 
 Those who currently hold ministerial positions but are changing 
portfolios will not require re-confirmation.  The statement also 
noted that Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works, and Housing, 
Alhaji Iddi Saani, would be replaced but did not identify a 
replacement. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In addition to the cabinet changes, National Democratic 
Congress (NDC) sources have told us that former Interior Minister 
Avoka will replace Bagbin as Majority Leader in Parliament. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Background on the new faces in the cabinet: 
 
-- John Akologu Tia, Minister of Information Designate: Age 56, Tia 
is a five term member of parliament and Deputy Majority Leader, 
representing Talensi in the Upper East Region.  Tia is a journalist 
and worked at the Ghana Institute of Journalism prior to becoming an 
MP.  With the scrapping of the Presidential Spokesman position, the 
Information Minister will speak for the Presidency. 
 
-- Martin Amidu, Interior Minister designate: Served as Deputy 
Attorney General in the Rawlings administration and was Mills' Vice 
Presidential running-mate in 2000.  Amidu previously turned down an 
appointment as Ambassador to Burkina Faso, and has been considered 
as a possible replacement for AG Betty Mould Iddrisu. 
 
-- Alban Bagbin, Minister designate for Water, Works, and Housing: 
Currently Majority Leader in Parliament for Nadwoli West in the 
Upper West Region.  Bagbin is a hard-working and well respected NDC 
leader, and had recently joined former President Jerry Rawlings in 
voicing public criticism of the Mills government's performance (ref 
A). 
 
-- Enoch "E.T." Teye Mensah, Minister-designate for Employment and 
Social Welfare: Currently MP for Ningo-Prampram (Greater Accra) and 
Majority Chief Whip.  Mensah served previously as Mayor of Accra and 
Minister for Youth and Sports under Rawlings. 
 
-- Inusah Fuseini, Deputy Minister designate for Energy: Fuseini is 
a second term MP for Tamale Central (Northern Region). 
 
-- Moses Magbenba, Northern Regional Minister designate: Currently 
Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Magbenba served in Parliament 
from 1993-2001.  He is a member of the Konkomba ethnic group, one of 
the major groups in the Northern Region but a group that has 
traditionally been marginalized.  This is the first time that a 
Konkomba has become Regional Minister.  [Comment: This change also 
represents Mills' dissatisfaction with incumbent Regional Minister 
S.S. Nanyina. Nanyina is regarded by many Northern Region officials 
as having performed poorly as Regional Minister, clumsily handling 
the difficult chieftancy conflicts that plague northern politics. 
 
ACCRA 00000082  002 OF 002 
 
 
The Northern Region Police Commander told POL Chief January 18 that 
relations with Nanyina were difficult and a senior regional NDC 
official told us that Nanyina was "a problem." End Comment]. 
 
-- Mahama Ayariga, Deputy Trade Minister designate: Ayariga is a 
close embassy contact and previously served as MP for Bawku Central 
(Upper East) and spokesman for Mills' 2008 campaign.  Ayariga is 
currently Presidential Spokesman, a position that is being abolished 
in the current re-shuffle.  Despite his close relationship to Mills, 
Ayariga has been the object of criticism from within the NDC for his 
role in Mills' weak communications operation. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: This was President Mills' first cabinet re-shuffle 
since the NDC's return to power.  It addresses several criticisms 
leveled at Mills by NDC insiders such as Rawlings and Bagbin: that 
the Mills government has moved too slowly and is not the highest 
caliber, and that the government does not speak with one voice.  By 
bringing critics such as Bagbin into the government (just as the 
party brought Rawlings allies into party leadership positions at the 
NDC Congress (ref. B)), and by incorporating new faces into his 
administration, Mills hopes to neutralize criticism and reduce party 
divisions.  With a newly empowered Information Minister, the 
President clearly hopes to put his communications operation - an 
operation that worked fairly well for the NDC in opposition - back 
on track.  End Comment. 
 
Teitelbaum