Accra — Ghana's new president, John Agyekum Kufuor, has named key members of his incoming government, including the ministers of defence, finance, foreign affairs, interior and justice.
In line with the constitution, which stipulates that most ministers should come from parliament, all but one of the eleven nominated on Wednesday are MPs from Kufuor s New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The appointments have ended days of feverish speculation among Ghanaians and determined lobbying by ministerial hopefuls and senior officials of Kufuor s NPP.
The strategic defence ministry will be in the hands of Kufuor s brother, Kwame Addo Kufuor, a medical doctor and former president of the Ghana Medical Association. Dr Kufuor was widely tipped to take the health portfolio and his appointment as defence minister has come as a surprise to many in Ghana.
Asked why a doctor had ended up in charge of defence and national security, the presidential chief of staff, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, told journalists on Thursday that Dr Kufuor was well qualified to become a minister, calling him an efficient and capable parliamentarian who was destined to join the cabinet.
Obetsebi-Lamptey added that the defense ministry was one of the most important portfolios given Ghana's turbulent history of military takeovers. With his brother in the post it was as close as one could get to the president himself being in control of the defence ministry.
The new Minister of Finance is Yaw Osafu Marfo, an engineer-turned-banker. The man considered his main rival for this position, Kofi Aprako, has been appointed Minister of Trade and Industry. Both have a huge challenge ahead of them, trying to kickstart Ghana's struggling economy.
Hackman Owusu Agyeman takes over the responsibilities of Minister of Foreign Affairs. His immediate concerns are likely to be the many conflicts in the region, and the fate of Ghanaians across the border in Ivory Coast, where Ivorians have been harassing west Africans and looting their business and homes this week.
The retaliatory attacks follow a failed coup attempt overnight on Sunday in Abidjan and the subsequent announcement by President Laurent Gbagbo that neighbouring countries were involved, which appears to have enraged and spurred a section of the population of Ivory Coast to attack African foreigners.
The man whose job will be to restore confidence in the judiciary in Ghana is the new attorney general and Justice Minister is Nana Akuffo Addo, a campaigning attorney and human rights lawyer who has been the NPP s shadow Justice Minister. He says his priority will be to ensure true freedom and justice for all Ghanaians, speed up court procedures and work at making the judiciary a respected institution.
Alhaji Malik Yakubu Alhassan is the new Minister of the Interior. Agriculture, a key sector in Ghana s economy, goes to Major Courage Quarshigah. Professor Dominic Fobih will be in charge of environment, science and technology, with Dr Kweku Afriyie, another medical practictioner, at the head of Lands and Forestry.
The veteran politician and outgoing minority leader in parliament, J. H. Mensah, is probably the oldest member of Kufuor's cabinet at 71. Mensah becomes the new Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and majority leader in the house.
A new portfolio, Women's Affairs, has been created as Kufuor indicated in his inaugural presidential address on Sunday 7 December. This ministry will be headed by NPP MP, Gladys Asmah, the only woman so far of the twelve ministers named this week.
The establishment of the Women's Affairs ministry has stirred considerable debate in Ghana, with some praising and others criticizing the move. Supporters say it will swing the spotlight on important issues concerning women in Ghana. Those against say the NPP has pledged to slim down government and adding a new portfolio could lead to wasteful duplication.
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On Tuesday, Kufuor appointed Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu the Minister of Local Government. All his ministerial nominees must be vetted and approved by a parliamentary committee which promises to be rigorous. Kufuor s proposed new cabinet so far is made up of technocrats and established professionals with considerable experience. Ghanaians have been comparing this fledgling government with the administration of former President Rawlings when he was a young flight lieutenant and had just staged a military coup. Some are remembering that several of Ghana s leaders, who briefly took power in 1979 and returned in 1981, were barely out of university, with virtually no experience, but plenty of passion.
