Accra (Greater Accra)
28 March 2003- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday made a major cabinet
reshuffle to his government, retaining six ministers, nominating four new ones
and changing the positions of others.
Dr Addo Kufuor, The
Minister of Defence, Dr Kwaku Afriyie Minister of Health, and Mrs Gladys Asmah
Minister of Women and Children's Affairs retained their current portfolios.
Others left unscathed
were Major Courage Quarshigah Minister of Food and Agriculture, Kwamena Bartels
Minister of Private sector Development and Ms Christine Churcher, Minister of
State in Charge of Girl Child Education.
A government
statement signed by Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff said Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, who until the change was the Minister of Justice and Attorney
General, would assume duty as the Minister of Foreign Affairs while Papa Owusu
Ankomah takes over from him as the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.
Kwadwo Baah Wiredu
becomes the new Minister of Education, Youth and Sports and Jake Obetsebi
Lamptey moves from the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs to
become the Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom
becomes the Minister of Energy, Professor Kasim Kasanga, Minister of Science
and Environment while Felix Owusu Adjapong is now the Minister of Parliamentary
Affairs.
Other changes were
Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Lands
and Forestry Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Interior, Hackman Owusu
Agyeman and the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment Yaw Barimah.
The rest are Minister
of Roads and Highways, Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Communications and
Technology Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD Dr
Kofi Apraku and Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways, Prof Ameyaw Akumfi.
The statement said
Mrs Cecilia Bannerman becomes the Minister of Mines, K. Adjei Darko assumes
duty as the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Elisabeth
Ohene, Minister of State for Tertiary Education and Ishmeal Ashitey, Minister
of State at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Presidential Initiatives.
The statement named
four persons who had been nominated for various Ministerial positions. They are
Alhaji Mustapha Idris Ali for the Minister of Works and Housing, Nana Akomea,
Minister of Information, Alan Kyeremateng Minister of Trade, Industry and
Special Presidential Initiatives and Rashid Bawa, Minister of State in the
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
The statement said
that Senior Minister, J.H. Mensah had been given responsibility for Public
Sector Reform and National Institutional Renewal Programme while C.O. Nyanor
had been confirmed as the Chairman of the Divestiture Implementation Committee
(DIC).
The Statement added
that Lieutenant General Joshua Hamidu has also been nominated as the High
Commissioner designate to the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
GRi.../
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