GHANA'S PRESIDENT NAMES MAJORITY OF NEW MINISTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000087

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2014
TAGS: ECON GH KWMN PGOV PINR PREL GOG
SUBJECT: GHANA'S PRESIDENT NAMES MAJORITY OF NEW MINISTERS


Classified By: PolChief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.5 d and e.


1. (C) Summary. On January 12, President Kufuor nominated
24 ministers, as well as regional ministers for the ten
regions of Ghana. Among other changes, he proposes shifting
the Finance and Women and Children's portfolios, dropping the
Energy Minister, and retaining the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, and Defense. He has made
minor changes in the structure of the ministries. Meeting
with mixed local reactions, these nominations suggest general
continuity for U.S. interests in Ghana and retain in the
Cabinet the major NPP party contenders for the presidency in

2008. End summary.


2. (U) On January 12, President John Kufuor nominated the
following ministers to parliament for vetting and approval
(no deputy minister have yet been named):

J.H. Mensah - Senior Minister
Kwadwo Baah Wiredu - Minister for Finance and Economic
Planning
Yaw Osafo-Maafo - Minister of Education and Sports
Kwame Addo Kufuor - Minister of Defense
Ayikoi Otoo - Attorney General
Courage Quarshigah - Minister of Health
Mike Oquaye - Minister of Energy
Papa Owusu Ankomah - Minister of Interior
Nana Addo Dankway Akufo-Addo - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Charles Bintim - Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development
Dominic K. Fobih - Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines
Ernest K. Debrah - Minister of Food and Agriculture
Gladys Asmah - Minister of Fisheries
Hajia Alima Mahama - Minister of Women and Children,s Affairs
Hackman Owusu Agyemang - Minister of Works and Housing
Alan Kyeremanteng - Minister of Trade and Industry
Dan Botwe - Minister of Information
Jake Obotsobi Lamptey - Minister of Tourism and Modernization
of the Capital City
Albert Kan Dapaah - Minister of Communications
Feliz Owusu Adjapong - Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
Kwabena Bartels - Minister of Private Sector Development and
Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI)
Ameyaw Akumfi - Minister of Harbors and Railway
Richard Anane - Minister of Road Transport
Joseph K. Adda - Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment
Christine Churcher - Minister of Environment, Science and
Technology

Many Surprises
--------------


3. (C) The nomination list held many surprises. Most
observers expected former Finance Minister Yaw Osfo Maafo to
retain his portfolio (he was switched to Education and
Sports). The nominations for Attorney General, Information,
Local Government, Health and Manpower were not the candidates
most widely expected. The retention of Defense Minister
Kwame Addo Kufuor, the President's brother, was unexpected
and reportedly has been very badly received by some in the
military, who see him as ineffective. Minister of
Parliamentary Affairs Adjapong was unpopular with many
Members of Parliament and his retention could sour relations
between parliament and the executive. The Minister of Road
Transport has been tainted by alleged scandals and his
retention is a surprise. Kufuor dropped several high profile
Cabinet Ministers, including former Energy Minister Nduom
(who is not of the President's NPP party),Works and Housing
Minister Idris Ali, Health Minister Afriyie, and Local
Government Minister Adej-Darko.

Bureaucratic Changes
--------------


4. (U) In addition to the nominations, the President has
reorganized some of his ministries. The Ministry of Mines
has been absorbed into the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and
Mines (this ministry has been placed in different ministries
over the years.) The Youth portfolio has been shifted from
Education, Youth and Sports to Manpower, Youth and
Employment. Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI) was moved
from the Ministry of Trade to the Ministry of Private Sector
Development. Ports has been dropped from the former Ministry
of Ports, Harbors and Railways.

Comment
--------------


5. (C) The initial reaction to the nominations, on the
radio talk shows and among our contacts, has been mixed. The
President seems to be rewarding loyalty, long-term party
stability, ethnicity (16 of 24 new nominees are ethnic Akans)
and, to some degree, competence. He is also broadening the
leadership experience at the top. He has retained in
prominent portfolios some of the most serious presidential
contenders for 2008 from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP)
-- Osafo-Maafo, Akufo-Addo, Kyeremanteng, Vice President Aliu
Mahama, and new Energy Minister Oquaye -- without tipping the
balance toward any one of them. He changed some of his
priority portfolios (Finance, Education, Health, Agriculture)
but kept others the same (Foreign Affairs, Defense, Private
Sector Development, and infrastructure ministries). There
are no ethnic Dagomba ministers, which should prevent
aggravating the intra-Dagomba rivalries in the Northern
Region. Kufuor's choice for Regional Minister of the
Northern Region, Boniface Saddique, will also be a neutral
factor in promoting peace in this volatile area. As a Gonja
tribesman, his selection will not inflame the Dagomba
chieftaincy dispute, although he may be subject to pressures
for Gonja autonomy. With a long civil service career and as
one of the NPP's few parliamentarians from the Northern
Region, Saddique seems well suited to his new position.
There are only three female nominees, one more than before,
but the small number has already generated negative
commentary. Changes in the bureaucratic structure may be an
effort to streamline government (several portfolios have not
been announced, such as NEPAD.) Most of the President's
nominations are likely to be confirmed by parliament,
although vetting may take several weeks.


6. (C) The retention of Foreign Minister Akufo-Addo
promises broad continuity for U.S. interests in Ghana. New
Finance Minister-designate Wiredu is well regarded and highly
qualified and is likely to continue with the GOG's economic
reforms, although some question his abilities to manage such
a large ministry. Wiredu has been cooperative and personable
in Mission dealings with him. The Governor of the Bank of
Ghana, who has significant influence over GOG economic policy
and will remain in office, told PolChief January 11 that his
priority remains continuing with reforms and increasing
growth. The former Minister of Women and Children's Affairs,
who proved a major obstacle in moving a bill on trafficking
in persons to parliament, has been shifted to Fisheries. The
new minister is well regarded by many contacts in civil
society. New Energy Minister Oquaye, formerly Ghana's
Ambassador to India and a Political Science professor, has no
energy background and is unlikely to make major initial
policy changes. The former Attorney General, who was
unhelpful in breaking the deadlock on the TIP bill and who
caused problems for us in resolving Westel, has been
nominated for Interior. His replacement, a reputed lawyer
with no political experience, is a relative unknown.
Continuity at the Communications Ministry suggests there may
not be much change in the GOG's approach to the Westel
dispute. Our civair sources believe there may be a new,
separate ministry handling civil aviation, although it is
unclear how this might affect our civair interests.


YATES