Mills Cabinet Re-shuffle Seeks to Incorporate Critics,

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