Even before President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo makes public the list of people to serve in his government, DAILY GUIDE has picked information about some of those likely to be considered for various ministerial positions.
So far, the only name he has made public as his Minister of Trade and Industry is that of Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen whiles hinting of the possibility of appointing MP-elect for Nalerigu, Hajia Alima Mahama, as minister in his government – even though he fell short of telling the exact ministry she would be assigned to.
List
Key on the list emanating from close sources to the president-elect include that of Mustapha Abdul Hamid, who is currently a spokesman for Nana Addo; Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West; Otiko Afisah Djaba, National Women’s Organiser for the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Kwasi Amoako-Attah, MP for Atiwa East and Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, MP for Dormaa Central.
The rest are Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, MP for Manhyia South; Dan Botwe, MP for Okere; Dominic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbilla; Ambrose Dery, MP-elect for Nandom; Madam Gloria Akufo; Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP for Anyaa Sowutuom and Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, Peter Amewu.
Positions
Sources close to the ‘old boy’ say the vociferous Mustapha Hamid has been penciled for the position of Minister for Information while Ursula Owusu-Ekuful would go to the Communications Ministry as Minister and Otiko Djabah likely to be made the Minister of Gender, Women and Children Affairs. It is believed that the MP for Atiwa, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, is being considered for the position of Minister for Roads and Highways while his colleague MP for Dormaa Central, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has emerged as likely to be appointed the Minister for Health.
Also on the card for consideration is Manhyia North MP, Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, popularly called Napo, who is said to have been penciled down for the position of Minister for Education with Hajia Alima Mahama – who has managed to win the Nalerigu seat for the party – also scheduled to become the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology instead of the Local Government and Rural Development as earlier speculated.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that two-time MP for Okere and former General Secretary of the NPP, Dan Botwe, is likely to be appointed the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development in view of his broad knowledge of the country and grassroots politics, with the relatively young MP for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, expected to be appointed Minister for Defence.
Chances are that MP-elect for Nandom and former Upper West Regional Minister, Ambrose Dery, is set to become Minister for the Interior, with former Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the erstwhile Kufuor-led NPP administration, Madam Gloria Akuffo, going to be made the substantive Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
It is unclear whether Nana Akufo-Addo would separate the Ministry of Justice from the Attorney General’s Department as he had earlier dropped hints of doing when elected president.
But sources have it that he is likely to appoint Peter Amewu as Minister for Lands and Forestry.
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