Reshuffle: �.Experience Was Motivating Factor

The desire for �more experienced hands� as ministers guided the appointment and disappointment of some ministers in President John Evans Atta Mills� first ministerial reshuffle, Public Agenda can confirm. The President�s move clearly was in response to the increasing discontent over the performance of his team �B�, and so the reshuffle can be seen as an attempt to blend Team A with Team B in order to keep the peace within the President�s party; but there were other considerations, such as regional and gender balance. These were confirmed to the Public Agenda on Friday by Hon. Albert Abongo, outgoing Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing in an exclusive interview he granted the Public Agenda. Hon Abongo revealed to the Public Agenda that the President had informed him of his decision to remove him (Abongo) from office prior to the official announcement. �The President called me that morning and gave indication that he was going to carry out a reshuffle and that some of us may not keep our position, and that he was doing that in view of several considerations,� he said. He disclosed that, the President made him aware he needed to bring �some senior men with more experience into his Cabinet,� hence; he (the President) had to move some parliamentarians who have served long in parliament. �Not only this but the issue of regional balance was paramount and in playing out the mathematics one of them comes from the same area, but not Bongo.� The outgoing minister has served for eight months in the Mills administration and has been replaced by Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin, the outgoing Majority Leader in Parliament. Hon. Abongo was not on the initial list of nominees but was drafted in after the president dropped Hon. Moses Asaga, Member of Parliament for Nabdam, who was nominated for the position. Last week�s reshuffle has raised many questions and concerns. Some controversies have evolved afterwards, including the Majority caucus in Parliament�s meeting with President Mills at the Castle over the nomination of the group�s top brass for ministerial positions. While Hon. Bagbin is the minister designate for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Deputy Majority leader, Hon John Akologu Tia is designated for the Information Ministry and Majority Chief Whip Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah is the minister designate for Employment and Social Welfare. Hon Abongo is meanwhile coping well with his removal. According to the MP for the Bongo Constituency, upon hearing the news he relaxed, but as everyone would have done he thought through the issue, and �came to the realization that this is part of life. �In life it is normal; you have some ups and downs.� When asked whether he will accept any ministerial nomination in future from the President, the Minister said he was ready and ever willing to serve mother Ghana in any capacity. The Bongo constituency has long been seen to be very loyal to the NDC. And so, the removal of Hon. Abongo sparked controversy in the constituency as the constituents threatened a demonstration. But the outgoing minister said he has advised the organisers of the demonstration against it.