President Nana Akufo-Addo with the Regional Ministers-designate
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday announced the last batch of persons making up the list of his ministers-designate with the dropping of names of his 10 regional ministers-designate.
The names confirmed DAILY GUIDE’s publication yesterday which dropped the hint about President Akufo-Addo’s nominees for the 10 regions
Nominees
Chief among the nominees was Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region – the stronghold of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) – Dr Archibald Letsa (Volta Region), Salifu Sa-eed (Northern), Rockson Bukari (Upper East), Alhassan Suleiman (Upper West), Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh (Brong-Ahafo).
The rest are Simon Osei-Mensah (Ashanti), Dr Kwaku Afriyie (Western), Kwamena Duncan (Central), Eric Kwakye Darfour (Eastern) and Ishmael Ashitey (Greater Accra).
Credentials
Dr Letsa is a medical doctor by profession, entrepreneur and respected politician whose credentials the president thinks, would help achieve his aim of creating another region out of the Volta Region.
The president made the announcement at a press briefing at the Flagstaff House which was graced by some regional party chairmen.
He was hopeful that the Northern Regional Minister-designate was going to find a lasting solution to some of the intractable issues in the region, especially the long-standing dispute in Yendi.
Then came the man the president described as “one of the pillars and oaks of the party in the Upper East region,” Rockson Bukari. President Akufo-Addo said, “His life is the story of our party.”
He claimed that Rockson Bukari is a man versed in chieftaincy issues and the politics of the region.
As a former Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga in the previous NPP administration and having served as registrar for various traditional councils, the president could not but say, “He’s been a very unwavering pillar of the party in the area and he is extremely conversant with all the different people that make up another very complex part of our country.”
For the Upper West, the president nominated educationist Alhassan Suleiman, whom he credited as one of the people who helped the party win five of the 11 parliamentary seats, in the region in last year’s election.
He was followed by respected lawyer and Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of the ruling party, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh.
He was also credited for helping to increase the party’s parliamentary seats from 13 to 20 out of the 29 seats, in spite of being seen as a controversial character in view of a recent standoff with some chiefs in the area.
Nana Akufo-Addo underscored, “I think that the Chairman under whose leadership such advance can be made is one too we can entrust the future and the fortunes of the region to without losing too much sleep.”
As a firm character and respected person, the president was confident that Asomah-Cheremeh would be able to help garner support to enable the NPP achieve its promise to create another region out of the Brong-Ahafo Region as he promised during the 2016 electioneering campaign.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bosomtwi, Simon Osei-Mensah, would be administering the Ashanti Region, the heartbeat of the governing party, when approved by parliament.
President Akufo-Addo touted him as an articulate person with a long career in parliament and influential in the region.
On the list is former Health Minister in the erstwhile Kufuor-led NPP administration, Dr Kwaku Afriyie – Western Region – who the president described as one of the few all-round figures in the country’s political life.
The Western Regional Minister-designate was credited with being decisive and firm with a versatile background.
Dr Afriyie was said to have been instrumental in the setting up of the National Ambulance Service and the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Even though the president himself admitted that in normal times he should be serving in the central government, he was confident in his ability to garner the needed support to help create another region out of the Western Region.
The Central Regional Secretary of the NPP – with a great sense of humour – the loquacious and articulate Kwamena Duncan, also gets the privilege to become the Central Regional Minister when approved by parliament. He was said to have helped increase the party’s seats in the region from seven to 19 out of the 23. The president said he thought it wise to crown Mr Duncan’s efforts with the post, having served as Regional Secretary for 12 years. He has been teaching at the Mfantsipim School for 22 years.
He believes Kwamena would be an outstanding minister.
The MP for Nkawkaw, Eric Kwakye Darfour, tastes his first appointment in government with his nomination for the Eastern Region, while Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NPP, Ishmael Ashitey, has also been blessed with yet another opportunity to serve in government as Greater Accra Regional Minister upon approval by parliament.
He was a three-time MP for Tema East and minister of state in-charge of Fisheries in the then Kufuor administration.
Ashitey is also credited for helping to maximize the NPP’s votes in the region last year with the increase from 14 parliamentary seats to 21 in the region.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu