The ministers who are expected to steer the final lap of Mr J.A. Kufuor's tenure as President of Ghana have been told to charge their batteries for a performance that will return power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Defining his goals for the last 18 months of his leadership at a two-day retreat for the ministers at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) at Greenhill, near Legon, President Kufuor also called for some horn-blowing about his government's good works.

He cited the discovery of oil, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the School Feeding Programme and the provision of educational infrastructure as some of the achievements of the NPP administration, adding that the construction of the Bui Dam and City, the disbursement of funds and the opening up of the Mallam Junction -Tetteh Quarshie road under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), bauxite value addition, the diversification of energy sources and the establishment of an international financial services centre were some of the projects in the pipeline.

He was, however, displeased that not enough trumpet had been blown over those six and a half years of work and said, "We expect the Ministry of Information to tell our story very professionally."

President Kufuor said he did not want a situation where a minister would exhibit double standards in the performance of his or her duties.

"Anybody using his office to twist and turn, not in line with my line, may not be a committed team player. You do not tell me one thing and say another thing when you turn your back," he stated, adding, "If you can't be loyal, you leave."

The retreat is intended for the ministers to understand the policies of the President in the last 18 months of his presidency and galvanise them into action.

Issues being discussed at the residential meeting include governance, relationships among government appointees at the ministries, the state of the economy, the energy situation and the way forward, the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) and the NHIS.

The President reshuffled his team of ministers following a decision taken by eight senior members of his Cabinet to resign to pursue their ambition of becoming the presidential candidates of the NPP in the 2008 general election.

Flanked by Vice-President Aliu Mahama, the President told the ministers that he would not be a lame duck President but would continue to work until the last day when he handed over the baton of office to the next President of the Republic.

He quickly added that it was his prayer and wish that an NPP administration would succeed him.

He said although it was regrettable to lose those ministers to the presidential race, the infusion of the new ministers would energise the government to deliver.

He reminded the ministers of the demands being made by Ghanaians on the government for transparency and accountability and asked them to execute their duties without making the masses feel ignored or not respected.

The President asked the ministers to work as a team and advised them not to go to Parliament or the regions without informing their colleagues in the House or in the regions.

He was of the view that the number of ministers appointed so far was not outrageously large, judging from the work that they were supposed to do.

President Kufuor asked the ministers to recharge their batteries, stay focused and work around the clock to be able to convince Ghanaians that the NPP deserved their mandate to succeed the NPP administration.


Source: Daily Graphic