New Finance Minister Settling Scores?

The purge seems to have begun at Ghana�s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. New Minister Seth Terkper is slowly but steadily taking decisions aimed at staff who were either too close with his predecessor Dr Kwabena Duffuor or are Ashantis. Mr Seth Terkper�s move to endorse the transfer of the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Enoch Cobbinah have stood out since he was closely associated with Dr Duffuor. Mr Cobbinah, according to our checks, has been transferred to the Ministry of Education allegedly at the behest of the new Finance Minister immediately he assumed office as minister. Mr Terkper, immediately after his vetting, is reported to have sent a message to Mr Cobbinah that he cannot work with him at Ministry of Finance. Mr Cobbinah has since been replaced by one Major Tarah. Mr Terkper has allegedly also pushed for the transfer of the Director of Administration at the Ministry, Mr Romeo Adu Tutu. The reasons according to our source at the ministry were that these people were either too close to Dr Duffuor or were NPP activists. Our source also said the new minister is reportedly pursuing an anti-Ashanti agenda at the ministry and is determined to deal ruthlessly with Akans, especially Ashantis, for reasons only known to himself. Mr Terkper's hatred for Ashantis, nearly resulted in a physical confrontation between him and the former Roads and Highways Minister Joe Gidisu when he [Mr Terkper] asked why he [Gidisu] is initiating so many road projects for Ashantis. At least, two consultants to the ministry, have declined to renew their contract with the ministry. Both Prof Newman Kusi and Dr Seidu Boakye who were closely associated with Dr Duffuor, according to our sources at the ministry, are said to be unhappy with Mr Seth Terkper�s operational directives. The Finance Minister has also hinted of terminating the services of various consultants to the ministry. Both the government and Mr Terkper have come under huge public criticism for presenting a budget that offers no clear direction in dealing with rising cost of living and business operation. But it appears there is still more to come. At least a couple of more senior staff of the ministry, especially those of Ashanti origin, are likely to be moved out of their posts as part of Mr Terkper�s endeavour to assemble his own team, sources claim. "We are all aware of the differences that existed between the new Minister and his predecessor, but we never thought it was so entrenched to the extend that staff closely associated with the former finance minister are now being marginalized instead of being encouraged to improve their performance," the source lamented. Our source further reveals that Dr Duffuor held a forum before his departure where he urged the staff and agencies under the Finance Ministry to assist the new minister achieve his goals and finds the treatment being meted out to his (Duffuor's) perceived associates in the Ministry as intriguing. The Budget of 2013, according to some analysts, offers no clear hope for the Ghanaian economy and stakeholders are already predicting serious economic challenges.