Former Defence Minister and Bimbilla Member of Parliament, Dominic Nitiwul, says Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings was never a serious contender for the Defence Ministry, despite earlier speculation that she could be appointed to the position.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s latest ministerial reshuffle, in which Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, MP for Klottey Korle, was nominated as Minister-designate for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, while Kenneth Gilbert Adjei was named Defence Minister-designate.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr Nitiwul said information circulating within political and government circles had pointed to Mr Adjei as the likely successor to the Defence Ministry.
“She stood no chance at all, especially from the last month of July when information started coming. The information we kept getting was that she still had no chance at all,” he said.
According to Mr Nitiwul, the options for Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings were more likely to involve another ministerial portfolio, particularly the Environment Ministry, where she has now been nominated.
He said those following developments within government would have known that Mr Adjei was the leading candidate to take over the Defence Ministry.
“Anybody who was in the midst of those working with the minister, or who put his ears on the ground, knew that the replacement for the Minister of Defence was going to come in July and that it would be Ken,” he said.
Mr Nitiwul added that Mr Adjei had been considered for the position from the early stages of the Mahama administration, making his eventual appointment less surprising.
He, however, acknowledged that the final decision was the prerogative of President Mahama and urged the public to judge the new Defence Minister based on his performance.
“Ultimately, the President is the one who decides, and he has decided this is what I want, and we all move on with it. Let’s see how the performance will go, but it’s a tough job for him,” he said.
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