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Following the resignation of the indicted ministers in the damning Mabey & Johnson bribery scandal alongside the implicit admission by Dr. George Adjah-Sipa Yankey of partaking in the largesse, President John Evans Atta Mills has announced replacements for the fallen ministers. The President yesterday nominated three people including Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, deputy Minister of Health, for ministerial positions, with Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah, MP for Krowor, taking his position. The replacements have signaled an implicit admission of the knee-deep involvement of the ministers in the scandal, a virtual crossing of the Rubicon. Perhaps, the most significant nomination among the three announced yesterday, through Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications at the office of the President, is Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey a.k.a Lion, MP for Kpone Katamanso in the Greater Accra region. A dyed-in-the-wool Rawlings� man, he has in recent times been critical of the performance of Ms. Zita Okaikoi, information Minister. He is the President�s nominee for Minister of State at the President, replacing Alhaji Amadu Seidu, who was implicated in the M&J scandal. Lion�s nomination is being viewed as a possible way of getting him to stop his outbursts about the quality of Mills� players, especially Zita In his major ourburst recently, he scowled at President Mills over what for him is the poor performance of Zita, calling for her replacement. According to him, the lady has failed to present government policies in the appropriate and convincing light, asking that the President fires her from the job. His concern was prompted by the incessant emergence of PR challenges for the government, which in his view, were badly managed by the Zita headed Information ministry. A pro-Zita grouping quickly parried the attack, describing it as unfair, and citing a number of feats which were to the lady�s credit, including her interactions with fishermen during the shortage of pre-mix fuel. Although the President did not respond directly to the attack, such an outburst from an MP for the ruling party was considered by insiders as rather outlandish, but his relationship with the party�s founder shielded him against any punitive option. Now that he has been brought on board the team, his activities would be watched by political observers to isolate changes in his attitude. As for Dr. Benjamin Kumbour, the man President Mills has nominated for the position of Health Minister, the adage that �patience moves mountains� has been proven beyond doubt. The one-time MP for Lawra/Nandon constituency in the Upper West Region, Dr. Kumbuor, is noted for his eloquence. His appointment as a deputy minister saw many Ghanaians even outside the NDC squirming because for them, such a qualified personality serving as a deputy minister was unfathomable when �mediocres� were holding important portfolios. Dr. Kumbuor, a lawyer, did not decline the offer, but allowed patience to be his policy and today, things have turned out positive. Taking his place as deputy Minister is Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah whose name was also included in the list of President Mills� nominees. Dr. Quaye-Kumah is a medical doctor and it is expected his background would provide the Health Minister with the right mix to propel the department forward. The list has already been submitted to Parliament for the necessary action.