In a move that many analysts described as surprising but remarkable, President John Dramani Mahama, has named the head of Ghana’s central bank, Kwesis Amissah-Arthur as the country’s new Vice President.

Earlier reports in some local media hinted that the announcement would be made Wednesday, a day after the one week mourning of the deceased leader who died Tuesday last week after a battle with throat cancer.

A senior official at Ghana’s Ministry of Information confirmed the appointment to BusinessDay in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon. “He is the vice president. That’s all I can say for now,” the source said.

Amissah-Arthur, an economist who once lectured in tertiary institutions in Ghana and Nigeria, became the Governor of the Bank of Ghana in October 2009.

He has been involved in the team of technocrats who managed Ghana’s structural adjustment programme since 1980s.

Some analysts see the choice of Amissah-Arthur as a calculated attempt by the new president to demonstrates his commitment to consolidating on Ghana’s economic growth and to counter what is seen as the advantage of opposition New Patriotic Party’s presidential candidate who has as his vice presidential candidate a former deputy governor of the central bank.

Among the names speculated for the office before the announcement, were those of Kwesi Botchwey, a former Minister of Finance and professor of economics in Tuft University, United States; Hannah Tetteh, the current Minister of Trade and Industry; Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

Others are P.V. Obeng, the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC); Goosie Tanoh, a leading member of the party; Kwesi Ahwoi, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, and Sylvester Mensah, the Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority.

The position of the Vice President became vacant following the elevation of the then Vice President John Mahama to the high office of the President after the death of President Mills at the 37 Military Hospital on Tuesday July 24, 2012.

Article 60 (10) of the 1992 Constitution states that “the Vice President shall, upon assuming office as President under clause 6 of this article nominate a person to the office of Vice President subject to approval by Parliament.”

Article 60 (1) of the 1992 Constitution also states that there shall be a Vice President of Ghana who shall perform such functions as may be assigned to him by this Constitution or by the President.

Its a big shame that Ghana is getting it right ahead of us democratically.