General News of Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Source: peacefmonline.com

Bagbin: J.J. Is Right, Mills Is Surrounded By Bootlickers

The Majority Leader in Parliament Hon. Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin has okayed the call by the former president, Jerry John Rawlings that President Mills should straighten up and be serious in the handling of the country’s economy.

Hon. Bagbin opines that if this is not done, the party would be embarrassed and the nation could be turned upside down. Speaking to Peace Fm on “Kokrokoo” he said he only support the call as a party front runner and to seek the welfare of the NDC party. “I only supported the call by the former Pres. Rawlings to the current President Prof. Mills to take a second look at some of the happenings in the government including some of the representatives who are parading around the corridors of power.

I gave my candid honest view as to what is happening in government and this is after I have had the opportunity to meet with the chairpersons of various constituencies in the Greater Accra region and I think that the call is in good faith because there is really a challenge to the NDC government and the earlier we look into the better it will be for the government and the country” he stated.

However, the Majority leader stated that there was no internal mechanism to discuss such pertinent issues harboring the NDC government. “If w had the internal mechanism to discuss those things indoors they may not be discuss in public, but earlier calls and pressures to fix those internal mechanisms have not yet received any favourable response. so people are compelled for the love of the party and mother Ghana to bring out these issues… the people around the president might not be giving the right signals and information to the president and we see that those people were not even people who have for all these years shown that they are committed to the philosophy of life that the NDC ascribes to…

So if we are going to have fair weather friends always being year representatives or delegates and people acting on your behalf who are faint hearted and in other words, they, don’t believe strongly with what you preach and practice, you will definitely have problems in initiating your programmes” he told Kwami Sefa-Kayi “that is why some of us who have anchored this whole system since its inception in 1993, feel obliged and embarrassed, it is imperative for us to blow the whistle when we think that things are not going on well. “Frustrations In NDC Government”.

The Majority Leader believes that the frustrations in the NDC party are real and not deep seated. “Not only just referring to them as frustrations but after disappointments and we don’t want this to go into the state of despondency or disperse. so it is that they need people to champion their cause, they need themselves to be able to make inputs, and it is important that their interest be factored into what is happening, so it is an important matter that we can gloss at” he told Peace FM.

He outlined that the main issue had to with the Presidents appointments which is made up of old friends who even at a point in time clearly stated they were retiring from active politics. Also there was a clear exhibition that they do not believe in the life and philosophy and practice of the NDC. Then as well there will be benefitting not what Ghanaians will benefit from. “There is a problem that we need to solve” the Former President, Rawlings is just being specific, being exact, and calling a spade a spade” I think that those words may hurt but it is better to be told the truth, than to gloss it in what people call it decency or diplomacy” he added.