General News of Tuesday, 11 March 2003

Source: Independent

JAM Takes A Swipe At JAK

NDC Flagbearer, Professor John Atta Mills (JAM) is in motion again and this time, his target is President "JAK" Kufuor and a section of the press. In an interview with the West Africa magazine, published in the 3rd to 9th March, 2003 issue, Prof Mills charged that as the leader of the largest opposition party, he expects President Kufuor to consult him on certain issues just for the interest of the country.

''I spoke to President Kufuor two or three days after the elections but since then, we have never spoken again. Initially, my relationship with some of the people in government was quite cordial, but later, I had reasons to believe that it was really far from that''.

Continuing, Prof Mills said ''You see some people are hell-bent on dragging my name into the mud and I am not going to allow that. I believe that the best way for me is to keep myself ?I don?t think my relationship with the President has changed that much. I must admit that when he was in opposition, he was not somebody I was speaking to often, so I have not much to complain about. But I would have thought that now that I am the leader of the largest opposition party, he will consult me on some of the issues most often raised, just for the interest of the country''.

On the press, Prof Mills said ''with of the press sometimes deciding to do their own stories without cross-checking the facts, it is quite difficult for people to really know the truth about me ?'' He however admitted that he is not against the press, except that some are pursuing their own agenda.