General News of Monday, 23 May 2005

Source: Free Press

Kufuor Must Resign - Aidoo

NDC firebrand, Dr. Tony Aidoo has called for the immediate resignation of President Kufuor for allegedly insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians.

Dr. Aidoo made this call on the Alhaji and Alhaji programme on Radio Gold on Saturday May 21st in reaction to the President's recent statement denying that he was practicing nepotism. At a recent meeting with members of the Ghana Armed Forces, President Kufuor had debunked the notion that he was practicing nepotism by appointing his relatives to high positions. President Kufuor stated contrary to the allegation.

He said only two of his immediate relatives, his brother, Dr. Addo Kufuor, minister of defence and his brother-in-law, senior J.H. Mensah were in government and pointed out that both of them were amply qualified to hold positions in any government. Dr. Tony Aidoo however took issues with this assertion and noted that President Kufuor had been charitable with the truth.

Dr. Aidoo revealed that President Kufuor had a whole raft of close and distant relatives in government and alleged that one of the president's nieces was an Ambassador, whilst another was appointed Commissioner for Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He further stated that because President Kufuor was practicing nepotism, other ministers in his administration have also taken the cue from him and appointed their relatives to high positions.

Dr. Tony Aidoo also rubbished President Kufuor's assertion that he cannot sack his ministers based on press allegations of corruption and stated that the President was not committed to his own principle of zero tolerance for corruption.

In view of this, Dr. Aidoo contended that President Kufuor had insulted the intelligence of Ghanaians and should thus resign.