Government rebukes Kufuor over mistreatment claims

Government has dismissed comments by former President Agyekum Kufuor that he is not being treated with dignity and respect.

Mr. Kufuor told the BBC during a recent visit to London that he expects to be given treatment befitting of a former president once the new administration settles down.

But government insists Mr. Kufour is getting his due.

Speaking to Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoe, Deputy Information Minister James Agyenim-Boateng said Mr Kufuor himself had not been fair to ex-President Rawlings during the NPP administration, but stressed “that is not what this administration intends doing.”

“Come to think of it… the treatment he [Kufuor] is getting from the administration led by H.E. (President Mills) is beyond Mr Kufuor’s measure; what he meted out to former President Rawlings plus many other people…hurling him before the BNI,” he said.

He also said the NPP government set a bad precedent when it withdrew privileges for Mr Rawlings and Ghanaian embassies abroad refused to extend courtesies to Mr Rawlings.

Mr. Agyenim-Boateng also took exception to Mr. Kufuor’s comments that the government is behaving as if Ghana is under a military dictatorship.

He said had the NDC led a bad government US President Barack Obama would not have set foot in the country.

Mr Agyenim Boateng remarked that: “President Mills had shown dedication to the rule of law, to the tenets of democracy, accountability, running an open and credible administration.”

“I do not think these are the hallmarks of a military or a coup d'etat regime,” he said.