General News of Thursday, 8 September 2011

Source: peacefmonline

Mills Is Too ‘Weak’ A Leader - Appiah-Ofori

Anti-corruption campaigner and Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa in the Central Region, Hon. Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori, has tongue-lashed president Mills describing him as a “weak leader” who cannot discipline some of his appointees who indulge in "adzegyangyan" to wit, “useless things".

P.C Appiah-Ofori therefore wants President Atta Mills to "sit up" and "discipline" ministers who err in their duties, to serve as a deterrent to others.

To him, President Mills’ hesitation in dismissing serving state ministers, who have blackmailed the country by spewing falsehood to Wikileaks, is indicative of a “weak leader” who has lost control and cannot boldly take disciplinary action against his erring appointees.

“Anybody who reveals secrets about Ghana to other nations is not a patriot and not a good citizen. If that same fellow holds a ministerial appointment, he has to be removed from office because in everything we do; we need to consider Ghana first,” he said.

He called on the president, to outrightly dismiss some of his ministers who indulge in "adzegyangyan" to serve as a deterrent to others. According to him, if the president heeds to this advice and implements it, most of his ministers would be vigilant and know that they would lose their position if they err.

“But it is unfortunate that even if they act foolishly, they will still be retained at post and its regrettable,” he added.

Commenting on whistle-blower website, wikileaks’ cables claims that the Minister for Trade and Industry, Hannah Tetteh (then Head of Communications of the NDC’s Transition Team) had told a US Embassy official in Accra that the NDC government allegedly appointed Madam Joyce Bamford-Addo as Speaker of Parliament in order to manipulate her, the NPP MP who was speaking on Adom FM, urged President Mills to give her the sack if indeed the Trade Minister made those assertions.

The Minister has been quoted in one of the leaked cables as saying that the choice of Justice Joyce Bamford Addo was purely because, among other things “she is seen as someone who would take orders and be malleable to party discipline.”

“She is a woman and the NDC has a long way to go on gender balance in high office. Secondly and most importantly it was clear the NPP will find no grounds to object to her. Lastly she was seen as someone who will take orders and will be malleable to party discipline. For important votes the party will remove Addo and put the first Deputy Speaker Edward Adjaho as a stronger enforcer,” Hannah Tetteh is quoted as having said.

The disclosure seems to have unsettled and angered quite a lot of people in the ruling party and the opposition as well, with some even describing her comments as demeaning.

Asked whether he shares similar belief that the Speaker of Parliament was intentionally chosen to be manipulated by the government, PC Appiah-Ofori said he had found no faults with Madam Bamford Addo ever since she assumed office.

He however observed that the First Deputy Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho who usually sits in for the Speaker whenever there is a serious debate in the House, tilts towards the ruling party.

Hon Appiah-Ofori stressed that as chief executive of this country, the president has to insist on discipline and take on his ministers who acts recklessly but his posture smacks of someone who is in support of the "adzegyangyan" deeds of his ministers.

“Atta Mills must sit up, he must sit up and discipline these ministers who err so that he would take his own glory from good governance”, he said.