Bumpy ride for Ghana president
ACCRA, Sunday
Campaign for Ghana’s December 2012 election has not started in earnest yet, but it looks it is going to be a bumpy ride for President John Atta Mills as internal wrangling involving ministers accusing each other of various crimes seems to be rocking the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The latest is an open accusation by the attorney general and minister of justice, Mr Martin Amidu that an unnamed colleague minister has committed crimes against the state.
This has come to given further proof that, there are serious cracks within the NDC.
Coming eleven months to another general election, Mr Amidu’s claims is likely to give ammunition to the opposition which continue to accuse President Mills of supervising over the worst corrupt government.
Mr Amidu’s statement followed weeks of a campaign by newspapers close to the NDC calling for his dismissal.
A former attorney general, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu was hounded out of office in a similar manner and now heads the education ministry.
He said, “a colleague Minister of State, who perceived that my integrity and professionalism as a lawyer was a threat to the concealment of gargantuan crimes against the people of Ghana…” connived “to unleash the gullible section of the NDC press on me by the leakage of official documents from my ministry through the perverse section of a rented NDC press to the public beginning the 3rd of January 2012.”
But, deputy minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa has slammed Mr Amidu for his comments which he described as “unfortunate” because he has to substantiate his claims.
“He is also going to be pushed to name [the minister plotting against him],” he said, in a TV appearance.
Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa also described the attacks on the newspapers as unfair and expressed worry about similar developments he says could damage the NDC and bring down the government.
There seems to be too much mistrust so that when newspapers are after you, a colleague minister should necessarily be behind it… are people in an indecent hast to cause an implosion in the National Democratic Congress?
Are they in hurry to return to opposition?” Mr Amidu, said, he was not worried about the calls for his removal.
“As for the section of the rented NDC press calling for my removal or dismissal from office, I wish to assure them that I never begged to be appointed Attorney-General: I opposed it on four separate occasions.
“That criminal section of the NDC press should be assured that I am ready, able and willing for that eventuality.
“The inescapable fact is that at the end of the day truth will prevail over falsehood in the Republic of Ghana.”
He said, he decided to come out after, three telephone calls from Bawku in the Upper East Region, Burma Camp and Tema both in the Greater Accra Region on January 9, 2012 expressed support and urged him to be cautious for his personal safety “because of the cowardly, malicious and libelous attacks against my well established reputation and integrity as a lawyer, a politician and the Attorney- General of the Republic of Ghana by a partisan and rented NDC press group who perceive that I am not performing the duties of my office in their partisan political interests.”
Mr Amidu said, he had faith and believe in his Ministerial oath of office as a Minister of State and my cabinet.
