Bagbin Blasts ex-NDC Ministers

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alban Bagbin in a rare display of candour, severely criticized the former ministers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, saying some of them were arrogant and unfriendly to the media, the Chronicle quotes him as saying.

He said, “the attitudes of some of our ministers were unfortunate”, adding, “they were arrogant and not friendly to the press.”

Bagbin who said this in an interview on Dynamite FM in Tarkwa explained that the actions of some of his colleagues were deplorable, saying, “we should not criminalise free speech, in reference to the heavy fines on media practitioners.”

According to the Chronicle, Bagbin is totally against the effusions of Dr. Tony Aidoo, former deputy Defence Minister, saying “his language is so bitter” and that he does not subscribe to that. Bagbin made reference to the NPP who has been in power for only six months but whose “Rambo-Ministers’ are already flexing their muscles.

He insisted that the former government did not make moves to privatize the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) as is the case with the current government but rather, what NDC did was to expand the capacity of the refinery with private participation.

On the controversial Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, Bagbin reiterated the minority’s stand against it saying it was not good for the country and that was why the NDC rejected it. According to him, the NDC embraced without prior knowledge of the implications.

Bagbin, also Member of Parliament for Nadowli North said it was unfortunate that while Dr. Kwesi Nduom’s party, the CPP was criticizing the HIPC initiative; the Minister was on the other hand endorsing it and wondered whether the Minister had not crossed carpet.

On his disagreement with the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, over the contract for the Castle renovation, Bagbin said the Minister approached him and after discussions with him, advised his lawyers to drop the case. However, the Minority leader says he is keen on making the matter public.