Mills' walkabout hits roadblock

...Abossey Okai parts dealers query his health
.... Central University bosses snub NDC flagbearer

The door-to-door campaign strategy embarked upon by the Presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Professor John Evans Atta Mills might after all not be yielding the desired results.

Young exuberant mechanics at the ever busy Abossey Okai hub of car parts dealers who were recently visited by Prof. Mills told The Chronicle yesterday that they could not understand why the good old professor was still struggling to capture political power.

They premised their arguments on their convictions that upon seeing Prof. Mills on his door- to-door campaign trail there last Thursday, they realized he was not in the best of health conditions. They insisted that even though they were mechanics and not health officers, they did not think it was advisable for the Professor to be engaged in the vigorous political activities he was currently involved in.

The Chronicle had visited the busy trading center to find out from the traders their impressions about Prof. Mills’ visit and whether or not they had been in anyway influenced as far as their thoughts on local politics were concerned.

Most of the people who spoke to the paper were particularly concerned about the health conditions of the NDC presidential candidate and stated that though they appreciated the visit by the former Vice president, it did not influence them politically.

“The man really looked weak and he had grown lean as well. So I asked myself, what at all is in the presidency that motivates Mills to continue with his struggles to lead this country.

He had his time as Vice President and I think he did the best that he could for this country and I think that for health consideration he should step down,” a young man who gave his name as Kwaku Asare and works around the Okonko shop area told reporters while his colleagues kept cheering him on.

Traders around the Father and Sons shop shared similar views as their colleagues at the Okonko area. Mr. Francis Nii Ayitey told the paper that he liked Prof. Mills’ humility and therefore gave him the necessary support but added that if he had his way to advise the Professor, he would have asked him to give way to an energetic person to lead that party.

Nii Ayitey said judging from the looks of the Professor at the time of the Visit, it was likely that he may not be able to embark upon vigorous nationwide campaigning ahead of the 2008 to be able to, “give the NPP stiffer competition and possibly get it out of government, because these days, we don’t get sales at all.”

Another spare parts dealer, Nsiah Poku, who identified his business area as the ‘Odasani area’ said if the NDC can win in 2008 it has to choose an energetic person to partner Mills for that person to do all the vigorous rounds required in political campaigning.

“Look my brother, the man is weak and has to rest. Maybe he would have to take some kinapharma blood tonic so that he would look strong. In fact, he would have to take some rest and regain his body before starting to campaign again otherwise he will lose despite his door-to-door campaigns which is a good thing and shows the respect he has for we the ordinary ones,” Martey Commodore, another spare parts dealer told the paper.

In a related development that was not helpful to the campaign goals of the NDC flagbearer, authorities of the Central University College who had been notified by the Protocol officers of the NDC presidential candidate and had fully acknowledged the notification, did not make time for the Professor’s visit as they went about their normal daily business, snubbing him in the process.

Most students of the University who were expected to turn up to listen to the NDC man also snubbed the event leaving a handful of students who gathered at a small auditorium as the audience of the Professor.

The Chronicle gathered that on the appointed day for meeting the authorities and students of the school, Mills and his team went to the Mataheko campus of the school only to be told that virtually all the authorities of the school had left for a meeting at the School’s new site.

The paper gathered that, but for the timely intervention of a Senior Assistant Registrar who was contacted by some students upon the arrival of the Professor and his team, he and his men would have been left stranded on the campus of Dr. Mensah Otabil’s University.

In the end, a number of students gathered to listen to the Professor who told them that when given the nod to lead the nation he would make education a priority and give teachers what they deserved.

Professor Mills also talked about the current energy crisis facing the nation and dilated on how the NDC government had prepared to deal with any energy situation like what the country was now facing.

Responding to the developments at the Central University College, the Public Relations Manager of the school, Rev Tetteh Djanmah, said it was unfortunate that the authorities could not accord the Professor the necessary reception he deserved as a former Vice President.

He explained that on that fateful day, by sheer coincidence, almost all the authorities including the President, the Registrar and himself left the campus for a Board of Regents meeting at the School’s new site at Prampram. “It’s not that he came unannounced. I was the one who was supposed to receive him. I feel sorry I was not here to welcome him,” he lamented.

According to him, Prof Mills’ Protocol had written formally to the school demanding an opportunity to reach the authorities and the students which they had no objection to except that he was advised to use 95% of his time to lecture the students on career development and 5% for his campaign since the school could not be used as a political platform.

Rev Djanmah indicated that he saw no problem with welcoming the former Vice President since he had already visited the University of Ghana, Legon and the Takoradi Polytechnic.

Asked whether the authorities had apologized or intended to apologize to Prof Mills, he responded that he did not think so, in view of the fact that at least, a Senior Deputy Registrar of the school had welcomed him and led him to address a cross section of the students.

A member of Prof Mills’ Campaign Team, Mr. Koku Anyidoho, however said they had no qualms with the reception that was given them at both Abossey Okai and CUC adding that during the year 2000 electioneering campaigns, the NDC was hooted at when officials of the party visited Abossey Okai but this time around, no one raised his voice against Prof Mills when they visited that place. He said the leadership of the spare parts dealers rather shared ideas with Prof. Mills.

When asked about the rationale behind the door-to-door campaign strategy adopted by Prof Mills, he elaborated that after Prof. Mills was given the mandate to lead the NDC in the next elections, he realized that he could not be a leader without knowing what was on the ground.

He stressed that their visit to Abossey Okai was purposely to observe what was happening since the dealers there always voted according to the prevailing conditions during election.

Mr. Anyidoho said they would resume the door-to-door campaign this Thursday in Ablekuma Central and then move to Ashanti Region.