General News of Monday, 18 June 2007

Source: The Independent

Edumadze ready to "sing"

All New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopefuls, who may have skeletons in their closets, could start having nightmares about former Central Regional Minister, Hon. Isaac Eduosar Edzumadze, now, since he is set to give them hell when serious official campaigning begins somewhere in August.

Speaking in an interview with The Independent on Friday, Hon. Edumadze who is the MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam in the Central Region said he will let the whole world know whether some of the people who are vying to lead the party are first of all even fit to make that attempt let alone become the candidate for the party and go on to become president of the nation.

"When the time comes, they will hear me loud and clear,” the ex minister warned.

According to the MP he will not sit down for just anybody to lead the party since it could have disastrous consequences for the NPP in next year's election.

When pressed to mention those he thinks are not fit to even make the attempt to lead the party, the tough-talking ex-minister declined saying, he will strike at the appropriate time.

He said, knowing very well that he could pose problems for them if he was still minister, those aspirants made sure he was removed from office.

According to Mr. Edumazde, even when he had been axed from office, the "machinations of [the] evil detractors" are still continuing because they think "I am a possible candidate to succeed them when a reshuffle takes place."

He said those aspirants who are at best non-presidential materials but out of hatred prevailed upon the president to sack him for allegedly being unpopular in the Central Region have probably forgotten the adage, "If you live in a glass house don't throw stones."

He dismissed instantly the assertion in some quarters that he plans joining the Convention People's Party (CPP). "How do I move from one place to a worst point?” he demanded and added that he is not reformist.

According to him the CPP is in a deplorable state and there is no way he will join that party. He then pointed to that allegation as another clear example of the evil detractors to do him in.

Commenting on a publication in last Friday's pro-NDC newspaper, the Ghana Palaver, that he (Edumadze) has said somewhere that the NPP has nothing good to offer the people of the Central Region, he referred to the story as a complete falsehood and a typical example of reckless journalism being practiced by some media houses in the country.

The MP pointed out that he did not say that anywhere and therefore cannot understand why the paper will be bold enough to publish such falsehood.