When JJ Speaks, Minor Being Must Shut Up - Herbert Mensah

A self-confessed radical individual and a close associate of the Rawlingses, Herbert Mensah, says “there is massive uncontrolled internal disrespect” in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and has slammed some appointees in the President Mills administration, for having the gall to talk back to the founder of the party, Jerry John Rawlings.

According to him, instead of some of the “small boys” in the Mills’ administration keeping to themselves, they try to play ball with stalwarts of the ruling party by going on air to make “stupid and irrelevant statements”, in response to remarks by the ex-president.

Speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning show, the former Asante Kotoko Chief Executive was particularly offended by some deputy minister’s decision to take it upon themselves to react to issues which deals with the presidency.

“As I often say to some people in the Castle, when the Buffalos are fighting, and they are trampling the earth and destroying the grass, some of you should not be involved in the capacity that you are in, you shouldn’t be making the kind of statements that…some of the small small boys have been making; irrelevant and stupid statements on air. They should be keeping quiet. They should be allowing presidency to deal with presidency. And this has been part of the problem,” he fumed.

He said it is inappropriate for “junior ministers of little standing” to take on the founder of the party, adding that there is some kind of uncontrollable internal disrespect in the party, but sadly the Presidency and National security is playing the ostrich.

He was of the opinion that if the ex-president decides to take on President Mills, it is up to him (Mills) to deal with it but not for some “minor beings”(deputy ministers) to respond to it.

“Even last year, when I was on air on the issue of the house, I had to speak to the National security apparatus and tell them that when you have small ministers, junior ministers of little standing taking on the founder of the party, I have listen to Hon Dan Botwe saying it makes no sense. That kind of internal disrespect which is uncontrolled; where it is that from the presidency to national security they see there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. If ex-President Rawlings is taking on President Mills, it is for President Mills to deal with it. It’s not for Omane Boamah, Agyenim Boateng, Ablakwa or other minor beings to open their mouths to be responding,” a clearly livid Herbert Mensah said.

He questioned if the executive does not understand its own power or if as Ghanaians the issue of respect for one’s position and age is immaterial. He further quizzed if the executive is secretly encouraging the junior ministers to go disrespecting the founder of the party “whiles hiding behind the cross of being more pious than other people”.

“A lot of these could have stopped a long time ago, if the Executives themselves had the balls and had the courage to stand up and show that they had the strength and merit to justify its own existence and they have not done it. So some of us behind the scenes are having to point that out to the intermediaries; those ones higher than the deputy ministers…and have a direct access to the presidency…It’s been a catalogue of little things, Kwami, that have led to where we are today,” he stated.