Bagbin causes stir at Homecoming Summit

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr. Alban Bagbin, caused a stir at the Homecoming Summit when he presented the unpalatable side of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to the home-comers.

At one point he received applause from the supporters of the government and at the next they were brimming with anger with some publicly insulting him and leaving the auditorium that hosted the Home Coming Summit.

He gave praises when they were due and criticized where necessary. But his objective presentations were met with hostile reactions from sympathizers of the government who did not take kindly to some of his criticisms.

The Minority Leader in Parliament who was the only minority member invited to the summit congratulated the NPP government for organizing the summit adding that the NDC government also deserved the credit for taking the first initiative to invite Ghanaians resident abroad to come home and help in the development of the country.

He said if there is anything that needed urgent attention in the country then it is the need to build consensus, which he said must cut across political lines.

The Minority Leader pledged the support of the minority in parliament for the government in respect of their zero tolerance for corruption adding that the minority and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will support any move by the government, which is in the interest of the nation.

Mr. Bagbin, however, attacked the government for what he described as "defiantly refusing to institute a probe" into the never dying controversy over the Sahara deal adding that it is not a good example of zero tolerance for corruption.

At this point some supporters of the NPP government got offended and started raining insults on the minority speaker with some leaving the auditorium.

"The reaction of some of the people here represents the situation in Ghana," he remarked.

He, however, assured Ghanaians resident abroad that Ghana loves them so they should come and help in the development of the country.

To this end, the minority leader called on the government to institutionalize the homecoming as well as widen the gates enough.

He also called on the summit organizers to compile a data on all Ghanaians resident abroad.