General News of Sunday, 10 December 2017

Source: ghanacrusader.com

Ghanaians unsafe with Nitiwul as Defense Minister – Baba Musa

Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul

A former leader of Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the National Democratic Congress, Baba Musa has stated Ghanaians will continue to be insecure if the current Minister for Defense, Dominic Nitiwul continues to occupy the office.

His comments follow a statement made by the Bimbilla MP accusing former president Mahama of grabbing lands belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces illegally.

In a statement Mr. Musa indicated that, Mr. Nitiwul’s comments have lowered the standards of a defense minister as set by his predecessors.

He added that the office of a defense minister a sensitive one which need a mature persons who has the security of the country at heart.

“Even though in the past, he was guilty of making similar disparaging remarks about HE John Dramani Mahama but would have thought that having been given the responsibility and opportunity to serve in such a sensitive ministry like Defence, he would have changed his modus operandi especially regarding his public conduct and utterances but it’s sad to note that nothing pretty much has changed.

It brings to question the safety of we the citizenry if people with such temperament are the very people manning or having direct control over sensitive installations like our security agencies in the country”. He stated in a post.

In the last decade, Ghana has had fine Defence Ministers, both within NDC and NPP.

From Mr Kwame Addo Kufuor under the ex-president Kufuor, Mr General Smith under H.E. late Prof Mills, Mr Mark Woyongo, Dr Ben Kumbuor all under H.E. JM and now Mr Dominic Nitiwul under H.E. Nana Akufo Addo.

I must say that Hon. Nitiwul has lowered the bar very much, for the position of a Defence Minister. I recalled that many Ghanaians expressed their misgivings and displeasure when news broke that Mr Nitiwul was penciled for appointment as a Defence Minister.

The argument against his nomination was not necessarily about his educational qualifications. Many made the argument that, his temperament and experience didn’t match with the post. Some argued that the position is supposed to be occupied by someone with experience in security issues or better still appreciable knowledge in handling security issues.

Some of us thought that it was a good opportunity for a young man like him to proof that the youth of this country also have something great to offer in our governance system, thereby an opportunity to prove his critics wrong.

But I must confess that as a young man that I am terribly disappointed in conduct especially in his recent remarks about former President Mahama. His comments did not only sound improper but they sounded amateurish and most unfortunate.

Even though in the past, he was guilty of making similar disparaging remarks about HE John Dramani Mahama but would have thought that having been given the responsibility and opportunity to serve in such a sensitive ministry like Defence, he would have changed his modus operandi especially regarding his public conduct and utterances but it’s sad to note that nothing pretty much has changed.

It brings to question the safety of we the citizenry if people with such temperament are the very people manning or having direct control over sensitive installations like our security agencies in the country.

For God sake, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul must be decorous when he is addressing the former president, John Dramani Mahama or any other statesman. The use of such abusive tantrums by him against HE John Dramani Mahama does not make him a supernatural Minister. Instead, it rather portrays him as an irresponsible amateurish minister. It serves no purpose for a Minister who is supposed to know better, speak publicly like a notorious drunkard no matter his or her disagreement with anyone.

God bless Ghana