Go ask Kufuor about judges? murder ? Mills

NDC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Professor J E Atta Mills says all questions relating to the infamous murder of the judges and the retired army officer should be directed not at him, but to President J A Kufuor.

This is because it was President Kufuor who served under the military junta during whose administration the murders occurred, he says.

Speaking at a public lecture in the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, under the theme, ?Our Vision For The Future?, last week, Mills said he was not part of the PNDC government at the time most of the abuses on record took place.

He said he was only a part of the NDC of which he was a Vice President from 1997 to 2001, adding that President Kufuor was rather a member of the PNDC government as a Minister of Local Government at the time of the abduction and murder of the judges?and the retired army officer.

?Questions on these can therefore be forwarded to him (Kufuor)? he said.

Mills also noted that the Kufuor administration was leading Ghana off the right developmental path, saying he would provide Ghana better leadership when offered the chance.

?I Atta-Mills wants to be your President because I will provide you with a new and competent leadership that will bring hope and change and also restore a national sense of unity for A BETTER GHANA?.

He said that the NDC?s vision for the future is a governing system in which human rights are scrupulously observed and human rights are enjoyed by all as a matter of right and that there will be no political vengeance, political vendetta and vindictiveness under him.

With him were the former Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Dr. Tony Aidoo and some other party executives.

Mills said he believes that Ghana would be better off with a President who can genuinely reach beyond party and ethnic lines to all segments of the Ghanaian society.

Ghana, he said, would be better off with a President who would make truth and honesty the cornerstone of good governance and also a President who listens to all; a President who recognises that the solutions to the country?s problems transcend partisanship.

According to him Ghana needs a leadership that is tolerant, open-minded, trustworthy, humble, down to earth, truthful and above all sincere in the commitments it makes; whether on corruption or in respect of negotiated salaries for civil servants, teachers, doctors, nurses and other public officials.

On the economy, Mills reiterated that the framers of the Constitution realised that any person in charge of day-to-day financial management of the national treasury would be concerned with that and at the end of the day dedicate very little time for the strategic planning of the economy.

That is why the responsibility for finance was given to the Minister of Finance whilst that for medium and long-term planning was assigned to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). But unfortunately, the NPP government has fused the two and as a result there is only the day-to-day financial management of the economy, he said.

According to him, the NDC?s vision for the future is to maintain the constitutional position. Additionally they will set up a national strategic planning institute as a component part of the NDPC dedicated to working out medium-to-long term planning for the country.