Group urges Mills not to be distracted by criticisms

Accra, April 9, GNA - A pressure group known as Campaign for Change (CFC) on Thursday lashed out at those who were carrying out "negative and misleading campaigns" against President John Evans Atta Mills and urged him not to be distracted from his course. He reminded the President that, what confronted Ghana today as a nation were the numerous economic challenges "both within and without our frontiers which we must collectively strive to overcome as quickly as possible in order to alleviate the suffering, poverty and disease amongst our people, and not those negative and divisive campaigns and propaganda".

It, especially criticised Mr Dan Botwe, NPP Member of Parliament for Okere for his claims that criticisms by former President Jerry John Rawlings of President Mills were a threat of a coup. The statement was signed by Adam Mohammed Sanusi, National Secretary and Adbel-Manan Abdel-Tahman, National Coordinator. CFC said Ghana as a nation had come a long way and many had made a lot of sacrifices to achieve the democracy and stability that it now enjoys.

"As such, it is (imperative) for us as citizens of this country to defend and preserve this hard won freedom, peace and stability. It is therefore for this reason we find it extremely worrying for an Honourable member of Parliament to make such a statement. CFC recalled that since the year 2000, there had been a systematic and deliberate campaign to destroy the personality of President Mills by describing him as not being his own man and that he would be controlled by former President Rawlings if elected as President. "This negative propaganda continued throughout the electioneering campaigns and indeed intensified during the 2008 election with numerous radio and TV adverts making the point- 'A vote for Mills is a vote for Rawlings.'"

It said this propaganda had been proved to be wrong and those who propagated it must apologise to President Mills. CFC called on President Mills and his government, as a matter of urgency to investigate alleged acts of economic sabotage, including the buying and hoarding of the US dollars that was affecting the rate of the cedi.

It also urged President Mills to create an effective monitoring group within the Central Bank to monitor and regulate the repatriation of foreign currency. 9 April 09