Former Chief Executive of Asante Kotoko Football club and a close associate of the Rawlingses, Mr. Herbert Mensah says President Mills lacks greater dynamism in managing the affairs of the nation stressing that “holding a Bible is not enough to be a president of Ghana”.

With less than 48 hours to go for the historic congress of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital of Sunyani, the business mogul expressed worry that some people in government including the Vice President are using state apparatus and sharing money in what they call ‘mopping up’ and felt some of these stances and positions will come back to haunt the NDC in the general elections.

To him, the ‘enemy’ and main threat everyone should be worried about is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and not the former first lady as it is being peddled around by some NDC members.

A strong advocate of the former First Lady, Mr Herbert Mensah sought to disapprove assertions that she (Konadu) is not marketable, pointing out that he (Herbert) “had difficulties in marketing Mills when he was running matters of campaign issues for him.”

“President Mills is not a unmarketable commodity but he is president,” he added

In an apparent jab at President Mills, the former Country Manager of MNET West Africa pointed out that “holding a Bible is not enough to be a president of Ghana…You need to have greater dynamism.”

He opined that it was quite unfortunate for an incumbent president to be internally challenged, due to what he described as “weak leadership skills” and added that he believes Nana Konadu is “theoretically” contesting President Mills because a vacuum has been created in the NDC.

“By the time you go into elections next year, you came to the elections standing behind what President Rawlings had been talking about which is the same thing that he is saying today. You have not lived it and now you’re rejecting it. In 12 months’ time, 18 months’ time, what are you going to the electorate and tell the electorate? Are you going to say that in 2008 you were confused? Are you going to say that you misunderstood? Are you going to say that you actually believed that the way of the NPP was the right way? What message are you going to tell them; because you must stand for something! Now, if you don’t stand for the issues of accountability and probity, if you don’t stand for the issues of the auditing of public officials…what do you stand for?...I find it completely and utterly amazing, that…I‘ve no longer clarity about what the presidency stands for,” he said.

Speaking passionately in an exclusive interview on X-fm on the wide range of issues with regards to the NDC's impending congress, Herbert Mensah disclosed that he knows it is also the wish of ex-president Rawlings that the NDC would always be a united strong party, tackling issues and showing the electorate that there is a difference between the NDC and NPP.

He further stated that had President Mills exhibited landmark leadership qualities, the NDC would not have been plunged into its current state.

“…I think that the fact that we’re having a challenge means that something has gone wrong somewhere down the line…perhaps…if there was real leadership in the country, we would not be having this contest,” he added.

President Mills, according to Herbert Mensah, has the power by virtue of the constitution to unite the party and should he fail to do so, the blame should be laid squarely at his doorstep. To him, former president Rawlings is the NDCs talisman, warning of grave consequences if they get rid of him.

He likened the current Mills’ administration to the erstwhile NPP government saying despite all the money they splashed during elections, they were voted out of power because they “lost track and forgot about why they had been elected into office”.

“The only person who is to blame if the party does not become united after this…is President Mills. He is the leader of the party and he is the President of the nation. Those two positions give him a power, constitutionally within the NDC and within the nation itself. And therefore he, in that position, that he has inherited a united party and he’s now leading a disunited party. He is the President; nobody else can share the blame but him. Sadly, he will come and go, there will be other presidents. The founder will always be there whether they want to change the constitution and say the person is not the founder or not, he is their talisman…If you get rid of the talisman you no longer have what it is that you recognize to be your party. The person who must stand up and take responsibility for where we are today is President Mills,” he stressed.