JAK'S minister praises Jerry

Former Western Regional Minister, Joseph Boahen Aidoo has pointed out that although it is the responsibility of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to put the administration of Professor John Evans Atta Mills on its toes, former President Jerry John Rawlings, who is the founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has taken over that mandate and they are happy with his role.

He, however, regretted that whilst the NDC founder had described the President's Ministers as mediocre, His Excellency Prof. John Evans Mills has rather strangely been showering praises on himself and his government, after awarding himself 80% success within his first hundred days in office.

Hon. Boahen Aidoo also expressed his surprise at why the President was reported to have said that he had confidence in his government, when he addressed the durbar of chiefs and foreign dignitaries in Kumasi over the week¬end.

"Nobody is challenging the President for his assertion except that the founder of his party, Jerry Rawlings, thinks that he is using mediocre Ministers to run the government, so why is he always telling Ghanaians to have confidence in his government," he questioned.

Hon. Boahen Aidoo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Amenfi East constituency, made this known when he addressed hundreds of students of the Takoradi Polytechnic branch of the Tertiary Education Students Confederation' (TESCON) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), over the weekend.

Aidoo noted that it would have been better for the President to put in place good security measures to protect the ordinary Ghanaian against the armed robbery menace, instead of always asking that we have confidence in his government.

According to him, provision of security formed part of the numerous promises made by the President during the campaign period, but nothing has been done to that effect, to address the country's security situation which seems to be worsening by the day.

According to him "Ghanaians are asking for nothing more than efficient security, because they need peace".

Hon. Aidoo also criticized the government for slashing the budget of the anti corruption institutions in the country. According to him, although the President gave indications during his State of the Nation's address that he would empower the anti-corruption state institutions in the country to thoroughly investigate corrupt public officials, he has reneged on the promise as well.

To make matters worse, he has also cut down more than 50% of budgetary allocation to these anti corruption state institutions. This, in his view, pointed to a weak start of a person who was bent on fighting corruption.

According to him, under former President Kufuor, not only did he strengthen the anti corruption institutions, but also passed anti corruption laws to fight the canker.

He told the cheering students that the Audit Service was given a budget of GH¢I, 149,600 under the 2008 budget that was prepared by the NPP government but has been reduced to GH¢5 ,557 ,133.

In the same vein, he said CHRAJ, SFO, NCCE, NMC and other state institutions had their budgets slashed.

Hon. Boahen Aidoo further explained that the decision to slash the budgetary allocation of the aforementioned institutions would weaken their activities. "It gives a lean way for people to spend government money if the institutions are not adequately resourced. This is how President Mills tries to fight corruption in this country," he opined.

The legislator, after criticizing the sitting President, then turned his attention to shower praises on former President John Agyekum Kufuor, describing him as one of the greatest African leaders of the 21st century.

According to him, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor of . Ghana, Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania were the few greatest African leaders of the 21 st century.

For President Kufuor to maintain that dignity, he disclosed that some leading members of the NPP were in serious talks with him to remain silent as a Statesman, and contribute his quota to national development and not to dabble in partisan politics in the country.

The Member of Parliament for Takoradi constituency, Hon. Okye Kwabenah Darko-Mensah in an address entreated the NPP youth to unite and rally behind the party to campaign towards victory in 2012. "We need unity of purpose to win the next elections. The NDC lied their way to power and will lie their way out of power," he noted.

Nana Owusu Ankomah, Western Regional Chairman of the NPP who chaired the function appealed to TESCON to revamp their activities, despite the party being in opposition, to give the NPP enough support from the youth wing to effectively fight the 2012 general elections.

Mr. David Acquah, the outgoing TESCON President and his executives handed over the baton of leadership to the new administration led by Matfred Osagyefo Kwaw and his able lieutenants, to steer the affairs of the NPP youth wing.