Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has described President Mills’ address at the 66th UN General Assembly as unimpressive and more fitting for a parliamentary session.

He has therefore accused the presidents’ speech writers of not being up to task and says he was unimpressed by the speech given by President Evans Atta Mills at the 66th UN General Assembly.

“Something is wrong with the speechwriters of the President, something is wrong with our foreign ministry, and something is wrong with developing a global perspective and I think we should say it as it is. I am not impressed with this speech, at all,” he said.

Speaking as a panelist on Radio Gold’s current affairs programme, “Alhaji and Alhaji” the outspoken senior journalist observed thus: “To be honest I am not impressed by the President’s address at the United Nations. I am not impressed at all. This is the kind of speech you make at your National Assembly not at a UN General Assembly. There is no Global context of this speech. The United Nations is a world platform where you go and mobilize the world on issues and so on.”

Mr Pratt feels that the President chose a wrong place to deliver his speech, which he concedes as “good” but lacks ‘global context’. According to him, comparing speeches made by Ghana first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to that of President Mills, one can safely assume that something is fundamentally wrong.

“What are we saying at the United Nations? We have eliminated schools under trees, we are distributing free exercise books, we are distributing free school uniforms and so on…What has this got to do with the United Nations? So to be honest with you, even though the issues the President raised are critical to the development of Ghana, they are issues not worth the attention they received at the UN General Assembly…and I think we should say it as it is…I am not impressed by this speech at all…when I listened to the speech I felt very uncomfortable…see how they (other heads of state) grabbed the world’s attention; it is because they are discussing the world and how they see the world. We didn’t…we went there and we were talking about the distribution of free text books and exercise books…I was not impressed at all…,” he reiterated.

Admittedly, he said, as a social intervention policy, the supply of school uniforms and free exercise books are very important, but this notwithstanding, he feels the president chose the wrong venue to make known such matters.

“Today, the world is confronted with the bellicosity of imperialism…today the United Nations has become something which is in the back pockets of the United States of America…the United States is killing hundreds of people across the globe. What is the stance of Ghana? Do we mean that we have no stance? Are we afraid of the United States of America?...what is wrong with us?....and you go and talk about free school uniforms. It’s incredible and I must say with all honesty that I am not impressed…you declare Founder’s Day in Ghana; what is Founder’s Day? What makes Founders so relevant if it is not our commitment to national liberation and the struggle against colonialism? Why can’t we be bold enough to join the world wide movement...,” he added.