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Opinions of Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice

President Mills & NDC, What is this?

Ghanaians are known for our hospitality, humility and respect for each other and especially to our guests. What happened at the Airport at KIA to welcome the President from USA, President Barack Obama was rather disgustful and appalling. We have a breakdown of Protocol on every facet of Diplomacy. This is not the first time we've received the President of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Former President J.J Rawlings did it in 1998 without a hitch, though President Clinton didn't spend more than ten hours in Ghana, the functions organised by JJ went on smoothly and JJ and his administration did well in their welcoming Party making President Clinton's visit a very successful one. We also hosted Former President Bush in 2008 by Former President Kuffour's NPP administration that showcased Ghana as one of the best countries in Africa in terms of our democratic dispensation and well mannered People but what we witnessed on Friday July 10 at Kotoka International Airport was really disgraceful.

First, President Mills is taking humility to a disgraceful level if he think dressing in that watchman's attire is going to endear him to anybody, then he is sadly mistaken. First, let me apologise to my Northern brothers and sisters that, there is nothing wrong in dressing in smocks because I also have smocks but that was a cheap smock badly made with a white shirt under it which made him look like the KUSASI watchman at my family's hotel. He could have been in a more dignified smock than that. Naadu didn't help matters either with that cheap Chinese fabric cloth with a "KABA" that lacked any discernable style. Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is not my favorite woman but at least she did show class as a first lady with nice African clothes intricately made and nice headgear. Naadu's hair was not even well made and she could have done better by wearing a headgear.

Secondly, and this is the bane of my disgust. We've all witnessed this kind of reception at the tarmac before where a red carpet is laid for the visiting VIP and his host to walk on and the Host introducing his or her Ministers, Parliamentarians and others to the incoming Guest, but what did we see at the tarmac at KIA? We have a breakdown of Protocol where President MILL was almost ran over by his own Ministers crowding the red carpet and taking pictures with their cell phones, President Mills reduced to an ordinary spectator looking like a lost child in his own house, a very disgraceful act that shouldn't have happened. Where did we get these idiots from calling themselves Ministers and Parliamentarians? Ghanaians ought to be appalled at what happened at the Airport.

What is shocking to me is that, the deputyInformation Minister, Ablakwa said , what happened at the Airport couldn.t have been better despite the fact that, even the dancing group that welcomed President Obama were almost ran over by the giddy Mills team who were like kids in a toy store.

Justice Sarpong

Dallas, Texas.