Mills views on Kufuor's BBC interview

Then president Kufuor conducting the incoming Mills administration through the Presidential Palace President John Atta Mills, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Dispatch, has expressed his views on some comments by ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor on BBC; the Yamson Committee on the ex-gratia; the performance of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and some aspects of the Ghanaian economy his National Democratic Congress (NDC) government inherited. On the economy, the President said "the economy we inherited was in very bad shape. With the domestic balance in the negative, this is a government which did not care about housekeeping, spending far in excess of what they were collecting. Our foreign reserves are gone. The economy is nothing to write home about. The only reason why we were not shouting from the rooftops is that we did not want to discourage investors. Moreover, at that point in time, we were not in possession of all the details. As time goes on, we are discovering more details which were hidden from us. But I can promise Ghanaians that at the appropriate time, we will let the Ghanaian public know the exact state of the economy." Regarding the performance of the BNI, the Law Professor was clear: "I think they have done very well. We have always insisted on the institution acting within the law. I have also said publicly that so long as they operate within the law, they will have my full support. So far, I have no cause for regret. I think they are doing very well and they should be encouraged to do so." We knew the next question was going to be sensitive but we went ahead, "Mr. President, what are your reactions to the statements by ex-President Kufuor that Ghana was like a coup state and that he was not being given the due respect as an ex-President?" President Mills paused and smiled, "I do not want to comment on those statements." The Ishmael Yamson Committee has presented its report on the review of the Chinery Hesse Committee, what are the President's brief comments? His response: "We are going to take a decision on the matter. The publication of the Yamson Committee's report is to let Ghanaians know exactly what was happening. The decision will be mine and I will take it accordingly, very soon." Source: Daily Dispatch/Ghana