Hannah Tetteh: Rawlings ‘Team B’ accusation hypocritical

Hannah Tetteh Trade Minister Hannah Tetteh has hit back at ex-President Rawlings for describing President Mills appointees as mediocre. According to her, such a description has no basis and smacks only of hypocrisy and double standards. Her response comes after months of criticisms by ex-president Rawlings who uncharitably described some of the appointees of the Mills’ administration as “mediocre.” Ex- presidential aspirant on the ticket of the NDC, Ekow Spio Garbrah who waded into the controversial debate did not necessarily describe the appointees as mediocre. Rather, they were ‘Team B’ who should be understudying more experienced personalities in government. It is not surprising that some of the ‘Team B’ personalities were under performing, he sniped. But that criticism was met with equal measure of steel and Spio Garbrah was the easy target. He was described as a peacock flaunting with a fake PHD by Head of Communication at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho and an arrogant person by Ato Awhoi, a founding member of the NDC. With no signs of Ex- president Rawlings’ accusations abating, Trade and Industry Minister Hanna Tetteh told Citi News on Monday, a chunk of the present appointees of government served in various capacities when he Rawlings was in government. She cited among others the Finance Minister, Kwabena Duffuor, Science and Technology Minister, Sherry Aryittey who she described as a close confidante of the ex-family, Education Minister, Alex Tettey Enyo, Agriculture Minister, Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi and Joseph Yieleh-Chireh and Cletus Avoka who are all members of cabinet and who played diverse roles during the tenure of Ex-President Rawlings. She found it rather intriguing that Ex-President Rawlings will turn around and describe those same appointees as mediocre, or rather Team B. “In view of the fact that a lot of the people, and I could go on and on, actually were people who held office during president Rawlings administration, does it imply that he also appointed a Team B and now perhaps has a different set of people he would consider as Team A,” she quizzed. But aide to the ex-president Rawlings, Kofi Adams in reaction said Hannah Tetteh failed to understand the arguments put forward by the critics. He explained that the supposed ‘Team B’ personalities were not necessarily inefficient, but will do better if reassigned to other positions. He welcomed a possible ministerial reshuffle which could bring Hanna Tetteh to the Information Ministry Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana