Mills' hypocrisy on Residency

Dressed elegantly and looking resplendent in a rich Kente cloth, President Mills on Tuesday, November 10th received envoys from Italy, Finland and Mexico accredited to the country to represent their various governments as ambassadors at the Jubilee House, and not at the Castle this time as has been the norm in the Mills-led NDC administration.

Mahama Ayariga, Presidential Spokesman, said the president undertook the assignment at the Jubilee House, based on the recommendations of the State Protocol Department.

While the then NPP extolled the construction of the project as Ghana's Presidential Palace, the NDC dismissed it, and its members rather called for such funds to be used towards solving the nation's energy crisis, alleviating poverty and providing accommodation on the country’s university campuses.

The NDC had threatened to convert the edifice to a hospital and at one time into a poultry farm if elected into office but Prof Mills at a later date described it as an imposing building amid broad smiles.

President Mills, again, over the weekend addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Brong-Ahafo Region in Sunyani, to climax the golden jubilee anniversary celebration of the creation of the region.

He decided the “Residency”, the Regional Minister’s place of residence in Sunyani, was not good enough for his status and as such drove his convoy of luxury vehicles all the way back to Kumasi to sleep in the Presidential residence constructed by former President Kuffour.

A decision was made by the Kuffour-led government to construct a residence specifically for the President in every region in the country. This was to serve as accommodation for the President if he/she was on a tour of that region.

President Mills decided to sleep at the new Presidential residence and not the regional residency at the Ashanti Region.

Recent developments can only presume President Mills is departing the supposed tenets, of cutting out ostentation and profligate expenditure, he espoused in the run-up to the 2008 elections.

As can be seen, he is gradually enjoying and “warming” himself into Presidency and engaging in the profligate and ostentatious expenditure he preached against when he was candidate Mills. Only a few days ago, the President announced he would not mind sharing the Jubilee House premises with the foreign ministry. Speculations are rife that the president’s latest gesture is yet another clear indication that he will be moving into the new Presidential palace much sooner than he had earlier wanted Ghanaians to believe.

The Statesman