Mo Ibrahim calls on President Mills

Mo Ibrahim President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday received Dr. Mohamed "Mo" Ibrahim, Founder of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, at the Osu Castle in Accra, and stressed the need for the use of political power to improve the quality of life of the people. The Sudanese-born British mobile telephony billionaire is in the country to deliver a lecture at the University of Ghana, Legon. President Mills described Africa as the continent for the 21st Century and called for the development of the capacity and ability of the people, especially the youth to take up challenges of the future. He spoke of Africa's changing roles and said the continent owed the younger generation a huge debt to coach them for the challenges that come with the continent's roles and to turn it around. President Mills commended the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for its interest in governance, development and progress of Africa adding, the Foundation provided the impetus and incentive. On the Mo Ibrahim Award for Good Governance, President Mills said it was setting high standards for African leaders to perform. He called on African leaders to be upright in their endeavours and in the interest of their people. Dr. Ibrahim said the Foundation was asking the young generation to come forward for leadership role. He commended Ghana for her democratic credentials and said: "Ghana gave us a good example in democracy". In a related development, students of Go Africa Go Germany Federal Agency for Civic Education called on President Mills at the Osu Castle. President Mills observed that Afro-German relations had come a long way and advised beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme to make the best use of the opportunity. Source: GNA

'Team B' has done well, now wait for 'Team A' - Mills

President Mills Are we saying that this is the first time that ministers of state have gone abroad with girlfriends, this is the first time that ministers of state have infringed the law, have spent state money on themselves President J.E.A. Mills President J.E.A. Mills has assured that his government will deliver to the satisfaction of all Ghanaians when he introduces his ‘Team ‘A’ appointees. “I sympathise with the opposition (political) parties…ask me why. If NDC ‘Team B’ can perform this well in one year, they should wait for the ‘Team A’, when the ‘Team A’ comes they will see what is going to happen. And I am proud to be associated with ‘Team B’, I am the captain and also the coach and we shall win, we shall deliver for the benefit of the people of Ghana.” The president was answering questions from journalists at the Castle, Osu, to mark his one year in office. Responding to a question from Joy News’ Matilda Asante Asiedu about the handling of the corruption allegations against the former Minister of Sports, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, the president said Muntaka did not resign because of corruption, “there wasn’t corruption, it was because of indiscretion on his part.” Matilda later said she was not satisfied with the answers of the president to the question but conceded the manner in which she asked the question may have helped him to get away with an unsatisfactory answer. The former sports minister who resigned his position in the wake of allegations of corruption, forged documents to procure a visa for his 'friend' to enable her travel with him but president Mills said it was not a case of corruption. He said those who levelled the allegation of graft against the former minister could not substantiate their allegations and as a lawyer “if somebody makes an allegation against another person and is not able to give credible evidence…I have no option but to give the benefit of the doubt to the person who is being accused.” “So it was not a case of corruption, corruption could not be established. We felt that the young man was being indiscreet and that is why he felt that it was right for him to resign and he said so in his statement. In any case let me add this, we’ve been in this country for some time, you have reported on many cases [of corruption], since when have ministers, given these facts, had the courage to tender in their resignations? How many can you cite? Even where there is clear cut evidence, they say ‘we will stay on’. I’m happy that this young man took this step.” Unenthused Mr Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper But Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr Kwesi Pratt was unimpressed. He said, although the Muntaka case was clearly handled much better than similar cases in the past, the president could still have done better. Clearly there were elements of the conduct of the minister which were criminal and the minister’s conduct clearly was unacceptable. He should not have been allowed to resign on his own, at least you should have fired him.” The case about Muntaka simply would not go as Metro TV’s Mary-Anne Acolatse also spoke to it wondering whether accepting Muntaka’s resignation in the face of the allegations was clear enough a demonstration of a serious commitment to fighting corruption on the part of the president. The president said, “I think that you are drawing some very, very quick conclusions…you are giving a judgment on the basis of facts which I don’t think can always be verified.” President Mills reiterated his earlier stance that Muntaka should be commended for resigning his post for after all; “are we saying that this is the first time that ministers of state have gone abroad with girl friends, this is the first time that ministers of state have infringed the law, have spent state money on themselves.” He emphasised that the government was doing its best to do things differently and was still committed to fighting corruption, but not without concrete evidence. He said one must build a solid case before proceeding to court for prosecution and cautioned must be exercised at all times. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Mills is incapable - Sociologist

President John Evans Atta Mills A senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast has chided President John Mills, accusing the former law lecturer of showing clear signs that he is incapable of running the country. Prof D.K. Agyemang, a sociology lecturer at of the Cape Coast University, says the president’s handling of probing questions during last week’s encounter with senior journalists at the OSU Castle has exposed the president as a weak leader. Shortly after taking over as President, Prof Mills directed all his Ministers to publicly declare their assets within three months or face sanctions. It has been close to a year since that directive was issued, but reports say some Ministers and government appointees are yet to comply with the president’s directive. When journalists raised the issue during the media encounter on Thursday, January 7, President Mills asked the questioners to re-direct their questions to his Ministers. Speaking to Citi News, Prof D.K. Agyemang said the president’s response to the question was unacceptable and exposes the president’s many weaknesses. “If he is saying that people should go and ask them (the Ministers) it implies that he is not a man who is capable of calling the shots…a president who is strong will just say it is wrong, and once it is wrong it is wrong,” he said. Professor Agyemang also slammed the president for failing to “call a spade a spade” in the Muntaka saga. Mohammed Muntaka resigned last year as the Minister for Youth and Sports after he was accused of spending state funds on his girlfriend and baby among several other accusations. President Mills, answering questions at last Thursday’s media encounter however defended the Asawase MP, saying the former sports minister was never indicted for corruption but for indiscretion on his part. He commended Hon. Muntaka for his decision to resign honourably since some ministers in former administrations who were guilty of the same accusations never had the courage to resign as Muntaka did. Professor Agyeman however says President Mills’ answers showed that “he is not in charge.” “You don’t rule a nation like that…It does a little damage to his authority. That is to say he is not a man who has the utmost authority and the power to say things that he wants to say or do things that he wants to do,” he said. Source: Citifmonline.com