I'm not dead - IC Quaye

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye has reacted angrily to recent speculations in the media that he was suffering from a stroke and knocking on death’s door.

“They wish I die, but I tell you, they cannot take my position,” he said.

The Regional Minister disclosed that he never visited Saudi Arabia for the treatment of paralysis as was reported in the media recently and described as ‘wicked propaganda’ the lies being peddled by his detractors who were only interested in his position.

Sheikh Quaye, who is also the MP for Ayawaso Central, was close to echoing Atta Mills’ mantra when he said, “Who does not have hospital card?” arguing that as a human being, he was prone to sickness and death at anytime.

He stressed, “Even if I have stroke, the first port of call for treatment will be to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, which has equally qualified Ghanaian doctors to cater for me.”

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE at his official residence at Ridge, the healthy-looking minister, who had been touted for his crusade against mosquitoes, quipped that he would be happy if those behind the rumour could prove its authenticity by producing supportive documents that he had been seriously ill.

Making reference to the Holy Quran, the 70-year-old politician, who is as well an Islamic scholar said, “As humans we are bankrupt if our very deeds and utterances are not guarded by love.”

Sheik I.C. Quaye noted that the month of Ramadan offered opportunity for those behind the report to seek for forgiveness and God’s blessings.

The Regional Minister declared that he would contest and defeat his opponents in the Ayawaso Central constituency come 2008.

“I will show them that I started winning elections as far back as 1967 when some of them were not even born.”

He stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had no chance in his constituency saying, “The people of Ayawaso Central will not be so ungrateful to me by not voting for me.”

Sheikh I.C. Quaye noted that the high number of presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) demonstrated the democratic nature of the party, stressing that it was healthy for democracy.

The Regional Minister said the Danquah-Busia tradition had a track record of allowing dissenting views in the party and was sure that whoever was elected in December would be capable of steering the affairs of the party and the nation.

He maintained that NPP would survive the test of the December congress, adding, “This is not the first time of having such great number of aspirants. In 1992 the number was even greater than this and I believe we will pass the test again.”

Quaye dismissed allegations that Accra was dirty, saying that the city was cleaner now than ever before.

He observed that every emerging development in any city was bound to be associated with filth and that he was confident that Zoomlion was capable of dealing with the situation.

The Regional Minister pointed out that Zoomlion was doing a great job in the city and promised that the sanitation situation would get better.