Jake can't advise the President

Minority leader, Alban Bagbin says Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey is not the right person for the position of minister for presidential affairs because he does not have what it takes to advice the President.

In what he describes as his honest assessment, Bagbin said though Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey is a media man and a very good public relations man, he is not a good administrator and advisor and does not have what it takes to hold such a sensitive position in the government and perform at that level.

Bagbin who was speaking to the Network Herald in an interview commended the Minister's oratory and communication skills, which he said helped the NPP to win power, but maintained that he lacks the qualities and experience to advice the President and perform the administrative work required of his office.

He wonders how Jake will be able to command respect among such heavyweights as Nana Akufo-Addo, MP, Yaw Osafo-Maafo MP, Dr. Kofi Apraku MP and others, and be able to call them to order.

"I don't see Jake as a very good administrator or advisor. I also don't see Jake as somebody with much clout in the party to be in the position to head all the Ministers and give independent advice. I don't even see the members of their party outside government passing through Jake with issues, they go straight to the President."

To Bagbin, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey's portfolio is much higher than the leader of government business, Hon. John Henry Mensah, the man popularly referred to as the "senior prefect." By virtue of his title, Jake is supposed to be the senior-most minister in the government, Hon. Bagbin said, adding, "unless the government is belittling that position.

According to him, Hon. Mensah's portfolio does not have such powers as that of the Minister for Presidential Affairs. They just decided to give JH Mensah that position because of the problem they have handling him. I have told him before that this is how I see him," Bagbin added.

The minority leader, also MP for Nadowli-North said one of the many mistakes of Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey is the way he handled the nomination of the Clerk of Parliament, Rex Owusu-Ansah together with two others for the position of Clerk of the newly-formed ECOWAS Parliament.

He said Jake and the government erred by withdrawing support for the Clerk of Ghana's Parliament, Owusu-Ansah. "It is not the business of government. This is wholly within the jurisdiction of Parliament and it is wholly the preserve of Parliament and not the executive. It is only Parliament which has the power to withdraw any of the nominees put forward"

Bagbin said the Speaker, Peter Ala Adjetey was shocked when he got to know that the government had written to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament recommending Mr. Owusu-Ansah and wrote again later withdrawing its support for him.

He explained that no other country was contesting the position of the Clerk. It was given solely to Ghana and that is why Parliament sent three nominees for the consideration of the ECOWAS Parliament.

The minority leader pointed out that Ghana's Parliament has written to the ECOWAS Parliament asking it to ignore the Ghanaian government because it has no role to play in the issue.