NDC Presidential candidate Professor Evans Atta Mills is unhappy about what he describes as ‘the hypocrisy of some analysts’, and has challenged them to be objective in their analysis of the country’s political events.
Professor Mills’ caution comes in the wake of debates over abuse of incumbency and how best it can be managed. Fears of an abuse of political office by the ruling governments continue to dog the country’s politics, prompting concern from analysts and of course the opposition parties.
Many analysts agree however that some guidelines must be set to guide the conduct of incumbent governments and how they use state resources. But the comments of the CDD’s Associate executive director Dr. Baafuor Agyeman Duah on JoyFM’s current affairs programme- Sunday Edition on Sunday Night did not find favour with the NDC presidential candidate.
Dr. Agyeman Duah made a case for moderation, saying rules may be set to check the abuse of state resources, however it will be difficult to expect an incumbent government to respect them.
Basing his argument on the inability to draw the line between functions in line with government business and mainly party activity, Dr. Agyeman Duah asked opposition parties to be flexible in their demands.
“Prior to the 1996 elections, as well as the 2000 elections, the issue was hotly debated and I recall Hon John Mahama making an excellent point illustrating his own situation. He made the argument that look if I go to Tamale on a state function and whiles in Tamale, I receive a call from Bole that there is an emergency that has to do with my family or party, do you expect me to leave my car in Tamale , and find my way to Bole and back for my official car?
“That was an excellent illustration of the difficulty and I think the same argument is applicable in the present circumstances. If you insist that ministers of state use their vehicles to do anything other than official duty, then you are creating a problem for all of us because certainly, ministers of state might go to one place on official function and extended to that function could be a party activity.”
Sounding quite irritated by the Dr. Agyeman Duah’s position, Professor Mills called into the program, accusing the analyst of hypocrisy.
An angry Mills called into the program and said: “Am asking, what are the rules? I remember in 2000, the Bar Association took issues with us on abuse of incumbency-where are they now? To tell us that to draw the line is difficult is just to say that you don’t know what you are talking about.
There are many people who are using govt vehicles, there are many people who are abusing incumbency and to tell us that because rules have not been drawn hypocritical. What is good for the goose must be good for the gander. He is only being an apologist for the NPP.
“We should not tolerate what the NPP is doing. I have been forced to intervene because he is being insincere in his attempt to justify the abuse of incumbency by the NPP,” Mills said.
