“Mills is a Hypocrite” - Obetsebi-Lamptey

The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, has lambasted President John Evans Atta-Mills as a hypocrite who “pretends to be do goody and has a large orchestra of praise singers with the voice and megaphones deployed to deceive the good people of Ghana.”

Jake says that a series of events since Prof Mills took office continue to show how grand was the act of deception put out by Mills and the National democratic Congress to get Ghanaians to vote for him in 2008, after 8 years of trying.

“Even today that he is being exposed by the embarrassment of the gap between what he says and what he does or is done in his name, the President and his army of praise singers are still trying shamelessly to tell us that he is humble, God fearing, caring, peaceful and incorruptible. What has he done to support this false image that he carved for himself to win the election?” the NPP Chairman asked.

According to Jake, President Mills pretends to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, qualities and standards that he does not actually have.

“He says he is against insults and yet his appointees insult in his name and they get away with it. He says he cares for the people and yet the people continue to lose their jobs and get poorer and poorer,” Jake charged.

The NPP Chairman continued, “Prof Mills is happy to wear his Christianity like a badge and announce to us everyday about his so-called piety. But, we can all see the ungodly acts being done under his watch and sometimes in his name directly. Don’t tell us you are God fearing and do things that hurt the children of God when you have been chosen to lead us.”

Touching on the purported “incorruptible nature” of President Mills, Jake alleged that under the watch of President Mills corruption has been “naked, extreme and very sinful,” citing the growing culture of highly inflated contract sums and the award of contracts under sole sourcing. It is alleged that more than 80% of road contracts are awarded without open tender.

“In 2008, under the NPP, a six classroom block cost GH¢80,000. President Mills says he is not corrupt but the construction of the same classroom block, under his era of reducing inflation and a ‘Better Ghana’, has seen a 150% rise”, Jake said. “Are these the ways of God?”

Jake went on to talk about the spiralling levels of violence and acts of impunity being perpetrated by footsoldiers of the ruling party, who have now been described as the “fourth arm of government” by some political observers.

“He says he is ‘Asomdwehene’ but he has presided over a country where NDC footsoldiers can go about maiming people; the incident involving Sadia Seidu in Tamale in 2009 is one typical example of how innocent people can be brutally assaulted and identified and yet nothing happens to them because they are NDC footsoldiers. Footsoldiers can go about locking NHIS and NYEP offices and the reason President Mills gave for this was that the NDC foot soldiers do not have jobs,” he added.

“He has failed to practice the virtues that he preaches and Ghanaians have awoken to the fact that he is nothing but a blatant liar and a hypocrite,” Jake said.

The NPP Chairman made the observation when he addressed Eastern Regional NPP executives, parliamentary candidates as well losing parliamentary aspirants in the latest leg of the “All hands on deck” tour currently being embarked upon by the NPP leadership. The event took place at the Mac Dick Hotel in Koforidua.

“President Mills said at his campaign launch last week that he was not going to get into the politics of insults, but what did we see at his campaign launch? Right in front of him were his Ministers and functionaries insulting and casting insinuations at those challenging him for the vacant flagbearership slot and he only smiled to the insults. To Mills it is only insulting when it is directed at him,” Jake added.

The NPP Chairman also expressed worry about the level of obscene opulence being displayed by President Mills and his campaign team and wondered where all the money being spent on the campaign was coming from.

“His campaign is being run by money that has not been budgeted for according to him. Whether it is 90, or 19 or 9 million, what we know is that a lot of money is being spent on this campaign which has not been budgeted for so he has access to unlimited funds and he is not afraid to spend it”, he said.

Jake added that President Mills’ actions as he picked up his nomination forms had debunked the notion that he was a humble man.

“Humble Atta-Mills happily blocked and caused the biggest avoidable traffic jam in the recent history of the Ring Road in Accra and also brought Government work to a standstill as he conveyed his Ministers on his gravy train to adulate him – sing the praises of a humble leader,” Jake added.

The “I care for you Mantra” used by President Mills in the 2008 campaign, according to Jake, had been nothing but a lie as he has demonstrated his love and care only for those who sing his praises.

“Ghanaians are getting poorer and poorer under President Mills’ ‘Better Ghana’. Mills has shown he is hypocrite who came to lie to Ghanaians and delivered misery and 2012 is a time for the NPP to bring back hope to all Ghanaians”, he stated.