NPP's Actions are Dividing the Nation - Prof Mills

Former Vice-President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday said statements, acts and omissions of the government are dividing rather than reconciling the nation.

"Policies are being deliberately twisted, correspondence is being wilfully misinterpreted, programmes are being adopted without attribution and projects are being commissioned without acknowledgement."

Prof. Mills, who was the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2000 elections, was addressing his first media encounter in Accra since he and the party lost the vote.

Flanked by his running mate, Mr Martin Amidu and Mr Kwaku Baah, NDC Co-Chairman, Prof. Mills said the NDC had hoped that co-operation, consultation and consensus would have characterised the New Patriotic Party's first few months in office.

"Regrettably, we have been subjected to an avalanche of attack and accusations throughselective leaks, deliberate distortions and wilful misrepresentations," he said.

Citing examples, Prof. Mills said the 41 trillion-cedi national debt allegedly incurred by his government through mismanagement was money used for projects for which the NPP government is now taking credit.

He said: "a national debt of over 40 trillion cedis may have been incurred, but that debt is represented by national assets in the nature of roads, electricity, housing, telecommunications, hospitals, water and schools."

Prof. Mills described as unfair, the impression that the money had been dissipated without any assets to back it.

He added his voice to the call on the Minister of Finance to publish the list of all debts owed by the country since independence, and the uses to which the loans have been put.

Prof. Mills challenged the NPP government to tell Ghanaians how much of the 41 trillion cedis national debt is payable within the next four years as it had promised.

On the 900 billion cedis the NDC government is being accused of "blowing" in the last quarter of 2000, he said there would not have been a mix-up had NPP sought details from the Central Bank before referring to it in the budget for the press to blow it up.

"We are there to be consulted, for clarifications to be sought and for explanations to be given, instead of rushing to the media with every unverified so-called discovery of alleged impropriety," Prof. Mills said.

He said he was also not happy with several acts of harassment and intimidation meted out to leading and outspoken NDC members, citing the issue of alleged stolen cars and raids by security men on the premises of the NDC Deputy National Treasurer's office and that of other members.

He also cited the "unnecessary surveillance" on the residence of former-President Jerry John Rawlings and his movements, adding, "reliable information has it that the telephone lines of certain NDC members were being bugged."

There have also been, he said, efforts to criminalise the NDC era, including allegations that ex-ministers had fled the country or were crossing the border in four-wheel drive vehicles and improperly paid ex-gratia awards.

"The public has a right to scrutinise our period of stewardship and I will be the first to make admission of every error that is established," he said. "Those involved in such scrutiny must, however, be seen to be fair and

just."

Prof. Mills said the unexplained directives to heads of selected state-owned enterprises to proceed on leave were creating "fear and insecurity in the public and civil services of Ghana today.

"It has become clear that persons, who worked closely with NDC political appointees in those services or who are suspected of having pro-NDC sympathies are those being hounded out of office."

The NPP, he said, had on several occasions violated the provisions of the Constitution, making many appointments unilaterally without consulting relevant governing boards and councils or the Council of State.

The violations were made " because the NPP government shot itself in the foot by dismissing all district chief executives and terminating the appointments of all government appointees in the district assemblies before the expiry of their four-year tenures."

Prof. Mills advised the government to stick to the letter and spirit of the Constitution and to the truth.

He said the NDC is ready to co-operate with the NPP and others to forge a national consensus to restore the economy to good health.

He said the acts of revenge and vendetta being perpetrated against the NDC was setting bad precedent for the future of constitutional governance, a matter that a stable political culture could not endure.

He advised the government to be cautious with the institutions of state saying, "no impression must be created that these institutions or their heads serve governments rather than the state."

Prof. Mills said he would concentrate on reorganising the NDC into a stronger and more effective party and advised members to put factionalism and wrangling behind them.