Obed Asamoah Takes On JAK

THE INTERIM National Chairman for the Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah-led Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Alhaji Abdul Raman Issakah, has accused President John Agyekum Kufuor of marginalizing prominent citizens from the Upper West Region, in his cabinet since he assumed office as the President of Republic of Ghana.

The DFP boss told this paper that he was shocked and surprised at the way the President has decided to sideline people from the Upper West region to be part of the cabinet. "We are surprised that throughout his 7 years to 8 years in office, he has not appointed anybody from Upper West Region to be a member of his cabinet," he said.

In a telephone interview with this paper last week, Alhaji Issakah took a swipe at President Kufour and his council of Elders of not doing their homework before asking the Minister aspirants to resign and quickly turned back to plead with them to wait for some time after they have tendered their resignation letters.

According to him, asking the Ministers to hang on until another time was wrong because he (President Kufuor) knows that his cabinet ministers have been campaigning for so many months to the extent that he had an opportunity to warn them not to peak before time.

"What he did was wrong because he has created unnecessary attraction to himself and the nation. Immediately they resigned, he should not have asked them to wait further because he was aware that they are all campaigning to succeed him."

Alhaji Issaka noted that the apprehension and unnecessary tension created in the nation prior to the nomination and subsequent approval of the Ministers could be attributed to the president and his team of governing body.

According to him, the President's downsizing of cabinet was long over due but was quick to commend the President of now coming out with his new ministers.

On whether Nana Obiri Boahene, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Interior, who doubled as the Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP should be taken to court on issues of conflict of interest as some leading members of NDC have been advocating, the DFP national chairman, stated otherwise.

According to him, the NPP as a party might have mechanisms to check their affairs and that it was not in the right direction for some one to talk about issues of conflict.

To him the President has not abused the constitution of Ghana as far as the appointment of Nana Obiri Boahene, who was just vetted and approved by Parliament was concerned.

Responding to jostling within the party and agitations that the President was behind one of the aspirants, the DFP boss said, a sitting president was deeply interested in whoever succeeds him, adding that, "nobody can fault him of supporting anybody."