Prez and Vice shouldn’t stay in the same Premises

Spokesperson of the Rawlingses, Kofi Adams says he is uncomfortable with the decision to house both President John Dramani Mahama and Vice-President Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur at the Flagstaff House at Kanda.

According to the 'suspended' NDC deputy scribe, security wise, it was not conducive to give official residences to both the president and vice at the Flagstaff House.

“To put the President and the Vice President in the same place is wrong, its absolutely wrong...the same reason why you will not put the President and the Vice President in the same flight should apply in virtually everything that you do...,” he indicated.

On Thursday, the President officially relocated to the Flagstaff House at Kanda from the Osu Castle.

A lot of people, mainly from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have criticized this move, because to them, when the edifice was first completed, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) strongly spoke against it.

They wonder what has changed to necessitate the decision to relocate.

The Flagstaff House, which was used by Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was reconstructed by the Kufuor administration to be used as the seat of government.

The project, which was financed by an Indian loan and grant, was inaugurated just before Mr Kufuor ended his term of office and renamed it Jubilee House, but the NDC reverted the name to Flagstaff House after it took office in 2009. In that same year, part of it was handed over to the Foreign Affairs Ministry temporarily after its offices were razed down by fire.

It has both office and residential accommodation for the president, the vice president and the supporting staff.

However, the late former President John Evans Atta Mills did not use the edifice, citing security concerns.

No Betrayal 

Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ with Tweneboa Kodua (TK) as host, Kofi Adams said there is no way the NDC administration was going to leave the edifice deserted.

“The controversy surrounding the move of the President to the Flagstaff house is much ado about nothing because we can’t leave it there to deteriorate. It was built with a loan which is going to be paid with the taxes of Ghanaians…”

Kofi Adams dismiss suggestions that President Mahama, by relocating the seat of government from the Osu Castle to the Flagstaff House, has betrayed a man he considered as his mentor; Prof. Mills.

“Others are also saying that President Mahama has betrayed late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills because he has moved into the flagstaff house. It is not true. Former President Mills performed a lot of functions at the Flagstaff house including receiving various dignitaries.

Yesterday was the beginning of a full scale (official usage) that was why there was a ceremony informing the whole world that when you need the President he is at the Flagstaff house and not the Osu Castle,” he indicated.