Rawlings Has Asked Ex-Minister Not to Leave

THE FORMER Deputy Western Regional Minister, Hon. Seidu Paakuna Adamu, has quoted ex-President Jerry John Rawlings as having ordered all his former ministers who have got appointment with international organisations abroad and are about to leave the country to suspend the trip till investigations into their tenure of office by the new government were completed.

According to him, ex-President Rawlings' order was based in the confidence that he has in the ministers who served in his government and, therefore, wanted them to stay in the country till the investigations were completed for him to throw those who would be arrested by the government.

Speaking at the Sekondi constituency congress of the NDC at the Gyandu cinema hall in Sekondi last Saturday.

Adamu said it was based on the order given by the ex-President that all ministers who served in his government are still in the country because they themselves know that they have not committed any economic crime.

According to Adamu, the new NPP government knew that most of the NDC ministers who were lecturers before entering politics would get appointment in some of the international organisation outside the country so they were going to use that as a propaganda tool to announce that the ex-ministers have fled the country.

Adamu, who is also the member of Parliament for Bibiani, called on NDC supporters not to be afraid of the allegations being levelled against the NDC ministers that they have stolen state funds, adding that the new NPP government has got nothing to do to them because they have not committed any crime.

If we were having thieves amongst us, but we could not arrest them and now the NPP government says the can do that for us, we shall thank them, but these supposed thieves must be arrested as early as possible in order not to turn their fast track courts to slow track courts, he said.

Continuing, Adamu said even though NPP government made the whole world to believe that NDC left behind a debt of 41trillion, within the ten months that the new government has been in power, it has also contracted a loan to the tune of eight trillion cedis which is also debt that would have to be paid by the people of this country.

Announcing that the ?41trillion debt would surely be sent to the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for thorough investigations, Adamu said it was part of the supposed ?41trillion debt that was used to build the Aboadze Thermal Plant, which President Kufuor visited recently to unveil a plague to commemorate his visit to the place.

On education, the MP said the minority in Parliament would do everything possible to torpedo the move being made by the government to compel university students to pay fees.

He alleged that during the Busia regime, the same issue was raised and like father and son, President Kufuor is also going to introduce it.

"We shall do everything possible to resist it because if the policy is allowed to be implemented without any intervention, the ordinary man cannot send his child to study at the university", he assured.

Adamu also called on the government to explain to the public, the whereabouts of the money that was approved by the previous parliament for the Constitution of the much politicised Sekondi-Takoradi road.

According to him, since the money has already been released, he did not understand the reason why construction work on the road has not been started.

The former security advisor in the NDC regime, Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi, who also spoke at the congress said the NDC lost the election because the leadership did not listen to the advise and contribution of its supporters at the grassroots promising that such a mistake would not occur again.

He noted that it is supporters that form the party but not the leadership, therefore, they are now going to pay attention to all contributions and advise from the supporters to enable them to recapture power.

NDC is always for peace and development, yet we lost the election indication that it was the will of the Almighty God that such a thing should happen.

God has actually shown a sign to us in the NDC and Ghanaians as a whole", he said, adding that the time has come for members of the party to unite and do away with all forms of bickering to enable them get a common goal to re-recapture power.

Earlier on his welcome address, the Sekondi Constituency chairman of the party, Mr. George Senchirey said after the defeat of the party, the sorrow that gripped members disorganised the entire membership in most of the branches and the constituency executives committee.

This problem, he continued was also compounded by the refusal of their candidate who stood on the ticket of the party in the Sekondi constituency to honour their invitation to the constituency with the view to meet members of the party and also congratulate the electorate.

In the election itself, Mr. Senchirey was returned unopposed as chairman.

The organisers post went to Mr. David Ata Mensah with Hajia Madam being elected as woman organiser.

Present were other party faithfuls, which included Manu Alex Asamoah.

Similar congress took place in all the remaining constituencies in the region.