‘Three wise men’ will serve better in Parliament - Franklin Cudjoe

The Executive Director of IMANI, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe has said "the three men" appointed by President Mahama to serve as coordinators for Presidential priority projects, would serve government better in Parliament.

President Mahama nominated MP for Prampram, E. T. Mensah, MP for Nadowli-Kaleo, Alban Bagbin and the MP for Zebilla, Cletus Avoka as coordinators the implementation of presidential priority projects.

The projects are the construction of 200 Senior High Schools, 10 Teacher Training Colleges and one Public University in the Eastern Region; the Development of ultra-modern Regional and Specialist Hospitals; and the development of new International and Regional Airports.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness, Mr. Cudjoe said the President has the prerogative to choose whoever he wants to work with, but such appointments must bring value to what the government.

“If you want to have ‘three wise men’ who are supposed to supervise the infrastructure agenda of the [NDC] campaign, it is quiet elementary to note that there need to be a path war because these are positions that will require thinking, coordination and implementation. And this is quiet an act.”

According to Mr. Cudjoe, “the persons who have been so mentioned have got some baggage with the exception of Mr. Cletus Avoka.”

“In the not too distance past these men supervised one of the most important ministry in the country, Housing Water Resources sector and I do not recall any major decision that was taken that affected positively the housing sector [infrastructure wise]. What we saw was an arthritic decision making process which embraced President Mills to the extent that STX was a total failure.”

“My worry is that these gentlemen mislead the President [Mills] from one project to another, because they did not understand dynamics of what was happening.”

“I am not in any way personally attacking these gentlemen,” he added.

He further cautioned the three to ensure they apply due diligence; value for money on their new portfolio.

"The three men have done creditably well in Parliament and have shepherded the party to were ever it is right now and I thought that they remain there. The country would have needed them more in parliament.”