President Mahama is deep and not reckless - Pratt

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has described President John Dramani Mahama as an extremely cautious and reflective person.

Mr. Pratt is convinced that President Mahama and his Vice President designate, Mr. Amissah-Arthur, have a semblance of the character of the late President J.E.A. Mills.

“One of things I know about him and which I can testify publicly is that he is not a reckless person. He is extremely cautious and reflective,” Mr. Pratt said in an interview on Radio XYZ 93.1 FM on Thursday.

The veteran journalist who expressed shock at the demise of President John Mills last week said he is confident that the late president’s successor can do a good job.

“I have tremendous confidence in our current president. Indeed, I can say without a shred of doubt that he will be as Prof. Mills was. He is not a vindictive person, he is tolerant, he is affable and he is deep,” he affirmed.

He expressed his satisfaction at the manner President Mahama reached out to all groups to join hands with him to build the nation, adding, President Mahama’s direct appeal to the youth for support is also proper especially because the younger generation is in the majority.

Determination vs. Experience

He however took issues with what he said was the benign suggestion by the President that older people should take a step back.

President Mahama told a crowd of mourners who converged at the Efua Sutherland park on Tuesday to mark one week celebration of the death of President Mills that the mantle had fallen into the hands of a new generation by divine reasons.

“God in his wisdom shifted the mantle of power to a new generation and I call on the generation of young people in this country to stand by me and let us show our fathers that we are ready to take over this responsibility and make a good job out of it,” President Mahama said.

But Mr. Pratt indicated that such a suggestion is a bit problematic and that it is important to strike a perfect balance between the two generations.

“Everybody is needed, including the old people. They have tremendous wealth of experience that young people do not have and we need to benefit from that experience. So it’s more of a balance between the exuberance, determination and the enthusiasm of the youth, and the sober, stable, reflective attitude of the aged.”

He said even though the president probably did not mean for the statement to come out the way it did, there is a need for it to be cleared up.

Change Strategy

Touching on the effect the death of President Mills will have on the political strategies of the various political parties, Mr. Pratt said due to the unprecedented circumstance that the country finds itself, the political parties must of necessity change their strategies.

“Strategies in all the political parties have to go back to the drawing board. Something has happened to this country which is unprecedented and whose consequences we cannot even fully evaluate.”

He stated emphatically that the demise of the President “will make an impact in the upcoming elections.”

Mr. Pratt said for many people who were close to Prof. Mills, it will take much more than a week to recover from the shock and pain his death has caused.