Let Mills extend an olive branch to Rawlings – Seth Ofori

A leading member of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Seth Ofori Ohene, has admonished President John Evans Atta Mills to extend an olive branch to former President Jerry John Rawlings.

That he said was absolutely crucial for the electoral success of the NDC.

Mr Ofori was speaking on MultiTV’s talk show programme, pm: Express this week.

“I think it will be in the interest of His Excellency President Mills, his government and the party to listen to the concerns being raised by the former president,” he stated.

Mr Rawlings at this year’s June 4 commemoration enunciated his criticism of the Mills administration’s handling of national affairs.

At the Revolution Square Monday, Mr Rawlings grudgingly lit the perpetual flame, stating that given the government’s aloofness, he had lost the zest and moral turpitude to light the flame.

Prior to that, he had, whilst addressing a June 4 rally at Aflao, asked how the NDC could hope to win the 2012 elections “when you are rejecting the values of June 4. How can you win when you are afraid of values of June 4, freedom and justice?”

Government spokespersons have tended to ignore Mr Rawlings or dismissed his concerns as mere rants.

But Seth Ofori believes the concerns of the founder of the governing party are genuine and will be ignored at the peril of the NDC.

The NDC is doing well, he said, but added a lot more needs to be done to assure the Ghanaian people that the NDC has not abandoned the ideals of June 4 – probity and accountability.

For him, the NDC owed it a duty to investigate allegations of conflict of interest against the General Secretary of the party, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia – a board member of the Bui Dam project whose company is manufacturing and selling cement blocks to the contractors working on the project.

Apart from that, Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffour, he added, ought to have left office on account of his role in the Woyomegate scandal.

He said it was inconceivable that a government that professes to uphold integrity and accountability would keep a finance minister on his job even after he sanctioned the payment of GHC51 million to an individual under circumstances the government itself considers fraudulent and has gone to court on the account of this.

He said once former Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu resigned because of that case, Dr Duffour ought to have gone as well.

Allowing the Finance Minister to still stay in office, he believes, constitutes a remarkable dent on the seriousness of the government about fighting corruption and promoting accountability.

A Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mr George Lawson who was also on the show vehemently rejected suggestions that Mr Asiedu Nketia was in a conflict of interest situation insisting the man popularly referred to as General Mosquito had gone to court on the matter seeking to clear his name.

He said the party was absolutely sure there was no wrongdoing on the part of General Mosquito.

He insisted the NDC was in perfect shape and was heading towards victory in December.