The opposition New Patriotic Party says President Mills’ latest announcement of changes in his government is only a “diversionary tactic” to shift the public’s attention from the recent increases in the prices of petroleum products.
The Party’s General Secretary, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, who made the observation told Citi News that Ghanaians are very bitter and angry about the latest increases in fuel prices and would not allow the discussion to go away.
“The year 2011 did not begin with this reshuffle but rather the petrol price increase. So if the Government thought that they can push us away from discussing that by bringing this sham reshuffle, then they must be joking. Ghanaians are very bitter and angry about this fuel price increases. So the NDC can wish it away, but it will never go. We will continuously make the people of this country aware of the hardship that the year of action promises. Nobody will discuss this bogus reshuffle” he said.
According to Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, the reshuffle was just a rehash of what he termed “Team B Ministers”, and that Ghanaians will not waste precious time in discussing it at the expense of the fuel price increases which directly affects their lives.
“We shall not focus on this reshuffle because it is the same old Team B that has been reshuffled. It is some of the Team B people who were on the touchline and had not featured in the first team, that have been brought to play. Who else is there? Betty Mould Iddrisu who has been a gigantic failure at the Ministry of Justice has now been sent to Education to further destroy things there. Zita, who instead of concentrating on Tourism had to go away to deliver a baby. How can Yileh Kyireh who destroyed the first Ministry be sent to the Health Ministry to destroy it further? The whole thing is like an old car that has been repainted. None of them will even appeal to Rawlings, let alone to the country” he said.
Mr. Sam P. Yalley, a Private Legal Practitioner and a sympathiser of the NDC vehemently disagreed with Sir John’s comments, declaring him as the most desperate politician in Ghana currently. He suggested to the NPP to reshuffle Mr. Owusu Afriyie as its General Secretary.
He was particularly furious with Mr. Afriyie’s attack on Zita Okaikoi, the embattled Tourism Minister. According to him, it was completely unacceptable for Sir John to have accused Zita of incompetence just because she travelled abroad to deliver a baby when she was supposed to be in office.
He also condemned Mr. Afriyie’s description of the reshuffle as bogus, saying it was not the NPP’s business to discuss. Mr. Yalley said the NPP’s attack on government over the fuel price increases were uncalled for.