Mills cautioned to take a cue from Limann

A Veteran politician and a strong member of the former United Party UP (now New Patriotic Party- NPP), Mr. Joshua Attoh Quarshie, has warned President John Evans Atta Mills, to take a cue from what ex-President Rawlings did to former and late President Dr. Hilla Limann.

He explained that the continuous verbal attacks and outbursts on President Mills by Mr. Rawlings are undermining the presidency of Prof. Mills, and hence should cease.

He recounted that Mr Rawlings after handing over to a constitutionally elected President Dr. Hilla Liman in the Third Republic later turned around and ousted him (Dr. Limann) from power. That, he stressed, was after Mr. Rawlings had been accusing and persistently chastising the Limann government of corruption and non-performance.

“We were all in this country when one day Mr. Rawlings staged a coup and ousted Dr. Hilla Limann from office after Ghanaians had gone to the polls to elected Dr. Limann as president of the Republic of Ghana,” narrated Mr. Attoh Quarshie.

According to him, the constant castigation of President Mills by Mr. Rawlings sends a very bad signal to President Mills and the country as a whole, and if that is not checked, what happened to Liman is likely to repeat itself.

“Today, we are seeing that same tendency creeping into the country where Mr. Rawlings keeps on describing President Mills as a “dull President”. What do you think would be his next line of action if these criticisms continue? He queried.

In the view of Mr. Attoh Quarshie and considering what is happening, Ghana is likely to have a situation where President Mills will become a ceremonial President whereas former president Rawlings will take over as president.

“Ghanaians went to the polls in 2008 to elect Prof. Mills and his Vice President, John Mahama Dramani, and not Mr Rawlings, and therefore Mr. Rawlings must be told that Ghana cannot have two Presidents”, cautioned the veteran politician.

He argued that the current utterances of Mr. Rawlings pose a great threat to President Mills and stressed the need for the country to be worried. He said the actions and character of the former President indicate that he wants to become the executive President.

However, Mr Attoh Quarshie advised President Mills to hand over power to his Vice if he thinks he is not physically strong to govern the country.

….”If President Mills thinks he is not physically strong enough to govern then he should relinquish his executive powers to his Vice, H.E. John Mahama Dramani. And if the Vice President can also to rule, fresh elections should be called by the country to elect a new President,” he suggested.

The Veteran politician was saddened that many Ghanaians, especially the elites have kept quiet on Rawlings' outbursts on President Atta Mills.

“It is unfortunate that the intellectuals we have in this country have not come out to talk about the actions of the former President, but instead have become interested in unnecessary talk on radio,” he noted.

Mr. Quarshie could not understand why even though there is a substantive Foreign Minister, Mr. Rawlings whose role is undefined in the current administration is always made to go and represent the country abroad.

….”Indeed, such a practice must be stopped, and Mr. Rawlings should be told in plain language that he occupies no position in the current government,” Mr. Quarshie intimated.