Sekou Grabs Mills Neck

Sekou Nkrumah, the last child of Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has blasted President John Evans Atta Mills, rubbishing his 'father for all' mantra.

Instead, Sekou said the President was a notorious hypocrite who should not be taken serious for the things he says.

Sekou, who fell out of favour with the government after being sacked as the boss of the National Youth Council (NYC) for questioning the competence of President Mills, was speaking in an interview over government's decision to send two of his siblings, Professor Francis Nkrumah and Samia Nkrumah, Chairperson of the Convention People's Party (CPP), to Ethiopia to witness the unveiling of a statue in honour of their father.

A statement from the Presidency signed by Communications Director Koku Anyidoho, yesterday, said, 'President Mills has invited Dr Francis and Samia Nkrumah, Chairman of the CPP, to join in the unveiling of a statue in honour of their father, for the leading role he played in the African liberation struggle as well as the Pan Africanist Movement.'

The President is expected to leave Accra for Addis Ababa on Friday to attend the 18 th ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union (AU) and would be accompanied by the two.

 Sekou sees everything wrong with the move since he was neither invited nor informed by government or his own siblings, noting, 'The man who says he is the father of all now shows how hypocritical he is.'

Apart from the fact that he was not informed of it, Sekou said he was also not invited for the trip.

Sekou said he was not the least worried about the development because of how he was virtually sidelined during the centenary celebration of the life of his late father when he was not included in the programme like his other siblings.

He asked, 'Is it because I have declared support for Akufo-Addo so I'm no longer Nkrumah's son?'

Sekou believed he was deliberately not informed by government because of his criticism of the President and his administration.

'Let them do what they like. That's their problem; honestly I care less,' he noted.

'I am more disappointed in my siblings not with the government because I have seen how governments behave; once you are opposed to them, they want to sideline you but that is not my concern but when it's from your own siblings who will do a thing like that then honestly I mean it's quite sad. 

'It's really interesting that my own siblings too because of the little things they will get travelling with the President; they will also not discuss the matter with me. I find it very strange,' he stated, wondering whether Samia and Francis think they are more of Nkrumah's children than he Sekou.

In spite of all this, the tough-talking politician stated, 'I'm not worried at all but it just tells me that if you are going to represent the truth and fight for the best interest of Ghanaians and therefore looking for the best leadership that can really turn this country's around, then it appears you are the bad one because I am not a bootlicker going to bootlick those in power for favours, for travels or whatever it is then I appear to be the bad son of Nkrumah.

'So let it be, if those of us who continue to fight for what is right who happens to be the bad once, I don't mind; my conscience is clear. I will continue to fight for Ghana and I'm not fighting for my personal interest for the majority of Ghanaians to have a better life.'

Reshuffle Is A Big Joke
'Sekou also made a mockery of the President's latest cabinet reshuffle, describing it as a joke since, according to him, 'he (the President) is just moving people from one Ministry to the other and back to the same Ministry.'

'I think it's just recycling the old people they have and then moving people around. When he started in 2009, Prof should have started with his first team. If now he is still reshuffling and making changes, I don't think what he couldn't do in three years he can do in one year.

 'If someone is competent you leave him where he is, if someone is incompetent, you don't go and put him in another Ministry; I mean the whole thing is a joke and it looks like just giving job for the boys,' he emphasised.

He cited the appointment of Said Sinare as Ghana's Ambassador to Egypt as a clear example, wondering, 'What value is he going to add? He's the same person who when I had problems with Mills, he was trying to tell me to be patient.'

Dr Sekou Nkrumah believed that the patience Sinare was talking about was to get something for himself because in his opinion, 'people are just supporting personalities and governments just to get something for themselves.'

He equally did not see the wisdom in appointing the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South constituency, Fritz Baffour, as Information Minister.

 'If he was that good, do you wait for the fourth year before you appoint him as Minister and by the time he goes through vetting and settles down, when is he going to start work?' Sekou asked. 

He said, 'It is high time Ghanaians voted and changed Mills and his incompetent government.'

By Charles Takyi-Boadu