PRESIDENT MILLS HAS EYES BUT CANNOT SEE!

Partisan politics notwithstanding, those in leadership positions in our nation's government are expected to be circumspect in their public utterances such that the high esteem people hold them will not be eroded. Simple activities such as criticizing another party must at least be done with integrity and must be factual if the one criticizing hopes to avoid becoming a joke. In a speech during the celebration of Upper East@50 in Bolgatanga, President Mills questioned whether Ghanaians saw anything done during the eight years that former President Kufuor was in office. The fact is that most of the recent accomplishments in the last three decades that Ghana has to be proud of emanated from that eight-year Kufuor reign. We can only conclude that in addition to his ineptitude, President Mills is so out of touch with reality that although he has eyes, he certainly cannot see.

“We came to meet an (ecomini) that was not strong and had difficulties,” President Mills said. When the average economic growth in the West African sub region was roughly 3.7% and Ghana posted what has now been revised to 8.4% growth in 2008, Kufuor's last year in office, it takes one with eyes but cannot see to describe it as an (ecomini) that had difficulties. When under an administration of which Mills was vice president tries for 15 years in vain to discover oil in commercial quantities, and President Kufuor puts the necessary systems in place to discover oil in less than seven years, one has to be blind to conclude that nothing was done during the eight-year reign of President Kufuor.

If former president J A Kufuor did nothing in eight years, may be President Mills can tell us where these landmark initiatives came from?

School Feeding Program, which actually puts food in the children's belly rather than cups bearing the picture of an insecure president. Free Maternal care that significantly reduced the cost burden on expecting mothers and drastically improved Ghana's infant mortality rate National Health Insurance Scheme that replaced the Cash-n-carry health care system that Mills and Rawlings bequeathed Ghanaians. Capitation Grant that led to construction of many schools National Youth Employment Program that was responsible for notable reduction in unemployment HIPC that resulted in the instant halving of the debt that MIlls and former president Rawlings accumulated The massive network of road construction The so-called Kufuor buses Our first ever World Cup berth by the Black Stars The rise in rankings in the global index of business friendly nations An improvement in Corruption Perception Index Stabilization of the free-falling Cedi Better than halving of inflation, unemployment, and interest rates Oil discovery, after the wanton failure of NDC for 15 years Successful conflict resolutions in Liberia, Ivory Coast, and other parts of the continent Qualification and acquisition of the Millennium Challenge Fund, that brought into Ghana $547 million of free money Building of public toilets that the NDC foot soldiers are now holding onto as their main source of income.

The construction of Bui Dam
The Kotoka International Airport Face Lift that instilled pride in Ghanaians returning home from foreign trips And the list goes on and on.

Unless these envious accomplishments miraculously dropped from the sky, it is clear that the NPP government under the able leadership of President Kufuor was very productive, and our nation and fellow citizens are the proud beneficiaries of his dedication, vision, and hard work that President Mills and his cohorts, in overlooking, are shamelessly trying to re-write Ghana's history for cheap political expediency.

In contrast what single positive initiative can the Mills administration lay claim to? This NDC government has built its entire reputation on violence, intimidation, outright lies and deceit. For 22 months now, the only thing this Mills administration has been busy with is employing violence and intimidation on innocent Ghanaians and attempting to undo Ghana's achievements on peace and tranquility chalked under the NPP administration. Yet President Mills accuses others of creating panic and fear and goes on to intimate that he has “directed the law enforcement agencies to deal appropriately and decisively with those who have decided that peace is not what they want.”

Mr. President, how about beginning with the following mayhem and chaos caused by members of your own party many of whom still work for you in official capacity? The “Jihad” declaration by deputy minister of Eastern Region in the run up to the Akwatia by-election, the advice by Ashanti Regional Minister for NDC foot soldiers to “slap” anyone criticizing the government, the 35 political killings by NDC members including Alhaji Maikanka and the Agbobloshie Market slaughtering, the hiding of an accused murderer under a sitting NDC minister's bed, the NDC's National Women's Organizer driving her SUV through a crowd of NPP supporters, the vigilante shooting by an NDC MP during the Chereponi by-election, the unruly NDC foot soldiers who now have the capacity to take over public toilets and expel government employees from government offices, the list is endless. How laughable then is it for the one presiding over such chaos and anarchy to accuse others of causing fear and panic?

College professors are known for their principles and integrity. Then Professor John Evans Atta Mills walked into a vice presidential position after the predecessor was physically attacked by President Rawlings, a first in the entire world. He did not deplore the violence then, and as president, he has condoned it despite campaigning on what has turned out to be a false slogan of “Asomdwehene.” In one speech, President Mills indeed showed that he has eyes, but cannot see. He further showed his hypocrisy by preaching peace and tranquility while presiding over violence and anarchy.