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In This Issue...Links to the News:
March 11, 2016
Journalists urged not to be economical
with the truth
Sunyani, Nov. 17, GNA - Former Vice-President and National
Democratic Congress flag bearer for the 2004 general
election, Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills, on Friday urged
journalists not to be "economical with the truth, which is
one of the strong pillars on which the nation stands".
He noted that truth had become "an essential commodity" in
the country as people lacked respect for the truth, a
necessary tool for the progress of any society.
The former Vice-President was interacting with a section of
the media in Sunyani to react to recent newspaper
publications about the state of his health and uncertainty
surrounding his bid to contest the presidential slot.
His visit was also to convince and solicit votes from
delegates in the Region ahead of the party's national
congress scheduled for next month.
Responding to a question about why he had to travel to China
and then later to South Africa to seek medical attention, he
said he went to China but could not receive any treatment
because of the language barrier.
Prof. Mills said his nephew in South Africa later invited
him for holidays and it was there that he had treatment.
Frail-looking and relatively worn-out Prof. Mills expressed
regret that publishers were cashing in on his health
condition, adding, "It is just human to fall sick like
everybody else ".
"Everybody falls ill. I am not a superman. Can't Atta Mills
fall sick? I was surprised to read that I had gadgets fixed
on my ears because I couldn't hear properly. Nobody wants to
carry excess weight but I am much, much healthier today than
I was some ten years ago", he said.
Touching on his programme of action for the country if he
should win the presidential race, he said his government
would target education and agriculture sectors as major
development priorities for the accelerated development of
the nation.
Prof Mills promised to give Ghanaians hope and security as a
decent and caring government.
He said the NDC had observed with grave concern that the
current government was destroying the very foundation laid
to propel the country into socio-economic prosperity.
"The country is currently plagued with corruption,
ethnicity, energy crisis, falling standards of education and
unemployment", the former Vice President said.
Professor Mills said he expected
President Kufuor to have acted in a more statesmanlike
manner by calling for a news conference to table down
evidence of former President Rawlings's purported plans to
stage a coup and not to expect to score cheap political
points with such utterances.
He frowned on the government's agreement with the US on the
Millennium Challenge Account, saying it would not allow the
country to compete favorably in trade with the USA.
The NDC presidential aspirant criticised the government for
allocating 20 billion cedis towards next year's Independence
Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebration, saying instead the
money could be suitably used to provide accommodation for
tertiary institutions.
The former Vice President questioned government's intention
to relocate the Osagyefo Barge from Efaso in the Western
Region to Tema, saying the decision would rather increase
the unemployment situation in the country.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament for Bawku Central
said the NDC was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt about
Prof. Mills' chances of annexing power in 2008.
"We looked at the issues involved in the 2000 elections,
whether or not there should be continuity of the NDC, it was
not about personality but about whether the legacies
bequeathed to the NDC must continue and NDC's defeat must
not be attributed to the personality of Prof. Mills".
"He is well marketed, well known and has the requisite
experience to run a state. He has a strategic advantage over
the others", he said of Prof. Mills.
Mr Ayariga blamed the government for committing the media to
pursue vile propaganda and personal vendetta against some
high-ranking members of the NDC as part of a plot to damage
the reputation of the party as a credible democratic group.
Prof. Mills would complete the final lap of his campaign in
the Upper East and Upper West Regions and the Northern
Region.
He has already toured the Volta, Greater Accra, Western,
Central, Eastern and the Ashanti regions.
Mr Owusu Acheampong, former Minister and Majority Leader in
Parliament, Ms Cecilia Johnson,
former Minister of Local Government, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, a
Journalist and Communication Director of the Atta Mills'
Campaign Team and some regional executives of the party
accompanied the former Vice President.
GNA
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