Prempeh saying Mahama travels too much is baseless – Minister

• Posted on October 29, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

A deputy Minister of Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye has rejected criticisms by the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Matthew Opoku Prempeh against President Mahama, describing his international travels as “fruitless.”

Matthew Opoku Prempeh said President Mahama’s foreign travels are just wasteful and don’t yield positive results for the country and the citizenry as a whole

“Certainly when you combine all his travels since 2009 as a Vice President, acting on behalf of his Presidency, President Mills to now,  we don’t seem to see the benefit that accrued to the nation and especially now that we sorely need a leader to unite us, to shapen our sense of purpose and focus, to address threatening issues in the sub region, we don’t hear from our President within this country and we see his advisers, his handlers demeaning his office…,”he added.

But in a rebuttal, Felix Ofosu Kwakye described the MP’s comments as unsubstantiated and untrue saying, “why does he find it necessary to come and criticize President Mahama’s trips when he is unable to provide substantial proof about what harm those trips do to the fortunes of the ordinary man.I think he should refrain from those comments because it is fruitless, it is recycled, it is nothing new.”

He insisted that several of the President’s trips will assist Ghana’s development.

“ …Who or how is the success of the President’s trip measured in terms of its success.In view of the fact that Ghana interacts with nations of the world for various purposes, it is necessary for the President to represent the country at various fora and at various gatherings and at meetings with international bodies whose assistance to Ghana goes a long way to assist our development.”

He recalled that similar criticisms made during the erstwhile Kufuor administration were strongly opposed by his [Matthew Opoku’s] colleagues.

By: Marian Efe Ansah