Ashanti MPs demand apology from Pres Mills
Accra, Feb. 17, 2012 (Updated Feb. 21, 2012)
Members of parliament from the NPP opposition, who have a strong grip on seats in the Ashanti Region, are fuming at President Mills for associating the tribe with violence.
The President made remarks when he was delivering his fourth State of the Nation Address to Parliament yesterday, when he sought to dispel claims eminating from the region that he could engineer violence during the elections.
In his address, he had said that “Atta Mills has no intention of bringing violence to Ashanti, nor is he aware of anyone using his name to disturb the peace in Ashanti."
It was this explicit reference to the Ashanti tribe that has provoked an outcry from MPs from Ashanti constituencies.
However, the President added that it was his determination to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. He said, “We as a government will make sure that we provide the Electoral Commission, which has an enviable record, with what they need to be able to come out with credible election results.”
Nonetheless, his remarks did not augur well with the Ashanti MPs who have, thus, expressed disappointment in the President’s statement, which they described as "tribalistic".
"Disgraceful" comments
According to MP for Subin, Isaac Osei, the President was curiously silent on many of his own governement's flagship projects, opting instead to focus on these "disgraceful" comments regarding the Ashanti people.
“There were flagship projects of the NDC government, especially the STX which he didn’t mention it. The very beautiful manifesto promise of one-time payment of the NHIS they have not fulfilled it and now the President is not even talking about it. What was worse, I found [it] very disgraceful for the President to single out Ashanti,” he said.
“Why? Nobody has said that the President is planning violence in Ashanti. How can he talk about that at all. If he is saying that he wants violence-free elections, let him say so, but to target Ashanti suggests that there is a hidden agenda,” he further stressed.
Meanwhile, MP for Old Tafo, Anthony Osei Akoto, went further demanding an apology from the President.
“I think that the President has disappointed those of us in Ashanti region and we hope that somebody will bring to his attention that the Ashanti Kingdom is upset about that statement and that, with good intentions, he should go back and redeem his image.”
Colleagues of the President have since come out in defence of their leader, with NDC MPs from as far as Tamale defending his character as "peace-loving" and his speech as thorough and appropriate.
Aisha Ibrahim, e.tv Ghana news
Accra, May 21, 2012
Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings might be having second thoughts about the NDC logo she so badly needs after the revelations by lega... 
Accra, May 21, 2012
Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday cautioned that government would introduce stringent measures against the production ... 