Snippets of information available to The New Independent newspaper say, as President John Dramani Mahama was busy looking for investment in Dubai to help lift the face of the entire country, some persons within his government, notably, Ministers of State, and some within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), were also busily plotting to paint him black.
Sources say, whiles the President�s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was seen by some persons in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a pleasure trip, the opposite was the case as President Mahama used his time to seek support for the development of the country.
According to the Gulf newspaper, while in the UAE, President Mahama met with the Prime Minister and the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, where issues of bilateral relationship were discussed.
The visit has produced an effective result as President Mahama has secured a $2 billion investment to support infrastructure development in the Accra metropolis.
Angry sources from the presidency, who spoke to The 'New Independent', wondered why some persons within the government as Ministers of State and NDC bigwigs would discredit the President�s visit labeling it as a luxury for himself, and expressed surprise that, such Ministers of State and government functionaries are still at post.
They said, �there is no justification for the continued stay in office of people who are part of a government but whose machinations are to whip up negative sentiments against same government of which they are part.�
�Those involved must be fired, because their move is grounded on panic and fear of the recent signals sent out by the President that, he would flush out of his government, corrupt and lazy Ministers and appointees,� they fumed.
To the angry sources from the presidency, �it is not surprising that, former President Jerry John Rawlings recently made a call on President Mahama to sack some of his Ministers, urging that, the President should reshape his government to produce results in line with the hard work he promised Ghanaians.�
�We agree with the former President on this call that, such negative-minded Ministers do not deserve to be at post, they are self-centred, which is detrimental to the development of the entire country.
It will be recalled that, New Patriotic Party General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (aka Sir John) also recently expressed dismay at the decision by President John Mahama to holiday in the United Arab Emirates, when according to him, there is fire-on-the-mounting in his beloved Ghana.
�Not when the people are suffering, prices of utilities are going up and traders sit with their wares, because no one is buying, does a President pack bag and baggage to a land where there is milk and honey and abandon his people to their fate.�
Prior to Sir John�s statement, the presidency had on December 23, 2013 said, President Mahama was taking a short annual leave and that, he and his family were travelling to the United Arab Emirates of the Christmas holiday.
But Sir John said, �As a President, he ought to be here with his people, especially in these trying moments in our life�s journey, in our political journey.�
�The President should be here with us and to rejoice with us and mourn with us even in these difficult times. But what do we see - the man packs bag and baggage, with his family, goes to Dubai where things are, you know, there is honey and oil, milk flowing, to enjoy his Christmas festivities while the prices of petrol, utilities have all increased� When market women are crying that, their wares are not being bought, there�s no money in the system, the dollar to the cedi rate is so, so high� prices have rocketed, indeed when teachers� some have not received their salaries, doctors are crying, nurses are crying, workers of all walks of life are crying, then you have a President as insensitive as he is, who leaves us, goes out there to enjoy himself while the rest of us suffer. That is my worry.�
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