Ayariga To Constituency Chairmen: "Prez Mills Has Not Ignored NDC"

The Presidential Spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, has denied allegations that President Mills is ignoring his party, the NDC. He argues that President Mills�s government is one that has the highest number of appointments made directly from the NDC party. The Presidential spokesperson said NDC 1 (1992 to 2000) never witnessed such a massive scale of party officials directly taking up government appointments. Mr. Ayariga who made the remarks at the seat of government, the Osu Castle, today, supported his case with many names of NDC functionaries who were appointed to serve on various Government boards and ministerial positions, amongst others. The press conference was to react to a number of issues that have come up, the principal of which was an allegation that President Mills was ignoring the NDC and not making appointments from the Party. These include the national Chairman of the Party, who is the Chairman of the Board of GETFund and also sits in Cabinet meetings; the Vice Chairman Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, who is the Chairman of the Bulk Oil Storage Transport Limited. The General Secretary of the Party, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah openly declared his desire to remain at the Party office and not to occupy a ministerial position, but attends Cabinet meetings. The National Women's Organiser, Ms Ama Benyiwa Doe is now the Central Regional Minister; the two Deputy General Secretaries - Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah and Alhaji Baba Jamal are now Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Deputy Minister of Eastern Region respectively, while the National Youth Organiser Mr Ofosu Ampofo now is the Eastern Regional Minister. Others are Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the then National Youth Organiser, is now the Minister of Communications; the Propaganda Secretary Mr Fiifi Kwetey, is now a Deputy Minister of Finance and Mrs Margaret Clarke-Kwesie, the National Treasurer has moved to become Ghana's Ambassador to Korea. Explaining further, Mr Ayariga said some Regional Chairmen of the Party were offered ambassadorial appointments. Those who accepted the appointments included the Volta Regional Chairman, Mr Modestus Ahiable and the Ashanti Regional Chairman Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum. "It is important to observe that none of the core members of the campaign team of Professor Mills in the 2008 campaign - Nii Lamptey Vanderpuije, Mr Koku Anyidoho or Mr Mahama Ayariga - took up ministerial appointments. On the cadre front, Mr Ayariga said President Mills appointed Mr Sam Garbah as Administrator of the GETFUND and Mr Kofi Portuphy took back his position as National Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation. Mr. Ayariga said �all regional ministers were appointed in consultation with regional chairmen of the party and in some cases they were nominated by the chairmen.� He pointed out that even all major chief executives of the metropolitan areas, municipalities and districts were nominated by the party structures. According to him, President Mills has directed all party members who have been given appointments at all levels to make space to enable party members with genuine grievances and legitimate demands to have access to them to enable them to receive attention.