A Deputy Information Minister has taken a dig at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following their constant criticisms of President Mills' decision not to move into the palatial FlagStaff House stating categorically that the president remains unperturbed by the denunciations and will not be stampeded into using the place, adding that "this country will not be run according to the emotions of Mr. Asamoah Boateng."
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa pointed out that though President Mills occasionally makes use of the facility for some official duties, he will only operate fully from the place upon the advice of his security advisors and will not be coerced based on the emotions of the NPP.
He was reacting to concerns raised by Mr Asamoah Boateng regarding the Mills administration�s decision to officially stay away from the ultra modern state of the art Presidential Palace.
The former Cabinet Minister in the erstwhile Kufuor administration had earlier expressed sadness at the way the edifice was being left to rot by the Mills' administration in an interview with XYZ News.
The over $70 million edifice which has office and residential premises for the president has been the subject of hot debate after President John Mills� persistent refusal to relocate there.
The NPP in 2007 pulled down the old structure of the Flagstaff House and rebuilt it with a grant from the Indian government to serve as the new seat of government. The Kufuor government, however, used the facility for a few months before leaving office in 2008 due to delay in construction.
But President Atta Mills refused to use the facility when he took over power in 2008 citing security reasons, and preferred to steer the affairs of the nation from a colonial edifice, the Osu Christianburg Castle, which has often been criticised as unbefitting for a presidential palace in modern times.
In 2009, however, part of it was handed over to the Foreign Affairs Ministry temporarily after their offices were razed down by fire.
According to Asamoah Boateng, anytime he passes by the Jubilee House, his heart "bleeds" leading him to question why the edifice was still unoccupied.
"The whole edifice was to make sure that Ghana has a proper Presidential accommodation...We cannot continue to be staying in a slave castle and I don�t know why he [President Mills] is still staying there...You can�t run the country from a slave castle where they maltreated our forefathers and our ancestors, yet Mills wants to live there. It is sad but it tells us that the Mills-Mahama administration must not be trusted," he said.
But in a sharp riposte on the same network, the deputy Information Minister said President Mills will only move his main office there if it becomes safe for him to do so. To him, what matters at the end of the day is whether the president is producing results working from the Osu Castle.
�This country will not be run according to the emotions of Mr. Asamoah Boateng, whether he feels sad any time he passes infront of the Flagstaff House or whatever other emotion he will get. We will run this country based on how best we can utilise, the resources available to us and use these resources to improve the lives of the people....All the security experts have advised the president that it is safer to operate from the Castle and he is doing that. Occasionally he uses the Jubilee House for ceremonial events,� Mr Ablakwa said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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