[ 2012-06-23 ]

Mills has reduced presidency to mere jokes- Opoku Prempeh
A New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for
Manhyia has scoffed at a new government thresholds
for the payment of judgement debt.

Mathew Opoku Prempeh is convinced the announcement
is not only a façade meant to divert attention
from the Woyome scandal but also a
misunderstanding of the basic governance
structures and institutions.

The government this week announced that in the
likely event of a judgement debt, the Attorney
General can exercise his discretion to pay, if the
amount is below ¢10 million.

If it is higher than ¢10 million the president can
exercise his executive authority and pay but he
too must not exceed ¢50 million.

Judgement debts beyond ¢50 million must be
submitted to cabinet for approval and payment.

A deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto
Ablakwa, explained to Joy News the new judgement
debt threshold is by no means an action to
exercise wrongful authority or to disrespect the
courts who has the power to rule on judgement debt
payment.

But speaking on Joy FM and MultiTV news analysis
programme Newsfile, Saturday, MP for Manhyia,
Mathew Opoku Prempeh said the statement is only a
“charade” and “means absolutely nothing.”

Even more laughable, he said, is the manifest
attempt by the statement to place cabinet above
the authority of the president.

He argued cabinet, per the constitution, is
inferior and subservient to the authority of the
president but the new judgement debt threshold
rather makes the president inferior to the
cabinet.

Opoku Prempeh accused President John Mills as
building a huge credential and track record of
paying out monies from the public purse with
reckless abandon.

The Manhyia MP said as vice president and head of
the economic management team, John Mills caused to
be paid huge monies to an American, Mrs Cotton for
rice she never produced.

He said even when a US court ruled that no amount
be paid to Mrs Cotton, Prof John Mills went ahead
with the payment.

He stated the judgement debt paid to Alfred
Agbesie Woyome can only be“collusion to loot” the
public purse and the president cannot claim to be
innocent of it.

Referring to a magazine he claimed to have read,
Mathew Opoku Prempeh said Ghana under President
John Mills has been described as a “borderline
failed state,” in which an Attorney General on his
own, waives taxes from jobs done by Construction
Pioneers when it is clear that Parliament alone
has that power to waive taxes.


But a member of a government communications team,
Samuel George Nartey vehemently disagreed.

He said the arguments by Opoku Prempeh are
“intellectually dishonest” and meant to cloud the
real issues.

Nartey said the announcement is one more
demonstration of President Mills' commitment in
building strong institutions.

He said the threshold is only to streamline
payment of judgement debt and has no ambiguity.

He rubbished the argument that the new framework
usurps the executive power of the president.

According to him, the president does not run a one
man show but picks the mind of the cabinet in
certain issues.

Asking cabinet to approve judgement debt above ¢50
million does not mean it is more powerful than the
president.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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