January 9, 2012

The Minority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed his total amazement at accusations that he has severally hurled insults at President Mills.

He said he respects President Mills as the Leader of the country and will not do or say anything to slight him or bring his office into disrepute.

President Mills on Monday, in responding to questions thrown at him from senior journalists and editors at the Castle, lamented the wave of attacks on his person by his political opponents.

The editor of the Informer newspaper asked; “Mr. President, ever since you became the president of this country, the opposition, led by the minority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu on daily basis, have been heaping insults on you. I want to know if you hear those insults and how do you feel?”

President Mills then replied: “I heard him. I forgive him for he is an honourable man. Indeed as a minority leader, he is even higher than an honourable man. He is Right Honourable minus one. Perhaps this is his style.”

He said he as the President will not go to parliament and use offensive language on anybody, and that all political activists must ensure that they use temperate and decorous when pass judgment on his government.

However speaking on Peace FM’s Platform programme on Monday evening, the minority leader was at a loss to understand which of his several criticisms of the President and his administration constitutes an insult to the President, adding that he does not delight in insulting let alone using abusive words on elders such as President Mills.

He stated that the NPP being an opposition party has performed its duty of giving constructive criticism of the actions and inactions of the government which all Ghanaians bear testimony and the President must not misconstrue their actions.

Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, urged President Mills to look forward to more positive criticisms from  himself and the NPP from now, as the political campaigns heightens in the run up to the December elections.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh