News:
August 3, 2013
Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has described President John Mahama’s personal visit to the residence of Mrs Theodosia Okoh to render an apology for the move by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to rename the national hockey stadium in memory of late President Mills as a cheap populist act.
According to him, the PR gimmick by the president was just meant to paint a good name of himself in the eyes and minds of Ghanaians and also a diversionary action take attention the corrupt findings contained in the GYEEDA report.
While the President Mahama had apologized earlier, he, together with the AMA Boss, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije and the Minister for Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah went to the house of the 91 year old patriot to further express their deepest apologies to her.
The AMA, during the one year anniversary of the passing on of the late President Mills, renamed the facility to honour the late president whose tenure saw the old national hockey pitch being rebuilt into a modern stadium, a move which generated huge public outcry and warranted the President to overturn the AMA decision.
However speaking on e.tv Ghana’s Breakfast Show on Friday, Hon. Afenyo Markin stated that President Mahama would convince Ghanaians that he means well and want to ensure fairness when he addresses the issue of the name change of the 28th February road, Ohene Djan and the Jubilee House and further apologize to ex president Kufour and not limit himself to this hockey pitch matter.
He said the government should not look out for a space in the media to over hype this issue and project the image of the President, but rather concentrate on introducing pragmatic policies and programme to improve the worsening economic condition which is making life increasingly difficult for ordinary Ghanaians.
Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh