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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Bungling officialdom

``CARS WEREN`T IN MY DEEP FREEZER``
... Asmah, Asamoah, Aggrey, Jumah snort at Mills` boy`s threat
Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, April 29, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday trotted out their 28year old Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzato to rub it in, but returned to base with a lot of eggs in his face, hours after the Deputy Minister issued a directive asking members of the Kufuor administration who had already paid for their cars to bring them to be revalued. The arrogance with which he spoke on the subject matter at a press conference yesterday, describing some of the former Ministers as gangsters and criminals, was what angered some of them to come out with threatening statements. Speaking on Joy FM yesterday, Former Minister of Fisheries, Mrs. Gladys Asmah could not comprehend why the NDC government was so much enthused with issues concerning vehicles, especially when there are serious matters confronting the nation. Speaking on Joy FM, she said some government officials came to her house, and accused her of having five cars belonging to the state, which they had come to pick. She described them funny, since according to her, she had documents covering all her personal cars. Mrs. Asmah wondered where the security operatives got their information from, saying “I asked, where are the cars? have I parked them in my deep freezers”, she questioned cheekily tressing that she does not have any government or state vehicle in her possession. The former Minister said the only cars she had in her possession were two, one from Parliament and another she bought on credit. She thus indicated her preparedness to see her lawyers to institute legal action against the government. Special Aide to former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Mr.Yaw Buabeng Asamoah on his part dared anybody to attempt to take his car away from him. He threatened to shoot anybody who comes to seize the car he currently drives, which he said was for his father, saying “if somebody shows up and says it belongs to the state, I’ll shoot him.” “I have returned my car, the receipt is dated the 13th of January, 2009, I have a receipt for it, I sent a covering letter to the Chief Director at the Castle, saying the car has been returned and my driver sent and parked it there”, he said. He further noted that he has no state vehicle in his possession, neither does he reside in a state property. Though he was offered the opportunity to buy the car, he refused, knowing very well what could happen in the future. Whilst he admitted that governance cannot be conducted on propaganda lines, he noted that what the Deputy Minister said about him was a blatant lie, which is a continuation of what he described as the propaganda that has characterized the activities of the Mills administration for sometime now. The no-nonsense Member of Parliament for Asokwa and former Deputy Minister of Local Government, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, also told Joy FM that he was offered the opportunity to buy the vehicle in his possession and he appropriately paid for. “If they want to come and use the coercive powers of state to take over the car, I don’t have an army and I don’t have a police, but I have a court”, he said, threatening “I will take the Professor of law to court and teach him basic contract law, as simple as that.” He continued “if you are civilized and you have entered into a proper contract with a state Institution, you go to court.” Former Communications Minister, Aggrey Ntim expressed extreme surprise at the turn of events, but indicated his preparedness to return the car, if they so demand. He has accordingly written to the government and will soon take the car back to reclaim his money.

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