There is nothing special about Mills visit to US, Canada

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper Kwesi Pratt Jnr has pointed out that over the past few years, there has not been a president of Ghana who has not visited the United States (US) more than three, four, five times and therefore he does not see anything special about President Mills visit to the US.

There have been so many reports in the media questioning the authenticity of President Mills vacation in the US and his interaction with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Mills cleared the cloud of doubt when he was interviewed from US by Radio Gold.

He asked the Radio Gold presenter why he would lie about his visit. “I was there in the company of the Chief of Staff who has also come for certain assignment and we had some very lengthy discussion. They can always check with the UN department.”

Mr Pratt said on Radio Gold’s Alhaji and Alhaji show that he made his earlier statement – I don’t see anything special about Mills visit- because Ghana is not an Island and therefore needs to engage with the rest of the world “especially the rest of the world who appear to have some interest-negative or positive- in our country.”

He noted that it is important that we as a country engage with the media and people of the US in order to ensure that their propaganda efforts aimed at disabling Ghana and preventing us from controlling our natural resources are dealt with adequately.

Mr Pratt maintained that before the President went on his leave , every aspect of his trip and how he was going to spend his vacation was publicized.

“It is important however to make the point that the President’s visit was publicized way back, long before he left. We knew exactly when he was leaving, we knew that he was going to visit Canada , we knew how long he was going to spend in the US and indeed also we know he is returning to Ghana on the 14th or 15th of December. So there is nothing about the President’s visit which has been kept a secret. Everything about his visit has been in the public domain.”

He said he was so down hearted by the attempt to propagandize the President’s visit and feels worse by the peddling of rumors by General Secretary of the largest opposition party the NPP, which is seeking to capture power come 2012.

Sir John, the General Secretary of the NPP leveled strong allegations against the President; saying President Mills did not meet with the Secretary-General of the UN. This conclusion was made because the UN website apparently did not put up any information that the President has been met immediately.

Mr Pratt questioned that “what is there about the UN Secretary-General the whole President will fake a meeting with him. Does he have all the solutions to the problems that confront us?

He told the show host that he feels so scandalized by the whole development and feels more scandalized by the suggestions that the President is having Kidney failure and as a result, he has been moved to Cuba for medical treatment.