Minister designate for Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has denied questioning the quality of persons appointed into Ministerial positions by the late President John Mills.<\/p>\n
He is said to have described the late President Mills\u2019 Ministers as \u2018team B\u2019 adding that qualified and experienced persons in the party had been neglected during the appointment process.<\/p>\n
Taking his turn at the Ministerial vetting committee of Parliament, the Trade Minister designate explained that his article which was published in the Daily Graphic in 2006 has been misinterpreted.<\/p>\n
He said a careful analysis of the article will reveal that \u201cEkwow Spio-Garbrah has not said or written that all members of any particular government are team A or team B.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, he wrote the article \u201cas a communications person will do\u201d so his article was based on public sentiments aimed at drawing the attention of the Mills government.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was reporting what had been debated on radio stations and drawing the attention of my party and the government to what people were saying,\u201d he clarified.<\/p>\n
He maintained that his article was not an opinion piece saying, \u201cI am not saying that I myself felt that way\u201d but \u201cby virtue of propaganda\u201d the content of the article was politically distorted to \u201ccreate the impression that this was my view.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah also denied writing the article because he was not appointed to serve in the Mills government.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026If it was because I was seeking an appointment, I think with all due respect\u2026at the time it was written, I was the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO).\u201d<\/p>\n
He also disclosed to the vetting committee that he issued an apology to the government after realizing his article has been misinterpreted.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the Mahama government has qualified individuals manning the various Ministries and organizations, the Minister designate answered in the affirmative.<\/p>\n
Dr. Spio-Garbrah is a former Minister of Communication, a one-time\u00a0Ambassador<\/a>\u00a0of Ghana to the\u00a0United States<\/a>\u00a0and Mexico<\/a>, Minister of Education, and Minister responsible for Mines and Energy.<\/p>\n He also served in the cabinet during the democratic regime of\u00a0Jerry John Rawlings<\/a>\u00a0between 1994 and 2000.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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