Prez Mills: I�m Holidaying In New York

President John Evans Atta Mills has slammed his critics who are questioning his whereabouts and wondering what the big deal is if he takes his leave and where he decides to spend it.

Concerns have been raised across the length and breadth of the country as to his whereabouts. His December 2nd meeting with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon has also been doubted.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Gold, an Accra based radio station, from New York where he is presently holidaying, President Mills expressed surprise especially when he had informed Parliament as to his whereabouts as the constitution requires.

He clarified speculations about his December 2 meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the United Nations headquarters, saying, the meeting �was very useful� as he used that opportunity to assure the UN boss of Ghana�s desire and preparedness to defend her democratic credentials.

Asked by the programme host, Alhassan Suhuyini if he was still engaged in some work for the state while even on leave, President Mills replied;

�Well, whilst you are president, you are always president, you cannot tell people that you cannot talk to them because you are on leave and I intend to come back at the end of next week. I don�t think that what is so strange about this. Indeed there is a lot of work that I�m doing. I got up here at 2am and I have been in touch with my officials deciding on what to do and also with some foreign officials. So it�s nothing strange. I thought that yes, I deserve the rest, two weeks and there is nothing wrong with it.�

President Mills also confirmed reports that he met with the United Nations Secretary General and gave him the assurance that Ghana will not burn.

�Yes, I met him December 2nd, Friday and the appointment was 11am. I was there in the company of Chief of Staff who had also come for certain assignments and we had some very lengthy discussions. And I�m surprised that people are saying that it is really not true that I met with him, they can also check from the UN department. I�m not going to deceive anybody because this is true. The discussions were very, very useful. Naturally they worry about developments in Africa; ECOWAS especially and of course our own elections...He wanted to know what help they could offer us in this direction and I�m happy that one is talking about the elections because exactly a year from now we shall be going to the polls and I think that it is important that we start planning towards that. I have given the assurance that come December 7, next year, we will conduct free, fair and transparent elections and we are all committed to that. We each have a part to play and it�s important that we always remember that,� President Mills said.

"Your Excellency, on December 2nd at 11am, where was this meeting, Sir?" Suhuyini prodded again.

To which, he responded, "It was at the UN headquarters. I went in, I was guided up by the Chief of Protocol, I was accompanied by Ambassador Kanda and then the press and all that, they can always verify, they can call Mr. Ban Ki-Moon and then verify from him, why would I lie?"

President Mills revealed that he expects to return home at the end of next week when he would have exhausted his two-weeks leave he took to �rest.�



Editor's Note: The link below is evidence or proof of Prez Mills' meeting with the UN Secretary General on December 2nd. It is on the official website of the UN.

http://www.unmultimedia.org/photo/detail.jsp?id=497/497072&key=87&query=*&lang=en&sf=

Source: Beatrice Adepa Frempong/peacefmonline.com