<<Print>>

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has condemned the New Patriotic Party (NPP�s) use of a �Spare Tyre� imagery to describe the President Mahama and Vice President Amissah-Arthur pair. NPP National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, at a press conference held last Tuesday, described the Mahama/Amissah-Arthur led administration as an �uninspiring caretaker team� which has nothing new to offer Ghanaians. He described the pair as �spare tyres� which should be changed by Ghanaians in the upcoming general elections. But speaking as a panelist on Radio Gold�s current affairs programme, �Alhaji and Alhaji�, Kwesi Pratt said the NPP was obviously referring to a rickety car operating in total disregard of the laws governing transportation in the country. He, however, pointed out that �the spare tyre ought to be of a certain quality. You cannot have a spare tyre which will burst in the next five minutes. Usually the spare tyre is stronger than the tires under the wheel�. According to him, if they (NPP) regard the country as a brand new vehicle, they (NPP) will know that the spare tyre of even the latest vehicle is also new, adding that Ghana has a spare tyre which is brand new, strong and capable of taking its citizens to the final destination . �We are told that our current president is a spare tyre and that as for a spare tyre it is only to take you home when the original tyre has developed some problems and then when you get home which will be in December, you would have to change the tyre. This imagery says a lot about those who said it. First of all what kind of car are they talking about? They obviously must be talking about some �nkyenkyema� (rickety) car which is operating in total disregard of the laws governing transportation in our country�I think that Ghana is a beautiful country and I would not sacrifice Ghana for any other country. The people of Ghana are wise; so I would not in the wildest of imagination compare Ghana to a rickety truck or vehicle, which has a spare tyre that can only take you home. I would want to compare Ghana to one of the best cars in the world. Those who want to see Ghana as �nkyenkyema� (rickety) state, have a problem on their hands�� Kwesi said.