Mahama Has Disrespected Visiting Lebanese President � Sekou

Dr Sekou Nkrumah, last son of Ghana�s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah has questioned why Foreign Affairs Minister Hannah Tetteh rather than President Mahama, met the visiting Lebanese President General Michel Sleiman at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Speaking on Radio XYZ, Dr Sekou Nkrumah said the President�s absence at the Airport to welcome his Lebanese counterpart smacks of disrespect for General Sleiman. �You have to give him that respect�the foreign minister is not the equal of the President�if the President of a country is coming in, he should be met by the President� the appropriate person is the President, unless the President is out of town�I think part of the problem with the NDC is that it looks like they don�t seem to know what to do in government�. Dr Sekou Nkrumah wondered: ��When a President of a country visits, is it not the President who receives him?� He said the absence of President Mahama at the Airport to meet General Sleiman does not make sense to him. �I find it very difficult�It doesn�t add up to me�, he blurted. �It means the NDC does not understand what governance is all about�It looks like people in leadership position do not know what their job is and it is reflecting on everything�, he insisted. However, a co-panelist, David Annan who represented the governing NDC on the same programme defended the President�s absence at the Airport. He said: �When President Mahama goes to the States, Obama doesn�t receive him�, adding that the fact that the Foreign Affairs Minister met the Lebanese leader instead of the President at the Airport does not mean he doesn�t respect him. �That is protocol�, he said, noting that the President does not always meet visiting Heads of state. General Sleiman who arrived in Accra at around 11am on Saturday March 16, 2013 is in the West African country for a two-day state visit with an 86-member entourage including his wife. He will hold bilateral talks with his Ghanaian counterpart. The two leaders are also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding and also address a joint news conference. As part of the Lebanese leader�s visit, a business Forum will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre. There will also be a Luncheon in Sleiman�s honour.