Mahama Is Careless -Mpiani Chides Prez Over �Terkper Dismissal� Confession

Kwadwo Mpiani, former Chief of Staff in the erstwhile Kufuor-led NPP government, has taken issue with President John Dramani Mahama over his public confession that he is under pressure from people within his government to sack the Minister for Finance, Seth Terkper, describing the comment as constituting as act of indiscretion. At a meeting with the newly appointed head of Barclays Bank, the president disclosed to the whole world that he had been under pressure from his party people to sack the minister �because he is hurting the politics.� "I mean several times they�ve interceded with me to sack Seth because he�s hurting the politics. He doesn�t understand the politics. If there�s no money he should go and borrow, as if it were that easy,� Mr Mahama said. Speaking on Joy FM yesterday, Mr Mpiani said it was very interesting for the president to come out with such a statement. "Presidents have pressures from all manner of people but at the end of it all, it is you the president who appointed somebody to a position. If the person is helping you to achieve your vision and pressure is coming from people to remove the person you may have to explain it to the people why the person is there and what the person is doing," the former Chief of Staff explained. According to Mr Mpiani, that kind of petty party politicking of putting pressure on the appointing authority to sack appointees as well as the president�s open public announcement of the situation could dampen the morale of some appointees to give off their best. But, the Finance Minister yesterday said he was unfazed with the pressure mounting on him. He described as "sobering" President Mahama�s continued support for him in the discharge of this work, assuring that he would not to disappoint the president, the party and the country.