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difficult for you to get in; but I know that the position has been rectified. I think that there is the growing awareness of the need for us to make provision for the physically handicapped. We, as social democrats, believe that that is a group unto which we have to pay special attention. The State must make sure that their disability is compensated for by the provision of the necessary facilities. If we have not done so in the past I think that we need to apologise to them and then be forward-looking in the next government. Question from Bernard Avleh, Citi FM: Prof, having been in government for 8 years and having been vice President for 4 years, what do you consider to be mistakes NDC made, which you assure Ghanaians that you will not repeat? Prof. Mills: Life itself is a learning experience; you grow wiser everyday and you learn from your mistakes. I will say that one mistake I personally made, and I don’t know whether my colleagues did, was that I was not a good judge of human beings. And therefore, those who should have been brought closer we rather cast away and I think that this is something that we should look at. We learnt a number of lessons; I mean there were things that we could have done differently. But let me also tell you that when you are in government and you have to take certain decisions on the spur of the moment, you do not have the benefit of hindsight, and therefore you make mistakes. But let me say that having been in government and having been outside I am also very careful about the statements that we make. Yesterday, when I was going home I had the privilege of listening to Kokonsa and he played back some of the statements which some of our politicians had made in previous years. When I heard them, I told myself you have to be very careful, yes you have to be very careful about what you say. Think seriously before you open your mouth because you will find that things will catch up with you. So I think that this is a very useful lesson. And the other important thing is that we may belong to different political parties but we are not enemies. There are many of you who because of discrimination will not even want to be seen with me in broad day light. Some 24
of you come to me under cover of darkness because you have government contracts and you want to protect them. I am not a leper. Let’s recognise that joining political parties is a device for winning political elections. Once we have finished we should be politically colour blind. We should be able to dine together. We have a situation when the moment that NPP came to power, people we have spent money to train, people occupying positions with knowledge, were all asked to proceed on leave. Atta Mills will not do that. We will make use of the best human resources that we have in the country and you know political colourisation should not be a subject. That is something that I have learnt having been in government and having been in opposition. Matilda Asante, JOY FM: I just want to take you on the word that you just said. You said that you were not a good judge of human beings. You want to be President... Prof. Mills: I was not, at that time Matilda: So you are, now. Prof. Mills: Yes. Matilda: Because my question would have been if you still aren’t a good judge of persons, how do we trust you to make decisions on the best people to work on behalf of Ghana? Prof Mills: Oh now I am very good at it. Kwabena Oto, TUC: I think you are aware about low wages in the country and high inequalities in the wages structure. Additionally we have various government agencies and ministries determining their wages and sometimes the government 25
Page 1 and 2: Delivering On Your Promises: IEA Gh
Page 3 and 4: The Institute of Economic Affairs (
Page 5 and 6: PREFACE The Institute of Economic A
Page 7 and 8: 1. AN EVENING ENCOUNTER WITH PRESID
Page 9 and 10: consider this unacceptable. Even mo
Page 11 and 12: HIV/AIDS. Indeed, about a week ago
Page 13 and 14: ated with its production and distri
Page 15 and 16: ing glory to the efforts by the GNP
Page 17 and 18: QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION Matilda
Page 19 and 20: youth, who are the future. Here we
Page 21 and 22: Now you ask about the language we a
Page 23 and 24: teaching will no longer be taken in
Page 25 and 26: It tells you that where you have a
Page 27 and 28: Ernest Owusu Aboagye, Pharmaceutica
Page 29: their full dignity. We have a lot o
Page 33 and 34: Harry Williams: Prof. you spoke ext
Page 35 and 36: Akwasi Sarpong, JOY FM: Prof Mills,
Page 37 and 38: know that it is not the state’s d
Page 39 and 40: Indeed we have cases where there is
Page 41 and 42: what you are saying. That is what m
Page 43 and 44: teachers, the teacher is at the cen
Page 45 and 46: issue if we think that NHIS alone i
Page 47 and 48: get enough. We’ve already said th
Page 49 and 50: As a young lecturer I used to think
Page 51 and 52: • We look at the judiciary - is t
Page 53 and 54: Dr. Nduom that the time has come wh
Page 55 and 56: Prof. Mills: I have two. I would ha
Page 57 and 58: Question: According to the 2000 Pop
Page 59 and 60: Prof. Mills: I will say that afford
Page 61 and 62: Question: You have each touched on
Page 63 and 64: There is the perception that we are
Page 65 and 66: with you. You may have heard our di
Page 67: THE INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS I

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