Former Ghana’s envoy to Angola Moses Bukari Mabengba has vowed never to use the VIP lounge at the country’s airports as long as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government remains in power.
A livid former Northern Regional Minister told mynewsgh.com that he has served this country without blemish in various capacities as a District Chief Executive, Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister, Minister and an Ambassador spanning 21 years and if such courtesies cannot be extended to him, he wondered where the country is heading in its quest for true democracy.
“I will never use the VIP lounge whether they change the directive or not. I do not think this is the way we must treat out past leaders who have served this country in various portfolios. I have been DCE for 8 years, an MP, Deputy Minister, Minister and an Ambassador and just using a VIP lounge cannot to be extended to me”, he asked.
He wondered why he would be subjected to such an embarrassing spectacle reiterating his stance not to use the facility whether the procedure is changed or otherwise.
It would be recalled that HE Moses Bukari Mabengba was walked out of the VIP lounge at the Tamale airport with the explanation that he was not among the category of persons allowed to use the facility.
Commenting on the matter he said’ “Since January we’ve been using this place until this morning I got to the place and a young man came to inform me that please you are no more allowed to come and use the VIP lounge, and I asked why and he said orders from above”
“Fortunately for me, I was sitting in the lounge with one of the NPP MPs and also a Minister, Hawa Koomson, and I told her ‘look at what your people are doing – they are asking me a former ambassador, minister, an MP not to use the lounge’.
“Meanwhile, I know that while we’re in government this place was free and even cited several examples…I remember when we lost [and] the vice president visited, I received them at the airport, all of them including non-appointees of government, we were all allowed to pass through the VIP and today they did that to me,”
“I told them, fortunately for me there was so many NPP people in the lounge with the minister that I will make case out of it not because I want redress but just
wanted to be on record that after we left off, we were prevented from using some facilities so that if in future my party comes to government and the same measures are put in place, no sanctimonious pastor or civil society organizations or whatever should come and tell us that what we are doing are not correct”, he warned.
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