The Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah, has observed that John Evans Atta Mills did not do a proper swearing-in as President of the Fourth Republic at the Independent Square, Accra, Wednesday because he could not recite the oath that was administered by her Ladyship the Chief Justice Theodora Georgina Wood correctly.
He said while her Ladyship was reading one thing, the President-elect was also reciting something else.
"The man did not swear-in; he kept fumbling and messed all the words up in such an embarrassing way. Personally as a legislator, I bowed my head in shame and I think he must be made to swear-in again”.
According to him, “it is important for the President to do so before Parliament to atone for his shameful performance during the inauguration, because he has clearly violated the Constitution”.
Asiamah wondered, “It looked as if he could not hear what was being said; be that as it may, he also had a copy of the oath before him so why didn't he read it out to the people?”
Earlier, NPP National Organiser had also expressed similar misgivings about President Mills" inability to fulfill the crucial Constitutional provision of swearing an oath to the nation, and questioned the legality of the former law lecturer’s claim to the highest seat in the land.
A number of people including the Convention People’s Party’s presidential candidate for the December polls, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, have also expressed concern over Mills’ inability to recite the oath and the general organisation of the inauguration ceremony.
Prof Mills’s day in the sun nearly became a disaster the moment. Ascending the podium to take the oath of office the new president tripped, and but for the alertness of his security detail would have fallen flat on his face.
Worse was yet to come, with the new President struggling to repeat the oaths administered by the Chief Justice.
In another departure from the norm, the national anthem could not be played at the swearing in of a new president, while the Ghana Armed Forces could not do their usual parade marching, due to the unruly crowd of NDC supporters at the Independence Square, venue for the ceremony.
Surprisingly, ushers clearly abandoned their duties, thereby leaving some of the dignitaries who arrived for the ceremony no other option but to find their own seats, while the crowd was very rowdy, thus making it impossible for security personnel to control it.
Thousands of people gathered at the Independence Square to watch the new President, John Evans Atta Mills, and his Vice, John Dramani Mahama, sworn into office.
Though it was supposed to be a national programme, NDC party colours were the dominant ones that could be seen flying with the beautiful national colours of red, gold green, and black conspicuously missing - a situation which apparently undermined the national cohesion that President Mills was preaching about.
A particular instance is the fact that the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, who should have demonstrated the national spirit, attended the ceremony dressed from head to toe in party paraphernalia.
