President John Evans Atta Mills is said to have gone on the offensive last Friday, as he unleashed a bombshell at a party meeting in Peduase Lodge near Aburi, telling NDC National Executive that he is not their 'welfare officer', to warrant visiting the Kokomlemle headquarters of the party. This was when leading members of the party tried to find out from the President what had prevented him from visiting the party head office two years after taking over power. Yaw Boateng Gyan, National Organizer of the NDC, reportedly posed the question to President Mills at the meeting, with the national executive members anxiously expecting a favourable response from the President. But the NDC top brass got the shock of their lives when the President reportedly told them in the face that he was not their 'welfare officer' so they should not bother him with visiting the party office. The offensive response from the President was said to have shocked the NDC party executives, as they were seen staring at each other, wearing long faces; but none of them uttered a word in response. The occasion was when the President called a meeting at the Peduase Lodge last Friday, March 18, which was attended by Regional Ministers, NDC Regional Chairmen and selected national officers. The agenda for the meeting was to discuss how the party would raise funds for the upcoming National Congress to elect the flag-bearer and other pressing party issues, a top Castle official told DAILY GUIDE on anonymity. Ironically, NDC men like Koku Anyidoho and Yaw Boateng Gyan had reportedly denied on several radio networks in Accra that there was any such meeting at Peduase Lodge on Friday. But Daily Guide has intercepted the copy of the letter sent from the office of the President, dated 11th March, 2011, inviting Dr. Kwabena Adjei, who was said to be out of the country on a private business trip, could not attend the important meeting. Also missing in action was NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who was part of the Vice President's delegation to Cuba. Saeed Sinare, NDC Vice Chairman, was among the National Executive at the meeting. Also missing at the Presidential Lodge meeting was Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, a Vice Chairperson. She was reportedly not invited to the meeting although she was in town. It was not immediately known whether President Mills used the occasion to discuss his ambition of running for the presidency in 2012, hence the decision not to invite Nana Konadu. Another top National Executive, Kofi Adams, who is noted for supporting the Rawlingses, was also not invited to the important party meeting. Among those present was Ato Ahwoi, board chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC). Mr. Ahwoi allegedly said at the meeting that the party was targeting funds from the recently discovered oil and gas as well as the transportation sector to raise money for the up-coming congress. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana