President John Evans Atta Mills has strongly risen to the defense one of his harshest critics since he assumed the reigns of government. In a press interaction with news editors of media houses in the Accra on Thursday, President Mills said he welcomes criticisms from former President Rawlings who has in recent times pelted him with scathing criticisms. “President Rawlings is not a pain in the neck,” President Mills declared as he alluded to the 19-year-long presidency of the former president and the wealth of experience the former president has secured over the years. “He toiled very hard to bring peace and stability to our nation. There is no head of state who has more experience than President Rawlings so he has every right to criticise and to make suggestions. And I welcome them and I will continue to welcome them,” he added, drawing muted applause from a few members of his audience. “I worked with him and I know what he is capable of,” he said, stressing: “I belong to his party so it is not a problem at all; he will never be a pain in my neck.” Former President Rawlings has on various platforms raised doubts about the competence of some members of the Mills-led administration. He has questioned the pace at which the President is governing the country, suggesting things were moving painfully slowly causing unnecessary disaffection for the NDC party. Several voices in government have played down the impact of the former president’s attacks but President Mills’ latest comment is perhaps the biggest reaction yet. President Mills also rated high his performance of the last one year even with a “Team B” set of officials, saying: “I’m the captain and…the coach of the Team B.” “I sympathise with the other parties…if NDC Team B can perform this well in one year, they [opposition parties] should wait for Team A. When the Team A comes, we’ll see what is going to happen,” he said triggering laughter from the pressmen. On what perhaps is the single biggest policy of the NDC since the party assumed power a year ago, President Mills said the government has initiated programmes from “different angles” to ensure that “Ghanaians would feel the economy is moving forward in a different direction.” The President would also not equate to corruption the allegations of financial malfeasance against former Sports Minister Muntaka Mubarak which resulted in the minister’s resignation. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana