``We shall be back in 2012``
Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, May 27, 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The events that have characterized the almost six-months of President Mills and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration give the 2008 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo more than enough reason to believe that his party will be returned to power in the year 2012.
He has, therefore, asked the rank and file of the NPP to keep faith with the party since better days are yet to come.
Nana Addo was speaking to an emotionally charged and anxious crowd at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Hall in Osu, yesterday, where he took the opportunity make his personal assessment of the current and prevailing situation in the country. “Therefore I say, together with NPP members across the nation, no shaking! We shall be back!” he said.
He talked about how the NDC government has reneged on the numerous promises it made to Ghanaians during the 2008 electioneering campaign, and have rather focused their attention and energies on the seizure of cars, public places of convenience, harassment of political opponents, especially the members of the NPP among others.
He also touched on how the ruling government had virtually become helpless and insensitive to the plight of the masses, with their inability to control the depreciating value of the cedi against the United States Dollar and the other major world trading currencies, and the dramatic rise in the prices of goods and services, with the belief that this will inform the decision of Ghanaians in the next elections.
Instead of lightening the hardship that have been imposed on Ghanaians by an allegedly insensitive and uncaring NPP government, as then Candidate Mills promised Ghanaians during the election campaign, Nana Addo said “we have seen in this brief five-month period of NDC rule, even greater hardships being visited on our people.”
He wondered how the prices of Gari, which used to sell at GH ¢1 have risen to GH ¢1.60 per an ‘olonka’, while a tuber of yam which used to sell for GH ¢1.50 is now selling for GH ¢3.00, with products like maize now selling at ¢2.50 per an ‘olonka’, rice (50kg) GH ¢75.00, five fingers of plantain for GH ¢1.00, vegetable oil (1 litre) for GH ¢3.50 and tomatoes (four small fruits) for GH ¢1.00.
This, according to him, is the practical effect of the growing inflation and loss of confidence in Ghana’s economy.
In spite of all these, he said the NDC government had announced a whopping 14% increase in tuition fees for the country’s Universities for the next academic year, while loans have not been released though the semester have ended.
For the past five or so months, he noted that the leadership of the NPP has been strategizing to bring the party back to power, stressing “all of us in the leadership of our party are fully aware that unity in our ranks is vital to the prospects of the victory in 2012.”
According to Nana Addo, Ghanaians are very discerning and have braced themselves up to the tenets of democracy, and stressed that they will boot the NDC out of power in the next elections.
Even though the NPP has always welcomed competition for office as a bedrock principle of democracy, Nana Addo emphasized that well-meaning Ghanaians and the overwhelming majority of our rank and file hope that this time round, the competition will be conducted in a way that will facilitate reconciliation among competitors and their supporters, thereby reinforcing the unity of our party.”
Though he is confident of a return to power in 2012, Nana Addo openly admitted “we have much work to do.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
If the economy is broke, fix it
Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, May 27, 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu & Bismark Bebli
NANA ADDO Danquah Akufo-Addo, the 2008 Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has prevailed upon President John Evans Atta Mills to fix the economy and stop complaining that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has inherited only liabilities from the NPP. 
“The NDC claims almost on daily basis that this or that problem was left by the NPP administration. I say to President Mills today, if you say that the system is broke, fix it.”
According to him, every government inherits both assets and liabilities, and expressed grave concern that the NDC continues to create the impression that everything went wrong under the NPP.
Nana Addo Dankwah, who was making his first public statement after the crucial 2008 elections, where he lost narrowly to President Mills, said “In 2001, the departing NDC administration left a few assets and lots of liabilities. Amongst the liabilities were high inflation and interest rates, historic levels of debts and very low external reserves. Instead of complaining, our government went to work to build our country, with its bold decision to join the HIPC initiative, for which our nation has reaped much benefit.”
The 2008 presidential candidate, who received a rousing welcome when he arrived at the premises of Osu Ebenezer Presby Church, yesterday, to deliver his first speech, said it was true that every government leaves some unfinished business, saying “And our government too, did leave some unfinished business, just as the current NDC government will leave some unfinished business when it leaves office in 2012.”
Nana Akufo-Addo, who indicated that the NPP left economic growth as well as social intervention policies such as National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS), the National Youth Employment Program, the Capitation grant, the School Feeding program and a host of others, recounted how the NPP managed to break the culture of silence, which he observed every Ghanaians can today attest to.
According to him, it was unfortunate that the NDC government is misusing energies in seizing caes instead of focusing on relevant matters. “Our energies should be focused on harnessing our talents, so that we can improve the lives and liberties of Ghanaians and move our nation forward. The real challenges of our people are poverty, unemployment, crime and the burden of ignorance, squalor and disease.”
On the free-fall of the cedi, Akufo-Addo urged the government to act with dispatch to address the free-fall of the cedi by working with private businesses here, and with Ghanaians in the Diaspora, the Central bank and private banks, while making responsible utterances on the economy at home and abroad. According to him, the relative stability of the cedi has been very crucial in the creation of jobs, stimulation of commerce and the strong performance of the economy. “The restoration of a stable cedi will go a long way to restoring the confidence of the business community which is absolutely essential for getting the investment that will bring systematic growth and the rapid expansion of our economy. This is the surest way to prosperity for the broad masses of our people.”
On the drug menace, the NPP firebrand, who received intermittent applause from teeming supporters who gathered at the auditorium, noted that even though Ghanaians welcome the commitment of the NDC government for combating it, there was the need to walk the talk and urged that distinction should be made between the talk and the action.
“The NDC claims almost on daily basis that this or that problem was left by the NPP administration. I say to President Mills today, if you say that the system is broke, fix it.”
According to him, every government inherits both assets and liabilities, and expressed grave concern that the NDC continues to create the impression that everything went wrong under the NPP.
Nana Addo Dankwah, who was making his first public statement after the crucial 2008 elections, where he lost narrowly to President Mills, said “In 2001, the departing NDC administration left a few assets and lots of liabilities. Amongst the liabilities were high inflation and interest rates, historic levels of debts and very low external reserves. Instead of complaining, our government went to work to build our country, with its bold decision to join the HIPC initiative, for which our nation has reaped much benefit.”
The 2008 presidential candidate, who received a rousing welcome when he arrived at the premises of Osu Ebenezer Presby Church, yesterday, to deliver his first speech, said it was true that every government leaves some unfinished business, saying “And our government too, did leave some unfinished business, just as the current NDC government will leave some unfinished business when it leaves office in 2012.”
Nana Akufo-Addo, who indicated that the NPP left economic growth as well as social intervention policies such as National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS), the National Youth Employment Program, the Capitation grant, the School Feeding program and a host of others, recounted how the NPP managed to break the culture of silence, which he observed every Ghanaians can today attest to.
According to him, it was unfortunate that the NDC government is misusing energies in seizing caes instead of focusing on relevant matters. “Our energies should be focused on harnessing our talents, so that we can improve the lives and liberties of Ghanaians and move our nation forward. The real challenges of our people are poverty, unemployment, crime and the burden of ignorance, squalor and disease.”
On the free-fall of the cedi, Akufo-Addo urged the government to act with dispatch to address the free-fall of the cedi by working with private businesses here, and with Ghanaians in the Diaspora, the Central bank and private banks, while making responsible utterances on the economy at home and abroad. According to him, the relative stability of the cedi has been very crucial in the creation of jobs, stimulation of commerce and the strong performance of the economy. “The restoration of a stable cedi will go a long way to restoring the confidence of the business community which is absolutely essential for getting the investment that will bring systematic growth and the rapid expansion of our economy. This is the surest way to prosperity for the broad masses of our people.”
On the drug menace, the NPP firebrand, who received intermittent applause from teeming supporters who gathered at the auditorium, noted that even though Ghanaians welcome the commitment of the NDC government for combating it, there was the need to walk the talk and urged that distinction should be made between the talk and the action.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
NPP can’t escape retribution
NDC Chairman warns
Posted: The Chronicle Tuesay, May 26, 2009.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The ruling National Democratic Congress has hinted that it would not hesitate to hunt down the so-called ‘witches’ of the opposition New Patriotic Party, if they indeed exist.
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Daniel Anang who dropped the hint, said the previous government officials should be prepared to face the consequences of their actions and inactions which may have caused the nation to suffer loses in one way or the other.
According to him, there was no way that such persons in the former government would be allowed to go unpunished.
Mr. Anang, according to The Chronicle, was reacting to claims by the claims by members of the erstwhile NPP administration that they were being witch-hunted.
He said “we are only asking them to account for their stewardship and nothing more”. He noted that the NPP is only trying to court public sympathy, in order to prevent the NDC government from prosecuting them.
He wondered why members of the NPP should be afraid of accounting for their stewardship to the good people of Ghana if they know that they have done nothing wrong against the state. He condemned the attempts being made by the NPP to create a false impression on the minds of Ghanaians that they were being politically persecuted or witch-hunted.
Borrowing copiously from the Managing Editor of ‘The Insight’ newspaper, Mr. Kwesi Pratt, Mr. Anang said “if there are witches in the system, we will bunt them down. They did worse things. they should not talk about witch-hunting at all. you and I were in this country in 2001 when they chased people out of even church rooms, they were ready to arrest Tsaasu Tsikata in a church”, he said.
He recalled how public servants were asked to ‘proceed on leave’ without due recourse to the law, citing the cases of Kofi Portuphy and Hodari Obi, who suffered similar fates.
“Are they (NPP) now afraid of their own shadows?”, he asked.
According to him, the NPP should rather count themselves blessed that Ghana has a leader like President John Evans Atta Mills, who is always preaching peace and discouraging political vendetta.But for the President, he noted that the NDC could have also done worse things like the NPP did to their political opponents during their 8-years stay in power.
He however cautioned against taking the President’s generosity to be a weakness since according to him no matter what happens, those who dipped their bands into state coffers for their personal benefit will be made to account for their deeds.
“From the handing over notes, areas where we think somebody must answer a question, of course we will make them answer, as simple as that. I don’t want anybody to read any other meaning into that” he said, asking rhetorically “is that witch-hunting”?
He said the former Chief of Staff is making noise all around on the air waves and print media just to court public sympathy. But he issued a stern warning that “the NDC will ensure that the law takes its course, without fear or favour”.
Posted: The Chronicle Tuesay, May 26, 2009.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The ruling National Democratic Congress has hinted that it would not hesitate to hunt down the so-called ‘witches’ of the opposition New Patriotic Party, if they indeed exist.
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Daniel Anang who dropped the hint, said the previous government officials should be prepared to face the consequences of their actions and inactions which may have caused the nation to suffer loses in one way or the other.
According to him, there was no way that such persons in the former government would be allowed to go unpunished.
Mr. Anang, according to The Chronicle, was reacting to claims by the claims by members of the erstwhile NPP administration that they were being witch-hunted.
He said “we are only asking them to account for their stewardship and nothing more”. He noted that the NPP is only trying to court public sympathy, in order to prevent the NDC government from prosecuting them.
He wondered why members of the NPP should be afraid of accounting for their stewardship to the good people of Ghana if they know that they have done nothing wrong against the state. He condemned the attempts being made by the NPP to create a false impression on the minds of Ghanaians that they were being politically persecuted or witch-hunted.
Borrowing copiously from the Managing Editor of ‘The Insight’ newspaper, Mr. Kwesi Pratt, Mr. Anang said “if there are witches in the system, we will bunt them down. They did worse things. they should not talk about witch-hunting at all. you and I were in this country in 2001 when they chased people out of even church rooms, they were ready to arrest Tsaasu Tsikata in a church”, he said.
He recalled how public servants were asked to ‘proceed on leave’ without due recourse to the law, citing the cases of Kofi Portuphy and Hodari Obi, who suffered similar fates.
“Are they (NPP) now afraid of their own shadows?”, he asked.
According to him, the NPP should rather count themselves blessed that Ghana has a leader like President John Evans Atta Mills, who is always preaching peace and discouraging political vendetta.But for the President, he noted that the NDC could have also done worse things like the NPP did to their political opponents during their 8-years stay in power.
He however cautioned against taking the President’s generosity to be a weakness since according to him no matter what happens, those who dipped their bands into state coffers for their personal benefit will be made to account for their deeds.
“From the handing over notes, areas where we think somebody must answer a question, of course we will make them answer, as simple as that. I don’t want anybody to read any other meaning into that” he said, asking rhetorically “is that witch-hunting”?
He said the former Chief of Staff is making noise all around on the air waves and print media just to court public sympathy. But he issued a stern warning that “the NDC will ensure that the law takes its course, without fear or favour”.
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