General News of Friday, 2 June 2006

Source: Palaver

Kufuor to attend son?s graduation?

Accra, June 1 (Palaver) -- PRESIDENT J. A. Kufuor has flown out of the country, principally, to attend the graduation ceremony of his son at Harvard University, United States, in the midst of a host of strike actions, including those of Junior doctors country-wide.

The President, who had the ceremony, upper-most in his mind, has however, labelled it as a private visit and craftily romped in other ?assignments? in Europe, which could have been taken up by either our Ambassadors or Ministry officials.

According his Press Secretary Mr. Andrews Awuni, Mr. Kufuor departed Accra for London last Wednesday ostensibly to deliver the keynote address at the International Cocoa Conference.

Mr. Awuni, said from there the President would travel to the United States (US) on a private visit.

The President, he said, would later go to Germany to support the national soccer team, the Black Stars at the World Cup Tournament.

A visit to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and other leading regional Government hospitals during the week reveals such horrid experiences of the un-attended dying, that could naturally touch the hearts of all those, who are in a position to help find a solution to the doctor?s strike action.

Again, the plight of final year students of Polytechnic Institutions, throughout the country, now labouring to put their ?acts? together, to face the impending examinations, like orphans, forced to play the double-role of parents and wards, can hardly be ignored by a leader who has the nation at heart.

The great Rome fell, because a Nero chose to fiddle, while the city was burning.

As President Kufuor boarded his plane, there were still threats of strike actions by other medical personnel, including those, who handle our sanitary problems.

It is now on record that, Ghana has seen more strike actions under the six-year Kufuor reign than what happened within the past 30 years, put together, before he took office.

Observers now wonder whether strike actions should now become the order of the day, since without it, no workers? grievances could be heard.

Indeed, it is under the Kufuor Administration that all manner of workers, from mortuary attendants, to teachers, to bankers, and perhaps soon to pastors, are taking place on rotational basis.

In none of these cases has President Kufuor sacrificed the luxury of travelling to look for a solution at home, as a leader, who cares for his people.