General News of Friday, 11 September 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Mahama’s record stands tall – George Opare Addo

George Opare Addo, National Youth Organiser play videoGeorge Opare Addo, National Youth Organiser

George Opare Addo, the National Youth Organiser of the opposition NDC, has said that when it comes to comparison of records between John Mahama’s tenure as President and his successor President Akufo-Addo’s tenure, Mahama stands tall in terms of achievement.

Speaking on Good Evening Ghana on Thursday evening, Opare Addo explained that people should not compare the NDC from 2009 to 2016 but rather the party should be assessed between 2013 to 2017 when the former president exited office as President and they will realise that the NDC achieved more than the incumbent NPP.

He added that any honest comparative analysis should first take into consideration the resources available to the two administrations because “you cannot compare records if you have not taken into cognizance what you have”.

Opare Addo stated that the argument that John Dramani Mahama should factor in how much money was available to him in 2013 after he handed over power to himself is neither here nor there.

He said: “During the reign of President Mahama [from] 2013 [to] 2016, the amount of money available to Ghana [was] GH¢193 billion with only Jubilee Field working but President Akufo-Addo has had GH¢374 billion. The public debt now is GH¢140 billion as compared to the debt at the time Mahama was exiting [which] was GH¢120 billion.”

He indicated that President Akufo-Addo in his three-and-a-half-year tenure, has had twice the money available to President Mahama.

George Opare Addo further told Paul Adom-Otchere that even with the little resources, President Mahama was able to expand the Police Hospital, Ridge Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange, Atuabo gas power plant, Terminal Three of Kotoka Airport, Tema Port expansion project, Kejetia Market, Wa Regional Hospital, a university in the Eastern Region.

“President Mahama achieved all these projects using the GH¢193 billion,” Opare Addo stressed.