... fails to halt free fall of the cedi

A former National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Stephen Ayensu Ntim has accused the ruling National Democratic Congress of failing to build upon the solid economic foundation that was laid by the Kufuor administration, and are allowing things to fall apart.

He said, whereas the NPP administration was able to hold the exchange rate of the cedi to the dollar stable for eight solid years, NDC within the short period that they have been in power has allowed the local currency to depreciate against the dollar to unimaginable level.

He said, after realising that the economy was getting out of control, the NDC announced to the world that Ghana was broke, thus eroding investor confidence and its attendant capital flight from the country.

In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, Mr. Ntim also expressed concern over the harassment and detention of Dr. Mahamoud Bawumiah, the running mate of Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 elections, the illegal seizure of cars and brutalities meted out to supporters of the NPP.

He therefore, prevailed upon President John Evans Atta Mills to call his men to order with immediate effect, to justify his claim that he would be a father for all.

Mr. Ntim, who is lacing his political boot to contest the National chairmanship of the party, said “If Prof Mills claims to be a father for all and to all Ghanaians, then he must quickly call the hawks of his party to order, since the NPP can no longer tolerate these unwarranted brutalities, intimidation and victimisation.”

The NPP capo, who chronicled events which warranted his public comment, said the pain being inflicted on the supporters of the party in Agbogbloshie and other areas were not only unwarranted, but a deliberate provocation by the NDC to draw supporters of the NPP into an unnecessary confrontation.

According to him, similar fate awaits supporters of the NPP in other parts of Accra, Volta, Tamale and some NDC strongholds within the country, adding that while the supporters of the NDC are being motivated from the flanks to thread this dangerous path, the State Security apparatus also continued to persecute former NPP government officials, with the most recent victims being Dr. Bawumiah, Kwabena Agyepong, Chief Kufuor, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor and personnel from the Business Community, including the Barclays Bank Boss.

He urged the leadership of the NDC not to forget that though they have won the election, it was almost a 50-50 match, which gives an indication that the NPP still has a lot of followers, and that should they also strike back in response to the attacks on them, the outcome would not be well for the nation, hence the need to restrain the hawks within the NDC.

Mr. Stephen Ntim also stated that given the opportunity to chair the NPP, he would revamp the communications directorate of the party, and help put the structures of the party together to enable it win the next general elections.

He said, what was happening currently in the nation does not conform to the assertions of President Mills of being father for all.

“These happenings make it difficult for some of us to accept the President’s rhetoric of being a father for all. The President should be able to restrain the hawks in his party since it will be virtually impossible for him to govern or pursue his policies without the support of the indomitable minority.”

According to him, another area which has raised eyebrows and needed to be looked at critically by the President was the powers of the transitional team.

Rationalizing the complains of the NPP representatives on the Transition team about the alleged uncooperative attitude of the NDC members, he raised suspicion about the motive of the whole exercise, considering the allegations that the NDC members were determined to embarrass NPP officials in the eyes of the public, by leaking lopsided reports to the media without hearing the other side of the story.

“We call on the President to take a critical look at the activities of the Transition team, since there are conflicting signals as to which instructions are to be obeyed and from whom. There have been numerous errors committed by the Transition team, not forgetting dismissal letters issued to and on behalf of the government to Public and civil servants,” he asserted.