General News of Wednesday, 28 July 2004

Source: .

Prosecute Kufuor And Ministers Over HIPC -Wayo

The People?s National Convention (PNC?s) Charles Kofi Wayo a.k.a Chuck, has described the decision by the government to opt for the HIPC initiative just upon assumption of the office without Parliamentary approval is one of the worst crimes the president and his ministers had committed against Ghanaians.

He says it is a crime, which is punishable by law and accordingly called for the prosecution of the president and his ministers. ?Ghana has no business going HIPC. Ghanaians have been disgraced, their human rights have been taken away and we must prosecute them for deciding to go HIPC,?

The maverick politician who contested his party?s flagbearship and lost is not impressed about the cancellation of about 1.6 billion US dollars of Ghana?s debt as a result of the country reaching the HIPC Completion point. Mr. Wayo questioned the benefits of the initiative since majority of the citizens are still poor and cannot afford three square meals a day. He also wondered why a government that patted itself on the back for going HIPC and bringing many benefits to the country while putting the economy on sound footing, is at the same time congratulating itself for attaining the HIPC completion point and coming out of the initiative.

According to him, the policies of the NPP constitute a total deceit of the people equivalent to the kind of double standards that the national democratic congress government subjected Ghanaians to and were thrown out. He described a sound economy as ?one where the people can afford three square meals a day, live in decent houses and wear good cloths,? if the policy is beneficial as they are claiming, where are the factories, where are the jobs, Have living standards improved under HIPC??

He prophesized that ?unless Ghanaians are ready and prepared to constantly change this and any other government, their suffering would forever continue.?