General News of Sunday, 19 February 2012

Source: peacefmonline

So, Who Is In Charge Of Ghana? Akufo-Addo Begs To Know

Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has in an implied manner accused President Mills of being a ceremonial leader because he is not directly in charge of affairs of the country.

He wonders how a ruler, vested with all the powers and authority of the state, failed to stop the payment of a colossal amount of money as judgment debt obtained through fraudulent means to one individual.

Addressing a teeming crowd of NPP supporters at a rally held on Saturday at Mantse Agbonaa in James Town where it served as the platform to introduce all the party’s 2012 parliamentary candidates in Greater Accra to the supporters, Nana Akufo-Addo cited the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO’s) Interim Report on the Ghc51 million judgment debt payment to businessman Alfred Woyome, which stated that President Mills on two occasions tried to stop the payment, but government officials brushed his orders aside and went ahead to pay the embattled NDC financier.

He also accused President Mills of being economical with the truth when during the presentation of his Fourth State of the Nation Address, he (Mills) failed to disclose to Ghanaians how the country managed to record its highest ever GDP growth rate.

According to the NPP presidential candidate, the attainment of that unprecedented ecomonic growth, was not due to the better management of the economy by the Mills’ administration, but as a result of the oil discovered in commercial quantities under his (Mills') predecessor, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor.

“President Mills told us in Parliament (on Thursday)…that last year witnessed the biggest growth in our GDP in history; 14.3%. What he didn’t tell us was that all of that was due to the oil that (ex-president) Kufuor discovered and the first time those receipts have come in to the national accounts. That is what is responsible for this growth. It’s not some better management of the economy…He said Agriculture has done well, but his Minister of Finance (Dr Kwabena Duffour) came to tell us in the Budget in November that agric has not been able to meet its target. Who is telling the truth? The Minister or the President?"

"But then this is where we’re in Ghana today. You never know when you hear from gov’t who is doing what, who is in charge of what! Our president, we are told, attempted twice to stop a payment, but with all his power and all his authority, could not stop the payment. Who is in charge of Ghana today? Who is in charge of our country today? Twice, not once…so question, who is in charge of our country today?” Nana Akufo-Addo quizzed.