PRESS CONFERENCE: VIGILANTE AGAINST PROPAGANDA (PART II)

Delivered By: Mr. John Boadu (Deputy Communications Director-NPP)

NDC, led by chief propagandist Fiifi Kwetey last week threw more propaganda to Ghanaians on what they call “the provision of critical economic infrastructure”
We would normally not bother with such clearly childish Propaganda. After all, these are the same people who made such loud claims only to go before Parliament and grovel for forgiveness for their lies and unfounded claims (Victor Smith is the latest culprit).

But for the records, we have to expose the propaganda now. Fiifi Kwetey says it is not difficult for the NDC to “point to solid accomplishments in three years”. The single question then is, if the accomplishments are so easy to see, why is Fiifi Kwetey trying so hard to point them out to us? Fiifi Kwetey talked about completed projects in the NPP reports. At least these were completed projects.

In the NDC’s top 50 achievements, they include dreams, “plans” and “award of contracts as top 50 achievements!

COCOA ROADS
Fiifi Kwetey claims the Mills/Mahama government has spent GH¢340m on cocoa roads and NPP spent Gh¢3m. We advise them to take a tour round the country to hear the great cry of Ghanaians on the very poor road provisions across the communities!

He goes on to mention road projects in Accra and Tema. We need to point out to the NDC that routine maintenance, upgrading, resurfacing of town roads are regular activities year in year out, it is only desperate propaganda that would capture routine road, maintenance, resurfacing and upgrading as “critical economic infrastructure” even so, Ladies and Gentlemen, some of the claims are so comical, such as the claim that the Spintex road-polo grounds by-pass is 12km. That link cannot be more than halve a km! They even mention the NPP’s MCA road project from Fiesta Royale to Gimpa and Pambrose to Dansoman as an NDC project!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the real critical economic roads such as the Nsawam by-pass to Apedwa, Fiifi Kwetey claims the NPP government left no money to continue and complete them. Apparently, the NPP left money to complete only those routine upgrading he mentioned. How sad.

Incredibly, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fiifi Kwetey claims the Mills/Mahama government has not done more roads because the NPP left the NDC a staggering 35 trillion old cedis” of arrears which is a big lie because according to the report presented to IMF by his own Ministry,page 27 table 2B shows the ff: Ghana: Summary of Central Government budgetary operations, 2008-13, arrears outstanding in 2008 was GHC1.353B, 2009 was GHC1.592B, 2010 was GHC2.158B. even if we are to believe Fiifi kwetey’s lies is it not surprising that despite these arrears, the Mills/Mahama government still found money to pay whopping and totally unexplainable judgment debts? These people have no shame!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is instructive to note that one of the biggest road project since the 4th republic is the Tetteh Quarshie- Mallam road- George Bush Highway, secured for this country by the NPP as a result of good governance . For the records, ladies and gentlemen, total kilometers of roads in the country as at end of year 2000 was 38,321 km by 2004 the NPP government had increased the total road network to 56057km an increase of 17,736km and by end 2008 the total road network had increased to 67,291km meaning the NPP government 8 year rule alone constructed OVER 76% of our total road network and even that we are not describing it as an UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT because we are well aware of more deplorable roads that need to be fixed . A humble government INDEED!

RAILWAYS:
The Accra Tema railway had been put on divestiture throughout the 11 years PNDC and 8 year NDC. The NPP government took it off divestiture, and put it into operation, from Accra to Asoprochonaa in Tema. The NDC only extended it the last 5kilometres to Tema Port. Yet Fiifi Kwetey claimed all the NPP did about the railway line is to “huff and puff”! Truth as usual, has been stood on its head! Lies are the main agenda of this NDC government so who should we listen to the PRESIDENT or former propaganda secretary.

AGRICULTURE:
In his usual flight of fantasy, Fiifi Kwetey claims the Mills/Mahama has bought 140 rice combine harvesters,& increased rice reduction by 30% single question is why has the price of Olonka of rice gone from GH¢2.50 to GH¢8 (300%) in just 3 years? Undaunted, Fiifi Kwetey claims the government has bought 25 new maize harvesters, 350 storage facilities, 12 mechanization centres, over 100 boreholes, set up Buffer stock company.

Ladies and Gentlemen, why is maize (grain) selling at GH¢120 a bag an increase of 500% up from GH¢20 only 3 years ago! And why is GDP growth in agriculture declining since 2008, from 7.4% in 2008 to 2.8% in 2011? And why are we going to import 43,000 tons of maize this year?
Fiifi Kwetey claims, despite setting up fisheries Ministry, the NPP did nothing for the fishing subsector. So the single question is how come in 2008, fishing grew 17.36% and in 2011 the growth was only 1.7%, the price of outboard motor had increased from GH¢2,800 in 2008 to over GH¢8,000 now ,prices of all agricultural inputs and implements had increased in double and in some cases triple digits in the era of unprecedented single digit INFLATION , no wonder when the fishermen went to demonstrate, they were met with hot water cannons on the streets of Accra!

The mediocrity in our governance is not funny at all, construction of 100 boreholes is considered as too much, below is a summary of projects undertaken nationwide in only 2002:

1. Number of Communities connected to the National Electricity grid 599
2. Number of Hand-dug wells drilled nationwide 2149
3. Number of stand-pipes erected 148
4. Number of Bore-holes drilled 3135
5 Number of Mechanical Bore-holes drilled 7
6. Number of KVIP’s constructed 1045
7. Number of water Hand-pumps erected 1348
8. Feeder Roads Rehabilitated 4,379.0km
9. Trunk Roads Rehabilitated 4,789.3km
10. Cost in road Rehabilitation/Construction ¢928.5bn
11. Construction/Rehabilitation of Health Facility 123
12. Telephone Extension 29,409 lines
13. Pre-paid Phone 533
14. Construction/Rehabilitation of Education facilities 625
15. Provision of Education Infrastructure 1,024
Source: Page 176, Ghana Positive Change 2002.

ENERGY
Fiifi Kwetey describes the achievements of the Mills/Mahama government in the energy sector a “phenomenal” in terms of electricity generation and extension. Ladies and Gentlemen, as Fiifi Kwetey was at his shouting best on energy, the nation had been thrown into a load-shedding programme.
Just yesterday, we heard announcement of an intensification of the load shedding/power cut programme. In the middle of this, Fiifi Kwetey tells Ghanaians we have never had it so good as far as electricity is concerned! Talk about adding insult to injury. Talk about arrogant propaganda. Whiles the President in parliament was telling the people of Ghana that they have added 378 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, Hon. Innusah Fuseini, deputy minister for energy was on radio yesterday saying that they have provided approximately less than 200 megawatts. So, Ladies and Gentlemen who are we to trust. The race for who can lie best is on! Such blatant inconsistencies have become the hallmark of the Mills/Mahama NDC government. God save Ghana!


How come despite the “phenomenal” achievements in electricity, real GDP growth in electricity in 2008 was 19% and grew only 13% in 2011? Now nationwide blackouts i.e Ladies and Gentlemen, as far as electricity generation is concerned, Ghanaians know the biggest project in providing electricity since the 4th republic is the $800 Bui Dam project, secured for this country by the NPP.

UNPRECEDENTED ONE TERM PRESIDENCY OF PRESIDENT ATTA MILLS –HAVE THEY?
? Unprecedented three black out in 2months. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented Judgment debt payment. Yeses they have!
? Unprecedented unemployment graduate association. Yes they have
? Unprecedented and gargantuan transitional expenses. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented 1.6 million employments in 2009. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented distribution of hampers worth ¢1.6bn to journalist. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented construction of STX houses to the security services. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented public debt 236 trillion and still pilling. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented weak currency in 18 years. Yes they have!
? Unprecedented beating of fisher folks and teachers on strike. Yes they have!
Ghanaians will Vote base on the non-performance of the NDC government. No amount of begging, pleading from the likes of Mr. Ofosu Ampofo and the likes, will make Ghanaians forget the bitter Ghana experience under the Unprecedented President Mills government.

We would conclude with a word of advice to Fiifi Kwetey; lies and propaganda, no matter how loudly shouted, would melt quickly before the truth, like NKUTO (shea butter) in the sun! Fiifi Kwetey should also read the story of Don Quixote and take a look at himself.

Thank you.