President Akufo-Addo has stated that he is the ultimate bearer of responsibility for the actions and inactions of the government, asserting, he takes all blames for what has happened in the country.
According to him, under the Constitution of Ghana, the executive power of the state is vested in the President of the Republic, and that there is no ambiguity about where the buck stops.
Addressing Parliament on the state of the nation yesterday, he said, “Ultimately, the President is responsible, and, therefore, takes the credit or the blame for whatever happens in his or her government.”
President Akufo-Addo asserted that Ministers of State all act in an advisory manner.
“Of course, a member of the government might take an idea, be it generated by the President or the official or a committee, and turn it into a huge success, and the honours would be claimed or shared where public perception falls,” he said.
“The programmes that come from the Executive benefit from the rigorous public examination and debates to which they are subjected. We all now take for granted and, sometimes, even bemoan the vigorous media and civil society organisation scrutiny that characterise public discourse,” he noted.
He said it gives him quiet satisfaction and great pride to hear young Ghanaians, who believe that “criticising the President of the Republic and challenging government proposals are normal, regular activities.”
“Some of the young people listen with incredulity when they hear about a Ghana that was once without private radio stations, and people had to tune in to foreign stations to hear critical and opposition voices.
“Today, there are some 550 radio stations in operation in the country. In spite of all its shortcomings and difficulties, the people of Ghana have shown admirable commitment to multi-party democracy, and have not fallen for the instigations to resort to the violent overthrow of an elected government,” the President said.
According to him, the past 32 years of the Fourth Republic have witnessed the most sustained period of stability and economic growth in the country.
“We should be proud of what we have achieved, and seek to protect and build on it, and that is why the theme for the 67th independence anniversary celebration, on 6th March, is ‘Our Democracy, Our Pride’,” the President stated.
On projects, President Akufo-Addo expressed pride that, despite the dramatic financial crisis that the country experienced in 2021, the worst effects of which became apparent in 2022, the transformative measures his government implemented during his first four years in office allow him to showcase an impressive array of developmental projects across the length and breadth of the country.
“I do not intend to go through the long, even if interesting process of enumerating the projects the Akufo-Addo Government has undertaken since coming into office, their location and what stage of completion they are in. Mr. Speaker, with the best will in the world, there simply will not be the time to do that, even if we spent all day here,” he intimated.
He stated during the State of the Nation address that when confronted with a similar issue about road projects, he came to the House armed with a large book containing facts about road projects across the country, and all MPs were handed copies to read at their leisure.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House