President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his most scathing response to his predecessor’s incessant attacks on his performance has described the opposition flag bearer as one bereft of a defensible record and prescriptions for the future of the country.
It was an obvious response to former President John Mahama’s recent remark that “God brought NPP so Ghanaians can appreciate NDC.”
According to President Akufo-Addo, “negativity, negativity, negativity” has become a refrain of the former President.
The President’s engagement at Aflao in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region yesterday during a durbar of chiefs and people offered him an opportunity to respond to the opposition flag bearer’s now heightened verbal attacks on his performance.
Kind God
President Akufo-Addo said God is not wicked to return Ghana to the days of NDC hardships characterized by high inflation, poor agricultural development, lack of industries, unemployed graduates and limited access to senior high education.
“Ghanaians have moved on. God is not so wicked to punish Ghanaians again with the rule of John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress. That’s not what God is going to do. Ghana has moved on, and we are now in an era of hope and progress and we are going to march on,” he stated.
The President asked, “Do Ghanaians want stagnation, not progress, high inflation, not low inflation, the unemployed graduates association, not NaBCo, a poor agriculture, not Planting for Food and Jobs, no new industries, rather than ‘One-District One-Factory’?”
No Turning Back
The President continued, “Bankrupt record, bankrupt future; that’s what we had under this leader (Mahama). We are not turning back; we are not turning back to the past of stagnation and no achievements. We are going to go forward! We are marching forward!”
Comfortable Lead
Ghanaians, according to the President, prefer the current situation of Free SHS and many schools to contain the products of the JHS to what prevailed when Mr. Mahama was at the helm.
At the time, he pointed out, on the average, 100,000 junior high school graduates could not find a place in secondary school and had to go home because their parents could not afford it.
“The people who were asleep when they were in a comfortable lead – only to wake up to find that the country had rejected them – are still asleep. They will not wake up and see that Ghana has moved on,” he said.
2020 Shock
Next year, President Akufo-Addo said the people who are still asleep are going to get another big jolt with an upcoming victory for the NPP government.
No Distraction
The President gave the assurance that his administration would not be distracted, but rather forge ahead to deliver on its promises and make Ghana a better place.
Generational Thinker
An excited Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V, described the President as a ‘generational thinker’ whose contribution to Ghana’s development would forever be remembered.
Speaking on behalf of the three traditional areas under the Ketu South Municipality; thus Aflao, Some and Klikor, the chief said the policies being implemented by the government under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo makes him stand tall among leaders in the world.
“You have left an indelible mark in the minds of the generations to come. When a leopard dies, he leaves his skin, but when a man dies he leaves his name,” he said, adding that “just as the Big Six are remembered for their exploits, so will your name be remembered in the history of Ghana.”
The chief who had earlier accompanied the President and the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, to commission the Ketu South Divisional Police Headquarters and a modern Municipal Fire Station thanked the President for turning around the ailing economy he inherited about three years ago.
Gratitude
He expressed gratitude to the President for allowing 24-hour border operations and also introducing Free SHS, Planting for Food and jobs, among others.
He, however, pleaded with the President to step up interventions to open the Nigerian border to Ghanaian businesses.
Bad Roads
He lamented the poor town roads in the Aflao, Some and Klikor areas and pleaded for prompt action to improve them, especially the Fiti road also known as Diamond Cement road which bad nature had led to the close down of the Aflao Circuit Court, deterioration of basic schools in the area and collapse of businesses.
Besides, he stressed the need to promptly improve the Ho-Denu highway which connects the regional capital and airport to the country’s busiest border at Aflao.
President’s Assurance
In response, President Akufo-Addo thanked the chiefs and people of the Ketu South Municipality for the rousing welcome, and assured them that he would not fail them. He assured them that their many needs would be addressed accordingly.
From Fred Duodu, Ketu South