Ghanaians may believe this or not, but President Kuffuor and his NPP Government have so far spent over US$95,000 or sixty-five thousand pounds sterling to be exact which translates to over ?900 million on the overseas medical treatment of Hajia Ramatu Mahama, wife of the Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, His excellency Aliu Mahama.
Hajia Mahama, whose husband declared not too long ago that appointees of the NPP are prosperous well-to-do men and women, has been on admission at London’s Cromwell Hospital at the Ghanaian tax-payer’s expense.
Your authoritative ''Palaver'' can confirm that last week Hajia Ramatu did undergo a heart by-pass surgery at the exclusive Cromwell Hospital. Prior to being flown out to London, the wife of the Vice-President had been receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. It is unclear if the whopping 65,000 pounds sterling or ?900Million spent so far represents the full cost of the treatment or is a partial payment.
About a month ago, "The Ghana Palaver" broke the story of how an amount of $75,000.00 was spent on the overseas medical treatment for Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey former NPP national Chairman and now the Rt. Hon Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament. The NPP Government has so far refused to comment on the $75,000 taxpayer’s money spent on Mr. Adjetey’s treatment.
During its investigations, The Ghana Palaver gathered that, the decision to fly Hajia Ramatu out for treatment displeased medical staff at the National Cardio Centre as they held the view that the surgery could be performed locally at a minimal cost. The Cardio-Centre is headed by Professor Frimpong-Boateng, the world-renowned heart surgeon credited with establishing the first-class facility in Ghana.
Readers will recall that while in opposition, the NPP criticized the then NDC Government for sending Ghanaians, including the Late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, Asantehene, overseas for medical treatment.
Among its campaign promises towards the December 2000 elections, Mr. J. A. Kuffuor and the NPP told Ghanaians that if voted into power, an NPP Government would not send a single Ghanaian out for medical treatment, instead, it will use the resources to improve medical facilities in Ghana to the benefit of all Ghanaians. Since being voted into power, it has become a different story.
First to receive the facility under the Kufuor Administration was Prof. Adu Boahene, NPP flagbearer for the 1992 elections. He was flown out for medical treatment at a cost not yet disclosed. Then followed Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of Parliament, whose treatment cost the tax payer, a whooping $75,000 and now Hajia Ramatu, wife of Vice-President Aliu-Mahama on whom the Ghanaian taxpayer has spent 65,000 pounds sterling so far.
The list of broken promises by President Kuffuor is endless; failure to abolish the Cash and Carry system, jobs for the youth and graduates of educational institutions, payment of living wages, drastic reduction in the cost of living, tying Ghana’s cedi currency to the US dollar and so on and so forth.
