Akufo-Addo's ‘needless tours’ must stop - Group

The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has called on the President to limit his numerous travels that add nothing “to our progress as a country”.

President Akufo-Addo, on Friday attended the wedding reception of Nigerian businessman Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s daughter, Hajiya Fatima, and her groom, Jamilu Abubakar in Lagos, Nigeria.

Other prominent persons at the occasion included Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo; the Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates, wife of the Nigerian President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari; Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara; the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi; and others.

However, in a statement on Sunday 25 March 2018, Executive Secretary of ASEPA, Mensah Thompson, said he does not see how Mr Akufo-Addo’s presence at the ceremony adds to the development of Ghana.

“The President of Ghana seems to have a strong affinity towards airplanes. At the least opportunity he jumps on the next available aircraft embarking on needless trips that adds very little to our progress as a country. Within the past few months the President has visited close to ten countries with nothing to show for on these trips,” he noted.

He is urging Mr Akufo-Addo to find solutions to the numerous problems faced by the country and halt the trips which according to him are unproductive.

Below is the full statement:

WHAT WAS AKUFO ADDO DOING AT DANGOTE'S DAUGHTER'S WEDDING WHEN THERE ARE MORE PRESSING ISSUES IN THE COUNTRY THAT REQUIRES HIS ATTENTION

I am beginning to feel our dear country is in the hands of people who are on constant holiday.

The President of Ghana seems to have a strong affinity towards airplanes.

At the least opportunity he jumps on the next available aircraft embarking on needless trips that adds very little to our progress as a country.

Within the past few months, the President has visited close to ten countries with nothing to show for on these trips.

What's more, government does not inform the people of the status of these trips or gives an update of the merits of these trips and what the President was up to whilst he was away and what our country gained from such trips.

I am beginning to feel the resources of this country is being expended heavily on the private comfort of the President in a needless "grandeurish" manner at the detriment of developmental issues confronting this nation.

Again within the past few months the number of credit facilities tabled before Parliament requiring approval runs into billions of cedis.

Last year alone over GHS 10 billion was borrowed and we have nothing to show for all these borrowed cash.

The public debt keeps rising and we have nothing to show for this accelerated debt accumulation profile.

Again I am beginning to feel we are borrowing to finance the extravagant lifestyle of our President and his 110 ministers.

Because, if you live in a country like mine with numerous challenges ranging from economic insecurity, to sanitation problems to huge infrastructural deficit, educational challenges and a host of other third world

problems which a country that is 61 years old shouldn't be facing and your President has this strong affinity for aircrafts and luxurious hotels instead of the oval office for which he was voted to sit and solve the problems of the country then you know you are not far from a shithole especially when the media, the clergy and civil society seem not to have seen this worrying trend to keep the President in check.

Dangote's daughter could have gotten married in all prestige without the wobbling presence of Nana Akufo-Addo who seems to be everywhere except his office.

Unless Nana Akufo-Addo can show us any evidence of a lucrative business deal or a developmental project he got for the country or anything he added to the status of our country for being at Dangote's daughter's wedding then am afraid a well-wishing message could have just been enough gesture for the Dangote family.

This is the mediocrity we have been talking about all year long, I am sure Dangote had long list of business acquaintance who couldn't show because of more pressing issues.

Ghana is in dire need of leadership; our problems never stop growing....

Unfortunately the minds of those who are supposed to solve these problems keep dwindling.

I am not a soothsayer but if this is how our country is going to be governed for the next two years then I am afraid Ghanaians should brace themselves up for more hardship......

I rest my case...