Busia's administration did not sell SOEs to members

Accra, March 8, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday said the Busia government did not sell state enterprises to members of government to enrich themselves.

It said it is rather the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government that has, under the Divestiture Implementation Programme, sold State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) "to members and financiers of the NDC or their proxies at give-away prices".

This was contained in a statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, National Chairman of the NPP. The statement alleged that President Rawlings had used an NDC rally held at Bolgatanga recently to criticise the NPP and its Presidential Candidate Mr John A. Kufuor and "screamed contempt and insults on the NPP".

The statement said President Rawlings declared at Bolgatanga that "the NPP is richer than the NDC because during Busia's administration, they (NPP) were able to sell state enterprises to themselves and they grew richer."

The party described the statement as "false and completely unfounded". The NPP called for the substantiation of the statement with facts and figures. It further asked for the publication of state assets divested so far by the government for the information of the general public.

The party said it is determined not to trade insults with the President and the NDC or any party and gave the assurance that the NPP would conduct its campaigns with dignity and decency.

The statement said further: "we are convinced that threats and insults do not gain votes". The NPP urged the leadership of the NDC to refrain from insulting the opposition and the private media.