Dan Lartey is not being fair -Nduom

The Minister of Economic and Regional Integration, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom has stated that it will be unfair for Mr Dan Lartey, Leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to say that the government refused to listen to him.

He said all the suggestions and inputs made by Mr Lartey on various national issues so far have been taken in good faith and would be injected into the government’s programme at the appropriate time.

Dr Nduom said this in an interview with “The Evening News” in Accra in reaction to the allegations made by Mr Lartey that the government was not taking his suggestions though he had invited Dr Nduom and laid bare to him, his programme to assist the government.

Dr Nduom said he should not think that he is being ignored or his advice is not being taken by government. The Minister said during the formulation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, political parties including the GCPP were invited to participate and make inputs.

He said the GCPP fully participated and made constructive and meaningful contributions to the whole strategy. “Mr Lartey therefore, should not say that we did not invite him or his party to take part in national issues,” he said.

Dr Nduom confirmed that he responded to Mr Lartey’s call due to his position as leader of a political party and went to him in his house. He said Mr Lartey discussed with him wide range of issues confronting the agricultural sector and the need to effectively mobilize resource to ensure self-sufficiency.

He said Mr Lartey spoke about how things in the agricultural sector were done during the late Gen Acheampong’s regime, particularly in the field network programme, which the GCPP leader still thinks is important for the government to implement.

Dr Nduom said Mr Lartey stressed the need for the government to introduce policies that would increase domestic production to avoid unnecessary importation of food. He said what he deduced from the discussion that transpired between them, was Mr Lartey’s genuine desire to continuously express his feelings and make his ideas known to the government.

The Minister said he also briefed Mr Lartey about what Major (rtd) Courage Quarshiga, Minister of Food and Agriculture, was doing to bring almost all the ideas of the GCPP leader into fruition.