Dr. Amoako Tuffuor tells Ghanaians that "gossips don't bring food to the table; speculations don't bring jobs to the people."
Full text Press Conference, May 31, 2005
In the recent past (1979-year 2000) except for the brief reign of PNP under Limann, we experienced lots of envy and hatred from our government.
Businessmen were supposed to be thieves and they were attacked and their businesses destroyed. Several jobs for the people were lost. The effects to unemployment are still haunting the people.
No country can develop when its citizens are subjected to daily treatment of speculations, misconceptions, character assassinations, depressing and irreparable damage to peoples' long developed honour, dignity and reputation.
Our common law stipulates that "one is innocent until proven guilty" and not accused must prove his innocence.
However, it seems the sentiments of June 4, 1979 are beginning to come back. The NPP government came and started a reconciliation process; confiscated assets of the poor should go back to the owners, some of whom have died; the confidentiality of the banks are being slowly restored; there is a lot of confidence in remittances from abroad.
All these can be destroyed and the country can go back into the doldrums. We must watch and stop any actions of the past that are rearing their heads.
In England the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher's son, Mark, secured a loan of $400, 000, 000 (US) from the Middle East for an investment, sure there was some noise, but in the end no crime was committed. The loan helped her people.
In the US, Mr. George Bush (now President of the US) was involved in millions of dollars of business deals when his father was President that was not found to be criminal.
Unless otherwise proven by the law, the son of the President of Ghana can do business in Ghana, so long as the money was legitimately acquired and properly invested. It can help Ghanaians, through job creation and service.
If anyone has proof of crime or wrongdoing, that person should use the Court of Law or CHRAJ. Otherwise, it's all noise! Or is it another AFRC style of invading the confidentiality of the banks, that destroyed the economy of Ghana during Rawlings' June 4 AFRC government of 1979. We should bear in mind that the NPP government appears to be the most tolerant in our political history.
All these orchestrated noises are leading this country to destruction; we have seen it before. Ghana has been set up and destroyed before. Supposing after all the investigations, it ends up that the president, or his or both have not done anything wrong can you begin to appreciate the damage that would have been done to the president and the serious delays in solving urgent national problems?
I respectfully wish to state that suspecting someone of wrongdoing does not necessarily mean he is guilty. He has to be proven guilty. Therefore while the investigations for facts are going on, allow the government the peace and quiet to concentrate on her work for the benefit of all.
NDC AND ITS PAST
It is unnecessary for me to start cataloguing the wrongdoings of the past government of the NDC that was riddled with so much abuse of power that can cover volumes and hundreds of pages. But I will be brief and focused.I am doing this for the simple reason that the NDC is pretending as if it was such a good government, when they still have a lot of questions to answer on corruption etc. I just want to make sure they appreciate the use of the legal institutional structures and procedures.
Cashpro
1. What about the Ahwois' Cashpro and the loans they took to undertake their businesses. What happened to the payment? How much do they owe? Ghanaians deserve to know the serious debts that some politicians (past and present) owe and are not paying. How do we treat that in law? The Attorney General must tell the country. He is duty bound to do so. After all, it is our money that appears to have gone bad. He should also tell us whether that implies that the Ahwois have caused "financial loss to the nation"
Rawlings and Abacha
2. Are our minds failing us? Do you remember that ex-president Rawlings was said to have received $5m from H.E Abacha (of Nigeria) for ex-president Rawlings to help boost up his image or whatever in Africa?
DWM
3. Is it true or not that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly was forced to purchase land for the 31st December Women Movement (DWM) which was a wing of the NDC in Ghana? Are we ranting and raving against Mrs. Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, our former first lady? No! We must allow the structures in government to work. This will be the mark of a civilized society.
Ms. Cotton
4. Who in the NDC influenced the dishing out of over US$20 million to Miss Cotton and associates to the disadvantage of Ghana?
Assault on late Kow Arkaah
5. Is it true or not that former Vice President Arkaah was physically manhandled by the then President Rawlings at a cabinet meeting?
Extra judicial killings
6. Is it true or not that close associates of Rawlings and his government were alleged to have brutally killed and maimed perceived opponents of their government including judges, soldiers, civil servants, market women, traders and other citizens of Ghana?
Rawlings' gifts
7. Did we not hear that ex-president J.J. Rawlings said he got gifts of money from some other heads of state? Should we insist on revealing who he got the monies from? Can the country even insist on knowing his source of income that enables him lead the kind of sophisticated life style with luxury cars and first class air travels? If no one can prove a case of theft against J.J. Rawlings why should we waste time and energy and attempt to accuse Rawlings?
Attacks on Ghanaian businessmen
8. Let's all be told or reminded that some of the problems in this country today, in the areas of unemployment, stem from Rawlings era of attacking Ghanaian entrepreneurs that would have been big and employ lots of citizens and boosted the economy.
Have we forgotten the destruction of Appiah Menka Complex (Apino soap), Dr. Addison's multi-wall paper industry, late Appenteng of Panbros Salt, Kowus Motors, Tata Brewery and Mr. Siaw etc? Who ordered Alhaji Yusif's hotel to be demolished opposite Kotoka International Airport? The NPP government will end up paying for the reckless folly if the courts so decree.
More Financial loss
9. Do you know that after H.E. Former President charged that nobody should buy Apino Soap, Lawyer Appiah Menkah wanted to buy Ghana Oil Palm Development Company's with the highest bid of $9m?. The NDC government asked SSNIT to buy it for $6.9m thus causing financial loss of $2.1m to the state
Tolerating the NDC
10. Aren't people "disguised" with Kufuor's government for being tolerant of the NDC businessman and directors and chief directors in the civil service and various corporations and institutions? But I say, "Let's Unite and Move Forward"!.
More deals
11. Do some members of the NDC want us to expose the US$3m deal with "bribes" on Willowbrook case, the funds of which were transferred from Ghana in 1983 from depleted national resources?
Still more deals
12. Do we know that certain individuals under a guise of their family company took the government (under the NDC) money via Cocoa Marketing Board and misused the funds? Must we tell the people that these persons are alleged to have transferred ill acquired funds into their private accounts abroad?
Rawlings' friends
13. Who was Amedeka? Who was Senya? What was Senya's relationship to the then chairman of the PNDC?
The Priorities
Enough is enough! Some countries may be able to afford the noise. Ghana can't What is our focus for this country?
We want to eat and cheaply.
We want our children to go to school.
We want more hospitals to be built.
We want citizens to be employed, get jobs, work!
We want to create an atmosphere of peace and unity for the investor to come and work with us and help to build Ghana.
We want Ghana to move forward towards a golden age of peace, tranquility and harmony. Let us shift the focus back; we should wake up.
May of our citizens are hungry and we insist that the focus should be more on food production.
The Government is responsible to the people for food and jobs.
The people must support the government they voted into power for the government to solve their problems of hunger and poverty. They should pressure the Government to stay focused!
When some politicians fight over who owns what, what banks are syndicating loans for whoever etc, it takes at least one citizen/politician to take the case to court or CHRAJ. The structures are there; otherwise the motive of the accusers can only be looked upon as wicked, diversionary and calculated to create disaffection among Ghanaians.
When we follow the US, the UK etc, to the core we must know that with democratic governance that permeates their society, their people are not starving, her people have welfare structures in place. We are growing in democratic governance as a nation. We are not yet a matured country. We cannot afford the luxuries of the advanced countries.
We need no diversion from some politicians and adventurers! Gossips don't bring food to the table; speculations don't bring jobs to the people.
Gossips, speculations etc are evil and can lead the gullible astray; lets be serious! Enough is enough!
I had nothing against Limann's government. I did not move to destabilize Ghana. I took it to court and won! The courts work and so should the government be allowed to work.!
Year 2000-2004: The Past
? The first four years we made tremendous progress; we focused and worked hard on our roads, hospitals and schools;
? Now we cannot lose our focus and dedication to duty. There is peace and stability and we must place a premium on that!
? This is in contradistinction to our experience in recent times.
2004-2008: The Present and Future
I wish to make a few suggestions to the Government and People of Ghana, ? We need to sustain the peace and stability. We have to stay united and fight positively to keep the dream. At long last Ghana's democratic governance is thriving.
? Short term - There must be set up as soon as possible (loans for poor but serious farmers/traders and others) via Regional Ministers and DCEs.
The ministers involved in the NEPAD school-feeding programme must come out clear and fast.
The primary 1-6 kids are still hungry. No more bureaucracies
Medium term: Loans to SMEs for capital investment and operational funding with "user friendly interest rates" especially farmers to increase food production. DCEs to be assessed by effort in district food production and industrial activities.
Long Term: to fight hunger and extreme poverty. There must be joint efforts between Regional Ministers and DCEs for regional food production and sufficiency. Each district could establish farms for employment and food availability and "value addition". There is no earthly reason why we cannot grow and process soya beans, corn, sorghum etc., on a medium to massive scale.
Field monitoring and evaluation to be set by government to advise her on Regional Ministers/DCEs performance.
There should be no more lip service to agric/food production. The fight against hunger and extreme poverty is real. Regional Ministers/DCE must be assessed by their performance not by how many contracts and road works, but by food production jobs created as a result of their efforts.
Rural to urban drift should be turned around so that the youth can be given jobs in the rural areas. Farmers must be given the appropriate incentives and technical supervision. This will decrease "streetism" and decrease the street families.
We know of the simple tactic of keeping the government on the defensive and answering questions all the time rather than allowing it to work in serving the best interest of the people. This way, the government becomes unpopular for some vicious politicians to misuse it. This is the last time we shall allow anybody to stress up the country and the government with speculations, unproven allegations and political intrigues at the expense of the ordinary people because they want power at all cost, including destabilization of Ghana.
I say enough is enough
Lets always stand by the government selected by the majority
Lets us be critical but not destructive
Let us push, advise, and criticize our government to do what is good for everybody.
Let us unite and move forward.
