Government Reacts to Nana Addo's Charges

Accra, June 13, GNA - Government has reacted to statements attributed to the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party Nana Akuffo Addo at an NPP Conference in Hamburg, Germany.

In a statement signed by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Information Minister and copied to the Ghana News Agency said "Government found it curious that Nana Addo's statement, which was described as a major policy statement by his communication directorate, did not contain a single policy on what will be done differently, except for the barrage of attacks, complains and fallacies, which he heaped on President Mills."

It said Mr Ablakwa welcomed and agreed with Nana Addo's take on the Yutong Bus allegory, stating that, any good driver taking over the wheels from the NPP had to certainly pull the brakes and turn back.

This is for the obvious fact that the bus under the NPP was headed further in the direction of joblessness, hopelessness, daily reports of cocaine everywhere, corruption, property grabbing by an elite few, an economy at the intensive care unit, where inflation and interest rates were skyrocketing, a depreciating cedi, depleted reserves at the Bank of Ghana, and increased insecurity caused by many mysterious killings.

"I commend Nana Addo for honestly admitting that President Mills has pulled the brakes and changed direction. This new direction is the right direction as hope and progress has been restored to our people. Indeed when Ghanaians voted for change that is exactly what they were calling for", he added.

It said the stability in the Ghanaian economy is historic, adding that, inflation which was inherited at 18.1 percent is now at 9.2 percent and indeed Ghana's longest single digit inflation period in more than 30 years.

The statement said in addition to a stabilized currency, an increase in the reserves at the Bank of Ghana from a 1.8 to a 3.9 months import cover and exciting new opportunities in the oil and gas sector, as well as the banking sector, which has expanded in assets by 25.2 percent.

It said Gains in the Agricultural sector have been phenomenal and that food security was at an all time high.

The statement said the introduction of the National Buffer Stock Company Limited has created ready markets for our farmers, cut down post harvest losses and created jobs in the sector.

It said Cocoa Farmers are better off today than they were under the NPP, as besides the unprecedented increase in the producer price per tonne of 3,200 Cedis, government has introduced other initiatives, such as an enhanced anti-smuggling squad and a pension scheme for these unsung heroes of our nation.

The statement added that 93in the educational sector; so far more than 1,000 schools under trees have been replaced with decent dignified classroom blocks, accompanied with computer labs, staff common rooms, libraries and places of convenience.

Two public universities in the Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions are in the offing whiles other interventions such as the free distribution of school uniforms, free exercise books and the 50 percent increase in the capitation grant continue."

It also responded to the attack on the 93I care for you" slogan of then candidate Prof. Atta Mills, intimating that if President Mills no more cared about Ghanaians he would have adopted Nana Addo's attitude in the now infamous Gambian tragedy to the Libyan situation, however on the contrary, when Ghanaians were stranded in Libya, Professor Mills worked around the clock to secure and evacuate 21,720 Ghanaians from harm's way and brought them safely home to free health screening, counselling and paying their transport home, despite the emergency nature and Ghana's logistical and financial constraints.

Mr Ablakwa said he was surprised that Nana Addo will try to take advantage of an ordinary issue as the Speaker of Parliament adjourning the house and walking out as a sign of bad governance.

Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa said 93if this was a sign of bad governance then he did not know what Nana Addo will call their hounding out of Right Honourable Peter Ala Adjetey from the Speaker Position, when on that sad day we all witnessed how the Right Honourable Ala Adjetey was pitiably depending on the then minority to save him".

Mr Ablakwa appealed to Nana Addo to instead of over reliance on the Gallup Poll, which reveals how things started falling apart under their watch in 2007, since it's a survey conducted between 2007 and 2010, to rather pay attention to other recent surveys and statistics which paint a more recent picture.