Government blows GH¢1m on Obama

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has been accused of spending over ¢1 million on the 24 hour visit of the United State of America (USA) President, Barack Obama.

According to a pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) the misuse of the scarce State resources on the visit could have provided three (3) square meals for some families in the country.

"This is a defeat of government's commitment to its austerity measures and an enormous rip-off of the tax payer's money," the group claimed.

Speaking on behalf of the group at a media briefing in Accra to announce AFAG's intended August 4, 2009 "Atta Adaadaa Yen Demo", Mr Kwabena Bomfeh "a leading member of the group said the ruling government's acceptance of International Monetary Fund's (IMF’s) loan facility with such killer conditionalities was a deadly deal for the citizenry.

He indicated that the freeze on public sector employment for 2 years and full cost recovery at all tertiary level of education, had led to an increase in academic user facility fee which he said was a clear demonstration of government's insensitivity to the suffering of parents and a betrayal of the President's promise to create jobs for the people.

Mr. Bomfeh, youth organizer of the Convention People's Party (CPP) noted that the welfare of students was no longer a priority to President Mills' administration.

"Starting next year August tertiary students would-face another high increase in their Residential Facility User Fees (RFUF) by 18% which is contrary to an earlier agreement with the NPP government to stay same the RFUF for three academic years from 2007," he said.

"AFAG bemoans the tendency of mass unemployment in the private sector as a result of the eminent threat of collapse of business for reasons best political and socio economic high interest rates 33% previously base rate of 27% high import previously, based rate of 27% high import duties and cost of inputs or how wages for threat of lay offs", he underscored.

Mr. Bomfeh stated that the IMF and the World Bank had no panacea for the countries economy, adding that Ghana as a country can depend on partnerships with other rising powers such as India and China to stabilize the economy in the production capacity and market within the context of South-South cooperation .

He announced that the groups' August 4, demonstration would come on as promised.