Government ‘wasting’ money on UGCC anniversary - Kofi Adams

The National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party Kofi Adams has questioned the Akufo-Addo led-government’s sense of priority in the governance of this country.

He’s slammed the government for its decision to celebrate the birth of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), a political movement that begun the struggle for Ghana’s independence from British rule, at a time the country has run out of stock of vaccines against the six killer diseases.

The Ghana@60 anniversary committee has set aside August 4, to mark the event.

According to the committee, the 4th of August is a very significant day in the history of Ghana and as such, the day ought to be celebrated as Ghana marks its 60th anniversary.

Addressing a press conference at the Flagstaff House Wednesday, the Deputy Chief of Staff and member of the Anniversary Committee, Abu Jinapor, said the formation of the first Nationalist Political movement in Ghana, United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) on the 4th of August 1947 by Paa Grant and his colleagues heralded the country that we have today.

He underscored that the Democratic tenets such as Freedom of Speech, Rule of Law and respect for the fundamental human rights were conceived on August 4.

To that end, the Anniversary Committee has decided to organize a memorial Church service at Saltpond in the Central region where the UGCC was formed. The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo will be the Special Guest of Honour at the Memorial Service.

Later in the day, a lecture will be delivered by the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Qquaye under the topic “4th August, Ghana’s day of Destiny”.

But speaking to Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa FM Thursday, Kofi Adams said the Akufo Addo government must learn to be thrifty with state funds.

“I was shocked when I learnt about this event on social media, at a time when as a country we’re cutting budgetary support to various institutions and as such we the citizens would want to see some seriousness in government business, the Akufo Addo administration is rather thinking of a celebration. Even vaccines to immunize our children against the six killer childhood diseases has not been unavailable for the past three months. We’re in such crisis and instead of the government sitting down to strategize on how to ease the hardship on Ghanaians, this clueless administration wants to excite itself with a celebration. This is obviously not a time for such merrymaking by this insensitive government.”