I Can’t Lie About Economy– Asaga

Shortly after his removal from the position of a Minority Spokesman (Ranking Member) on Finance, Hon Moses Asaga has slammed his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for pushing him to the elastic point.

Asaga said he cannot lie about the improvement being witnessed in the economy, especially in the area of micro-finance under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and that he would give credit where it was due.

In his rebuttal of the reason adduced by his party for his removal as Shadow Minister on Finance, Moses Asaga, who was also a one-time Deputy Finance Minister under the NDC administration, told Citi FM that “it is unfortunate because I have taken on Baah Wiredu on three occasions, so if they say I am not critical, I don’t really understand, because I have been very critical on issues.

But when it comes to the micro-finance, there has been an improvement, so I cannot lie about that fact.” The Nabdam MP was also suspected by his party to be flirting with the NPP and compromising his position as their spokesperson on Finance.

About perceptions that he has compromised his party’s interest, the economist said this could stem from the fact he has been objective all along, giving credit to the NPP where it was due.

In an imminent reshuffle in the NDC, the MP said he thought he could be moved to the Energy or Trade sector.

It would be recalled that in 2004, the one-time Deputy Defence Minister, Dr. Tony Aidoo, had asked for Moses Asaga’s removal because the MP had led the Minority to endorse the CNTC loan agreement, which was eventually rejected by the government.

Tony Aidoo, a fiery Rawlings loyalist, had told a newspaper at the time, “I think that there was a misleading element in the representation of the whole loan package and I think that the person who should take the whole responsibility is Moses Asaga.

Either Moses Asaga has behaved very irresponsibly or, excuse me to say, he has been incahut (sic) with the NPP government.”

Economic and political analysts say Moses Asaga has not been soft with the NPP as the leading opposition party wanted Ghanaians to believe.

In October 2005, he fought fiercely to have the government reverse the petrol price increase from ¢30,000 to ¢32,000 among other things.

As the country inches towards another general elections in 2008, the NDC is grappling with the task of putting in place, people who can punch holes in the incumbent ruling party’s policies to tilt the scales in their favour.

Obsessed with getting the ruling NPP hit, at all times, by their hatchet-men, the NDC has replaced Asaga with the man considered a Rawlings’ lackey, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, who is also a tax law expert to deal decisively with their archrivals.

Kumbuor is also the former president’s lead counsel and legal consultant whose militant approach to matters concerning the ruling party has certainly gone down well with the NDC founder, who failed in 2005 to kick out Hon Alban Bagbin and replace him with Eddie Adjaho, MP for Avenor.

Alban Bagbin was only saved by the opposition to the move by the Northern caucus in the NDC.