I will not let you capsize the boat - Akufo-Addo warns saboteurs

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured to provide the kind of leadership that will change the socio-economic fortunes of the country and guarantee the freedoms and liberties he promised Ghanaians under his government.

In furtherance of this, he has served notice to his appointees that he will not countenance saboteurs in his government whose action and inactions would derail the sacrifices of people who worked tirelessly to secure victory for the party.

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of party supporters and high-profile government and party officials at the just-ended National Delegates’ Conference held in Cape Coast over the weekend, the President reiterated that as the captain of the ship that has been tasked to transform the fortunes of the people of Ghana, he would not allow anyone to “capsize our boat”.

“I am the captain of the boat [and] I am not allowing anybody to capsize our boat”, he emphasised.

The conference brought together thousands of delegates across the country and party bigwigs, including former President John Kufuor, as well as members of some opposition political parties who were there to give their solidarity messages.

According to the President, the track record of the NPP tradition has never missed the mark as the only government that is able to move the development of Ghana to new levels.

“We are the heirs of the noblest tradition in the Ghanaian politics, the tradition of freedom, the tradition of progress, the tradition of development in freedom. It’s a precious assert and we are going to be faithful to that tradition”, he said.

He, however, emphasised that the future of the New Patriotic Party depends largely on the successes and how well it delivers as a government, and, therefore, charged all government officials to put in their best in terms of conduct and delivery to help the government succeed.

“If we conduct ourselves well, if we respect the wishes and aspirations of the Ghanaian people that brought us here today and comport ourselves, the dignity with humility as people who have come to provide service to our nation that is the foundation that will allow us to build on victory upon victory for the future of our country.”

Jobs through the private sector development

He assured that although the state does not have enough employment capacity, his government will empower the private sector to deliver the needed jobs for the people.

“We came not to create jobs in the state; we came to create jobs in the private sector. That is our mantra; that is our vision. We will leave state creation of jobs to the socialists who want everything to be dominated by the state; that is not our vision for Ghana. Our vision for Ghana is about a thriving economy built on the enterprise and the energy and initiatives of the Ghanaian private sector.”

He added that his preoccupation six months into office has been to rehabilitate the economy and to put it on sound footing, and to fulfil all its promises to Ghanaians.

“If we are going to deliver on jobs, which we have identified as our biggest challenge, we can only do so if we have an economy that is strong, stable and growing. We will not be able to create jobs with a dysfunctional and a disordered economy, and that is what we have begun to do, to lay the foundations of sustained growth of our national economy,” he said.

He added that it was important for people who are put in power positions to deliver the social good and to redeem their promises to the people.

“It is important for the growth of our democracy that the people will have confidence in their political leaders, will see people who come to tell them; if you give me the power, we would do this and do that, and that the people when they get the power, do it.

“The situation whereby promises are made and are not kept undermine our prospects for orderly, stable democratic government in our country, and that is why it is important that the promises that we made to the Ghanaian people, we begin to fulfil them,” he emphasised.



Revamping NHIS

He stated that by dint of prudent management under his government, steps have been taken to relieve that National Health Insurance Scheme of debts that have since thwarted its operations and hampered access to affordable healthcare delivery in the country.

“In the hands of our predecessors that schemes was being compromised by more and more debt. When we came, we inherited the indebtedness of the National Health Insurance Scheme of GH¢1.2 billion…by dint of prudent management, already, within these seven months, we have paid GH¢560 million of that debt.”

The conference, which was under theme ‘Our roots, our experience our future’, was to afford the party an opportunity to take stock of its performance in government and to strategise for the future.

I will deal with corruption

The President also assured of his commitment to fight corruption in his government, and his resolve not to shield anyone who is found to be corrupt.

Effectively, he said he has directed the security agencies to investigate any allegations of corruption against any of his appointees.

“We are told that there is corruption in the Akufo-Addo government. Let me reassure you of one thing: any allegation about corruption against any official member of my government will be investigated by the law enforcement agencies, every single one. And those who made that allegation better be prepared to support it when they are making these allegations of corruption because nobody is going to get away with it,” he noted.

He assured that although there are moves to delay the processes of establishing the office of the Special Prosecutor, to deal with the issues of corruption in a non-partisan, objective and impartial manner in the country, its establishment will soon see the light of day.

“There will be a lot of parliamentary moves to try and delay its coming into being by those who are interested in delaying it; but it will come,” he assured.



We will deliver – Bawumia

Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who also addressed the delegates, said government has taken some bold decisions that is helping restore and improve the economy of the country.

He said that with competent persons managing the economy, government is on course to deliver on its promises to transform the fortunes of the country and make it prosper.

“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP promised the nation that our government will transform the economy by ensuring that we replace incompetence with competence in the management of the economy. I must say without any fear of contradiction that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indeed replaced incompetence with competence in the management of our economy.”

He asked Ghanaians to repose confidence in the Nana Addo-led government to make the country prosperous.

“Fellow Ghanaians, we are delivering on our promise of transforming the economy, and by the grace of God, we will continue to deliver! Insha Allah, we are on course, under the visionary leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to deliver a Ghana beyond aid.”

Discuss party matters internally – Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, in his speech at the conference, entreated members of the party to endeavour to use internal channels in addressing party issues and avoid criticising the party in public.

“I want to entreat each and every one of us not to, and let me repeat not to, say or do anything or conduct ourselves in any way that will destabilise the party…If you have any criticisms, please render the criticism indoors. You don’t wash dirty linen in public,” he said.

To help the party succeed in achieving its vision for developing the country and maintaining power for a longer period, former President John Kufuor urged the current leadership of the party to employ intelligent and professional people who have no ambitions for political power but are only interested in working at the backroom strategising for the party.

“The backroom people don’t tend to be too good on platforms; that’s the profession of politicians like us, but invariably behind us; we’ve got the backroom people working for us. It’s the same in government. So the party headquarters must be equipped with such full timers. They must be paid well and their role is just to sit and think and strategise for us. They will be strengthening the party’s future. We talk about sustainability these days and I think the way to get to it is to get so professional in the backroom,” he stressed.