Accra, Jan. 28, GNA - Mr. Joseph B. Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, Wednesday said President Agyekum Kufuor was a God fearing man and who is not the type to visit shrines to consult mediums to help him maintain his position in power.
Mr. Aidoo this remark in his contribution to a motion by Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, NPP - and seconded by Alhaji Muhamad Mumuni, NDC - Kumbungu, which opened the debate on the President's State of the Nation Address.
Members of Parliament were in disagreement whether it is the third or fourth.
His remark attracted remarkable opposition from the members of the minority side, characterized by a roar and interventions.
Mr. Aidoo took the floor again and continued that the President expressed to the nation in his address that he was a confident man and that his confidence was in God who he feared and by whose grace only, he (The President) would have the mandate of the populace to rule again.
He said the President was however not complacent, in that he showed his awareness that some persons would do whatever they could to ensure that he lost the mandate of the people so he is taking the necessary precautions to forestall that.
Mr Aidoo said it was sad that the President's claim that cocoa revenue increased appreciably because of the toil and sweat of farmers, was received with contempt by the members of the Minority side.
"To say that the increase was largely because of the smuggle of cocoa beans from Cote d'Ivoire is an insult to the hard working cocoa farmers and technical men involved in the mass spraying exercise," he said.
Mrs. Edith Hazel, NDC - Evalue-Gwira, said the introduction of the President's address, which focused on criticizing the previous NDC government, was an indication that the nation could not expect anything new from the NPP government.
Mrs. Grace Coleman, NPP - Effiduase - Asokore, said it was proper to trace the history behind the programmes the present government is undertaking, adding that, what the NPP came to inherit from the NDC mentioned in the President's address was without any malice, but to make the populace understand the context within which the government was pursuing certain policies and programmes.
Mr. Ahiable said the disbursement of the HIPC fund must be brought to Parliament for approval before disbursements are made, adding that without that, Parliament cannot play its oversight role on government effectively.
Dr. Kwabena Adjei was of the opinion that the President's address should have focused mainly on zero tolerance for corruption, positive change and golden age of business, which were the fundamental principles upon which the NPP won power.
"We must be told for instance whether the change of the role of the media from being a watchdog of the government to a watchdog of the opposition is a positive or a negative change."
