President's address is a propaganda piece-Bagbin

Accra, Feb. 3,GNA- Mr Alban K. S. Bagbin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, on Thursday described the President john Agyekum Kufuor's State of the Nation Address as "a propaganda piece" aimed at covering up Government's failings.

"This is an attempt to use a sort of propaganda to achieve reconciliation in order to smoothen his exit into an eventual retirement."

The Minority Leader told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Parliament that President Kufuor spoke humbly but told an old familiar story. Mr Bagbin said the message dwelt too much on what was to be done and very little about the state in which Ghanaians found themselves.

"He did not talk about diseases, the state of our hospitals and other sectors of our lives. He did not even tell us how we are faring on the war against guinea worm. I understand we have performed better than only some of the war-torn countries in Africa like Sudan." He said President Kufuor had made many promises before and broken them adding "we do not expect him to deliver on what he has just promised".

Alhaji Amadu Soroghu, NDC-Abokobi-Madina, said the targets set in the message were not achievable.

"How are we going to build the 10,000 housing units when the cost of all building materials have shot up, when there are no concrete efforts to deliver."

He said:" We are very optimistic but one has to be realistic when it comes to national aspirations." The new member said the President did not address the low salary level, high school fees, the exodus of health professionals and human rights abuses.

He said Ghanaians were struggling to cope with the harsh economic conditions and needed well thought out rescue plans. Reacting to the sentiments of the Minority, Mr Felix Owusu Adjapong, the Majority Leader, said the targets presented in the message were achievable.

He said the success chalked by President Kufuor's Government would become a favourite bedtime story in years to come.

"Most of us have made it through life through hard work and foresight. We have said that we will deliver and we will deliver," he stressed.