Kweku Baako
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Monday met with the general public at an event organized by Joy FM in Accra to mark President Akufo-Addo's first 100 days in office.
The event dubbed "Time with the Vice", which was aimed at having the Vice President answer questions from the public on the President's 100 days, saw him disclosing some achievements of the Nana Addo administration.
Speaking at the event, he noted that the NPP government has made 103 achievements within its first 100 days.
One of the achievements he listed is that the government has "arrested" the cedi and also decreased debt among others in order to better the lives of Ghanaians.
“We have arrested the cedi from running . . . and have given the keys to the IGP," he said, adding that the government has also upped the country's foreign reserve from less than $6 billion to $8 billion.
"This is the achievement and with that you have a lot more confidence in the economy and you see stability return to the currency," he said.
The government has however been criticized by the opposition party members for failing to roll out major promises they made to Ghanaians prior to last year's elections.
Addressing the 100 days of the President on PeaceFM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Kweku Baako Jnr. lauded President Akufo-Addo and the Vice President for opening themselves up for scrutiny from the public.
According to him, the initiative to meet with the media to answer questions on national development is commendable and so the government must be given the maximum credit.
Kweku Baako recounted past records of Presidents creating opportunities for the media to assess them.
He alluded to the regimes of former Presidents Kufour and the late President Mills but was quick to lambast former President Rawlings for showing hostility towards the media.
Ex-President Rawlings, he stated, "had some hostility or phobia or both for the media. So, for him, we pleaded with him to meet the media but he never came. He didn’t have any respect for the media, so it never happened.”
However, in his assessment of the President's 100 days, he was of the view that the government cannot be expected to accomplish his promises under 100 days.
To him, the government rather needs time to work out its policies but wondered how people would want the President to have made several achievements.
Mr. Baako also oined that "we're not a collapsed State. We’re not a failed State. I think that when we compare ourselves to so many countries in third world, not just Africa; Ghana has done well. We should be proud of ourselves that we have been able to sustain democracy for some 25 years and making progress. It’s very [very] important. If you haven’t tasted dictatorship before, you won’t understand what I’m saying. So, to that extent, it’s good”.
