Sit Up ! - JAK to Ministers

President John Kufuor asked his Ministers to make use of any available opportunity to educate Ghanaians about government’s efforts at alleviating their suffering.

According to the President, the problems inherited by the NPP government are so enormous that the government could easily lose out in its attempt to resolve them. The President is disappointed that government officials failed to effectively explain and defend the administration’s decision to purchase cars from Nigeria for the police. He said the Information Ministry, especially should be up and doing to stop people from rising up against the government.

Speaking at a workshop for Ministers, to assess government’s performance in the past year and to refocus on their goals in what is left of the government’s four-year term, the President warned that there is an even greater risk that some officials might become so complacent and lose the dynamism that propelled them into office.

Asking his ministers to depart from the language of the passive to the language of action, the President said it is time for government to do more than it has done so far. In apparent concern over criticism levelled against government by sections of the public, the President said “from now onwards, our language should change. It should shift from we shall do this or the other, to we have done this or we are doing this or the other.”

“Let the people hear the sound of food processing and packaging. Let the young people get off the streets into skill training courses and into productive work. Let the people see classrooms rehabilitated and equipped. There have been enough discussions about the health insurance schemes, it is time to put them into operation.”

“Let the people feel safe on the streets and in their homes. Due to prudence and good management, money is available to start all these projects. To be able to sustain the activity and avoid the stop-go that has been the feature of our lives for so long, we must grow the economy.”

President Kufuor admitted that the country’s current growth rate of 4 percent, is not good enough saying that at the current rate it will take not less than fifty years to take Ghanaians out of poverty. As far as the President is concerned, it is within government’s ability to accomplish the promises it made in the NPP manifesto. Especially, considering that government’s prudence and management have provided the finances needed to start projects to alleviate the people’s plight.