Tertiary Education Institutions Network Of NDC (TEIN) UDS

Tertiary Education Institutions Network Of NDC (TEIN) UDS, WA CAMPUS

PRESS CONFERENCE ON SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, let me on behalf of all the members of TEIN UDS, WA CAMPUS, express my profound gratitude to you for honouring our invitation to attend this important press conference of setting the records straight.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, you will recall that on the 11th of November 2012, the dishonest tertiary wing of the NPP (TESCON) held an insipid and incongruous press conference in which they made allegations that were not only spurious but unsubstantiated and baseless against H.E president john dramani mahama, certain key functionaries of the government and the NDC at large.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, TESCON in its shoddy made so-called “setting the records straight” press conference, spuriously and ignorantly claim amongst other things that: 1) The NDC government did nothing to develop UDS. 2) H.E john mahama is a caretaker president. 3) Government did nothing about the NDC’s pledge to construct the Fufulso –Damango-Sawla road prior to the pledge it made in the 2008 general elections. 4) Corruption is rampant and unemployment is high. 5) Government failed to give SADA $ 200million to start its work of bridging the developmental gap between the north and the south.

Having listed the incoherent and fact less claims made by TESCON in a brief form let me now set the records straight.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, on the issue of UDS, the NDC government came into office at a time when security at the Wa campus was challenging and students were virtually living under a worrying state of terror and panic, the NDC government eliminated this nasty situation through the provision of adequate street light to boost security and relaxation on campus.

Again, the government through the SADA project handed over 1000 solar laptops to UDS to facilitate the teaching and learning of science, technology and research through the university’s flagship programme (TTFPP). This will help materialise the positive dream of UDS to train practical problem solvers through applied research. This is indeed a remarkable achievement of the NDC government.

Again, in 2008, the Wa campus of UDS witnessed an unprecedented student demonstration owing to the lack of facilities and inadequate supply of teaching and learning materials both of which was instigated through negligence on the part of the NPP government. Thankfully, the “JOHN AND JOHN” government has managed such situations in an intellectual manner. some NPP members of parliament and other cronies such as the “all die be die” Nana Addo among others sort to build their reputation on the stance that Northern Ghana never deserved a public university and that it was improper to build a university in the north when the idea of establishing UDS was announced in 1992. How can such people who were pessimistic about the idea of establishing UDS and vowed to do everything humanly possible to avert the fruition of such an idea turn around to claim credit over it. If the NDC government had succumbed to the nonsensical stance of the NPP regarding the establishment of UDS, then many Ghanaians of which TESCON members are a part would not have had tertiary education. Thanks to the Jerry John Rawlings government for bringing tertiary education to the door steps of Northerners through the establishment of UDS.

TESCON also claimed that the sod cutting for the construction of the library complex at UDS Wa campus was done four years ago and work is progressing at a slow pace, this is a palpable lie concocted to dent the hard won image of the contractor and discredit the government. Let me state emphatically that the sod cutting was done on 29th march 2011 by the late president, H. E John Evans Atta mills, this is barley one and half years ago and not four (4) years as the TESCON wants us to believe.

It must also be noted that the Upper West Regional Minister, Hon. Sulemana Amidu, wasn’t saved from unemployment by UDS, he was employed as a lecturer by the university on merit and executed his duties duly expected of him with honesty and integrity. Even if it’s so, it must be noted that he was enjoying the benefits of the positive legacy of the Jerry John Rawlings government under which he served as a minister.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, the claim that H.E John Dramani Mahama is a “care taker” president is another area where TESCON has exhibited a high degree of ignorance on constitutional and public issues. It’s worth noting that president Mahama was constitutionally sworn into office by the Chief Justice of the republic of Ghana, Her Lordship Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood at the nation’s house of legislature following the demise of Prof. J.E.A Mills. President John Dramani Mahama assumed full responsibility of the presidency and the state and under no circumstance should be described as a “care taker” president. However, Nana Addo would wish to be called a care taker president but this will only happen in his dreams.

On the issue of the roads linking Upper West to Upper East and the Northern Regions which TESCON claimed nothing is happening, we wish to put on record that in 2006, the people along the Sawla- Damongo- Fufulsu road were happy to hear the then finance minister, the late Kodjo Baah Wiredu announcing in parliament in his presentation of the 2006 budget statement and economic policy of government that the NPP was going to construct a modern road network linking Sawla-Damongo-Fufulsu, they however had their faces being slapped by the NPP government upon the realisation that no head pan of sand meant for the construction of the road was seen before the government left office in 2009. Today, under the leadership of the “JOHN AND JOHN” administration, the road has been awarded on contract and the contractor is on site and hopefully by 2015, the road will be handed over to the government and the people of Ghana. This will not only boost the transportation sector but help to open up areas and connect them to the competitive global environment of business and commerce.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, on corruption, TESCON has made fallacious calculated attempts to blacken the positive image of the NDC and President Mahama in particular. We wish to state emphatically that despite the pledge of zero tolerance of corruption by the NPP government, corruption was seen as a normal thing and virtually institutionalised by the NPP government. This was confirmed by president kufuor’s verbal admission that corruption started since Adams era of human life.

Again, Haruna Essekou, former National Chairman of the NPP categorically stated that president kufour was sitting on corruption at the castle. This comment notwithstanding, a renowned economist and a key member of the NPP, kwame Mpeanim, said the economy was mismanaged by the NPP. If these assertions were made by these leading members of the NPP, who are we to oppose such genuine assertions?

Again, the 2007 auditor general’s report actually indicted the NPP government of corruption when the government intentionally under declared monies received from foreign donors and domestic tax revenue. The report indicated among other things that the NPP government received GHc 295.4million in foreign grants but declared only GHc 28598.40.

Moreover, total tax revenue collected by the three tax agencies was GHc 3,083,333,883.33, the NPP government intentionally declared an amount of GHc 3,071.445,399.22, concealing a gargantuan amount of GHc 11,888,484.05. This high incidence of corruption happened under Akuffo Addo’s watch as minister of Foreign Affairs yet he said nothing to prove his care for the Ghanaian tax payer. How can such a person all of a sudden transmogrify himself into an honest and God fearing man seeking to lead this nation? He will certainly lead us astray.

The SADA issue where TESCON claim nothing has happened by the NDC government is a lie that is cooked in a dilapidated kitchen of falsehood. There is conspicuous evidence contrary to their claim. The NDC government established SADA in 2010 as a vehicle to accelerate its quest in bridging the developmental gap between the north and south of Ghana. On 28th march 2012, government gave SADA GHc100million to operate aside the GHc 5million seed capital, $18million affordable rural housing project, the Avnash rice processing plant in Tamale, Shea nut processing factory in Buipe, 100 farm tractors among others. A proper valuation of these equipments and structures brings the total amount being invested in SADA by government to over GHc 300million. With this facts in place, it’s clear that the NPP and its supporting structures such as TESCON have lost focus.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, on the issue of salary and emoluments of the executive where the TESCON indicated that president Mahama recommended for himself GHc12000.00 monthly salary, we wish to again set the records straight by not just debunking this baseless claim but to state that Ghana has transcend beyond periods where extravagant president exiting post can recommend for himself a two well furnished houses, six cars with drivers, a whooping sum of $1million to set up a foundation among others, all at the expense of the impoverished tax payer such as what president kufour recommended for himself in the Chinnery Hessey committee report. This was a high degree of irresponsibility on the part of the NPP and further confirms that the kufour government was led by a bunch of self seekers who came to loot the insufficient coffers of the state.

Indeed, the arrest and detention of the NPP MP in USA is a sign that the kufour government institutionalised narcotic trade, hence the name, Narcotic Peddlers Party (NPP).

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, with all manner of sanctity and sagacity, TESCON and the NPP should think of how to moralise the character of their presidential candidate in order to demystify public perception that he is arrogant and uncultured rather than attacking the personality of president Mahama whose moral attitude is universally confirmed by all, evidenced in his approach of public issues and his harmonious or cordial relationship with all segments of society.

We wish to finally indicate that the contradictions embedded in the hastily prepared incomprehensible press conference by TESCON, clearly run down to confirm public assertion that the perfidious NPP is suffering from intellectual dishonesty and inconsistency and have decided to embark on barbaric politics of name calling instead of focusing on the issues. This will not move the NDC.

Long live TEIN

Long live JM

Long live NDC

Long live Ghana.

Edey beeeeeeeeee k3k3!!!

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Solahudeen S. Suhuyini (TEIN President)

0249989275

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Fuseini Lukman Kasuli (TEIN Propaganda Secretary)

0241507832