President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians that the promises he made during the electioneering period were not mere campaign platform talks, but are pledges that will be fulfilled during his presidency.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the fulfillment of the pledges remain the surest way to creating jobs and wealth for the people and return the country onto the path of progress and prosperity.
Showing his eagerness to fulfilling all his promises with a mantra 'We Go Do', the president urged Ghanaians to have confidence in the government. “Some people cast doubts about my promises,” he noted.
“I made a lot of pledges during the campaign. We have started fulfilling them. The free senior high school policy will commence from September 2017. So you should know that what I said during the campaign was not political talk. Yesterday, in parliament, the 'Asempa' budget became law.
The Appropriations Act has been made, so there is financial provision for free SHS in the budget,” he said in Kumasi during an interaction with transport unions as part of a three-day visit to the Ashanti Region.
“Ghanaians should know that I did not lie to them during the campaign, in order to get their votes. Whatever I said I was going to do, I will do,” he stressed.
The president also used the visit to pay homage to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Asanteman Council at the Manhyia Palace.
“We said we were going to reduce taxes, which had become a burden on businesses and were stifling productivity. We said we were going to reduce import duties on imported spare parts. The first budget has removed taxes on imported spare parts in our country. We have also abolished a number of other taxes,” he stated.
This was met with a rapturous response by the packed hall at the Cultural Centre, with many expressing their appreciation for the gesture by the government of President Akufo-Addo.
Competence
At the Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo Osei Tutu gave a huge endorsement to the NPP administration, saying he has no doubt about the competence of President Akufo-Addo.
Otumfuo disclosed that he had known and related closely to the Ghanaian leader since 1977 – especially during their days in the United Kingdom (UK) – and so he could vouch for Nana Addo on the issue of competence.
The Asantehene stated that he was cock sure that with positive support from all and sundry, the president would deliver his campaign promises to help improve the lives of Ghanaians.
Legacy
Otumfuo also said at the president's advanced age of 73, he believes he (president) was not hankering to enrich himself with state money to the detriment of the people who voted him and the NPP into government.
He admonished President Akufo-Addo to aim at leaving behind a good legacy so that his name would be boldly written in Ghana's history as someone whose tenure as president brought good tidings to the state.
Before the Asanteman Council, Otumfuo charged President Akufo-Addo to do his best to accelerate Ghana's developmental agenda, reminding him that Ghanaians voted for him because they knew he could deliver, “So Nana should not let them down.”
Gossips
Otumfuo admonished President Akufo-Addo to be careful so that his close associates, party members, family and friends would not mislead him to fail, saying, “You will fail if you listen to gossips.”
He sternly warned that if Nana Akufo-Addo doesn't take care, his aides and the people he trusts so much will feed him with gossips and distorted information which may prevent him from fulfilling his campaign promises, adding that he should not be blinded by loyalty.
In this regard, Otumfuo entreated President Akufo-Addo to thoroughly examine and cross-check documents and information delivered to him by his close associates so that he would not be misled.
Support
The Asantehene stated that just as he positively supported and advised former Presidents Rawlings, Kufuor, Mills and Mahama, so he would do to President Akufo-Addo for him to succeed.
He said Ghanaians need quality healthcare, quality and accessible education and developmental projects and so the head of state should do his best to provide them.
Otumfuo said his doors are always opened to President Akufo-Addo so he can rely on him for wise counsel and support to deliver to the satisfaction of the citizenry.
Mahama's Confession
Otumfuo said ex-President Mahama recently stormed the Manhyia Palace to tell him (Otumfuo) that he had regretted for not taking and acting on some wise counsel the king gave him whilst he was in office.
According to him, other ex-Ghanaian Presidents like Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and the late Prof. Mills, after they had left political office, also said they regretted for not taking key advice from him (Otumfuo).
The Asantehene stated that he believes President Akufo-Addo would not toe a similar path and regret after he had left office.
Delta Force
In his succinct remarks, Nana Akufo-Addo expressed worry over the recent Delta Force violent action in Kumasi, assuring the Asantehene that the matter would be handled according to the law.
Nana Akufo-Addo stated emphatically that his administration would give no room for acts of vandalism and violence, indicating that the laws of the state would apply to all without fear or favour.
President Akufo-Addo's remarks came in the wake of the “attack” on the Ashanti Regional Security Co-ordinator, George Agyei, by members of the Delta Force – a group aligned to the ruling party.
“I know this matter is a source of great worry for you, Otumfuo. Let not your heart be troubled. The incident has occurred, and I assure you that measures have been put in place to forestall the reoccurrence of this issue in Asanteman, and, for that matter, in any part of the country,” he added.
He told the gathering that his visit to the region was to thank the Asantehene and Asanteman for the massive show of confidence reposed in him and the New Patriotic Party in the 2016 elections.
“The vote I got in Ashanti was unprecedented. I, therefore, came to show appreciation, and to tell Asanteman of the policy initiatives we are putting in place to ensure that we bring relief to the people of this country, and, thereby, return the country onto the path of progress and prosperity,” he added.
He was accompanied by Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister; Osei Assibey Antwi, Kumasi Mayor; S.K. Boafo, a former minister; John Boadu, NPP Acting General Secretary; Members of Parliament and leading members of the party.
Zongo Durbar
President Akufo-Addo insists that campaign promises like the Zongo Development Fund would soon become a reality.
He has, therefore, urged the people to have hope in his administration.
He was addressing a durbar of Zongo chiefs, imams and the entire Zongo people in Kumasi.
The president, as part of his working tour of the Ashanti Region, interacted with people from the Zongo community at the Kumasi Central Mosque on Sunday.
Acording to him, there would be positive change in the lives of people living in the Zongos throughout the country..
