New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central Constituency, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has dismissed reports that he and other MPs were bribed to step down calls for Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to be sacked by President Akufo-Addo.
Appiah-Kubi led a group of about 80 MPs earlier this week demanding the immediate removal of Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
The MPs cited the struggling economy as the basis for their call threatening to boycott government business in the House if their call is not heeded to.
After a meeting at the Presidency on Tuesday, it emerged that an agreement had been reached between the Majority Caucus and the President to have Ofori-Atta conclude the latest round of talks with the International Monetary Fund and to also present and see to the appropriation of the 2023 budget before ‘leaving.’
That deal has seen members of the public thrash the MPs for having allowed themselves to be induced financially to back down on their call.
This, Appiah Kubi stresses is incorrect.
In an interview with Accra-based Joy News, he said: “I want one person, anybody associated with any such person who thinks that he can give money … If I hear anybody making an allegation, I will come out with information.
“I will come out with information that we are beyond the bribes, our motivation is not the financial inducement, we don’t have money in our pockets but at least we have conscience. We will not reduce ourselves to that situation,” he added.
He revealed that they had previously been approached with financial inducement but that they had repelled all such maneuvers.
“Anybody who wants to attempt, be advised. We have sent this message to some people, they have sat upright. We have sound enough warning to people who want to influence members of our coalition with materialism, it won’t happen.”
In a separate interview, the MP said he expected Ofori-Attato be removed as Minister latest by December 31, 2022; by which time the budget appropriation would have been completed all things being equal.
The Deputy Majority Chief Whip of the 8th Parliament, Habib Iddrisu, has described the ‘Building the Ghana We Want’ lecture by ex-President John Dramani Mahama as a useless exercise.
According to him, the former president failed to proffer any tangible solution to the country’s challenges.
In a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Habib Iddrisu added that Mahama only engaged in mere fabrications and lamentations of his own failures as president.
“Yesterday, I literally wasted my time listening to the ex-president. I listened throughout his speech, and I couldn’t actually understand. In fact, it was very empty. In fact, it was a lamentation of his own mistakes.
“At the end of the day, there is nothing new that he said yesterday that he had not said before. His presentation was empty in terms of facts. It was empty in terms of data. It was a lamentation of his own mistakes,” he said.
He reiterated that the former president did not give any solution to the challenges in the country, adding that, left to him alone, the Akufo-Addo government would not give any attention to the statements Mahama made.
Meanwhile, former President John Dramani Mahama, while delivering the lecture at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, UPSA; lamented the state in which Ghana finds itself economically, stressing that the buck stops with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He holds, however, that Akufo-Addo has refused serially to take responsibility for the current mess.
Mahama said that the country had been left to ministers who were performing below par but who the president insists are ‘excellent.’
He recalled an incident last December where Akufo-Addo said the economic challenges were “not my fault; he refuses to take responsibility,” Mahama stressed.
The former president insisted that mismanagement was at the heart of the current crisis and not a pandemic or war, “Ghana has been turned into a family heirloom,” Mahama noted.
According to him, the National Democratic Congress remained ready to share pragmatic steps on how to deal with the current challenges despite the refusal of the New Patriotic Party government to seek support, even if through back channels.
John Dramani Mahama, the 2020 presidential candidate of the country’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), addressed the nation on Thursday, October 27, 2022, from Accra.
The event, dubbed ‘Building the Ghana We Want,’ allowed the former president of Ghana to diagnose what he believed are the current problems the country is facing, as well as proffer solutions to how to make them better.
Reading a 39-page address at the UPSA Hall in Accra, the former president outlined a number of issues that he believes can save the country from further economic mess if the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government implores them.
Below are highlights of his speech as put together by GhanaWeb:
1. Reducing the public debt, debt service obligations and creating fiscal space
“The biggest problem with our economy today is the huge size of our public debt, estimated to be around GH¢ 522 billion by close of this year. This must immediately be tackled and stopped from growing further.
“To achieve this:
1) An immediate moratorium must be placed on all non-concessional borrowing.
2) Government must actively canvass our bilateral partners for more concessional financing and grants.
3) There must be a stop to Central Bank financing of government above the 5% threshold. The current printing of money to finance Government’s deficit is further fueling inflation.
4) Government must stop collateralizing statutory funds for the purpose of taking on more loans. The wanton collateralization has been unhelpful.”
2. Cutting cost, reducing waste, and spending wisely
Under this, he called for the down-streaming of the size of ministers, secretariats and agencies, the cutting down of the budget of the Office of the President, check waste in government expenditure and corruption, the suspension of non-essential projects, and a call for greater transparency in public procurement.
“It is a notorious fact that corruption has defeated the Akufo-Addo government. In fact, it is fair to say that there has never really been a fight against corruption under Akufo-Addo.
“The graft and misapplication of public funds by government appointees call for radical action and not shielding of perpetrators, as we have sadly witnessed in the last few years.”
3. Stabilizing the currency, cutting the import bill and job creation
While expanding this point, John Dramani Mahama called for a consideration of the Operation Feed Yourself program of 1976, as a measure of sustaining progress in agricultural production, with a focus on small scale producers.
He also called for the Akufo-Addo government to leverage on the country’s energy and petroleum sectors to help shore up the economy.
“We do enormous damage to our currency, the cedi, and our economy, when we spend billions of dollars on the importation of rice, sugar, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry, meat products and vegetable cooking oils.
“Yet we have more than the potential to produce here to feed ourselves and even export. It is estimated that forex outlay for food products for which we have a comparative advantage to produce locally amounts to some $3 billion every year.
“It is said that out of adversity comes opportunity. Restriction of importation of some of these products, side-by-side with increased local production, is a realistic proposition that we need to begin to consider.”
What Ghanaians can do to support the economy:
President John Dramani Mahama however called on the citizenry to play a critical role in all of this.
Basing his call for domestication, he urged people to patronize more local products and avoid the needs to patronize things from overseas.
“While responsibility for the difficulties we face lie with the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government, there are things we can do as citizens in our own small way to minimize the suffering we are going through and help Government turn the situation around.
“A good way to start will be to regulate and minimize out expenditure by sticking to only the things that we really need. As much as possible, we need to acquire and sustain a taste and preference for locally manufactured products.
“If we must buy consumables or food products, let us choose that rice or chicken that is produced locally so that it doesn’t become necessary to find millions of dollars to import the same items.
“Let us consciously eat more of our local foods like yam, local grains, cassava, beans, local fruits, and vegetables. That way, we reduce demand for foreign currency, reduce the pressure on our own currency and boost domestic production to create a win-win situation.
“Cut down on non-essential foreign travel and cut down on expensive foreign products in our homes. If there ever was a time to be thrifty, this is it!”
The government and the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, are negotiating for an economic rescue scheme, but conversations are not going well, according to renowned economist and elder statesman Kwame Pianim.
In an interview with Accra-based TV3, he claimed that President Akufo-Addo and his troubled Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, were primarily to blame for the current state of affairs.
He claimed that the IMF was waiting for Akufo-Addo to provide a clear statement on the problem.
should accept responsibility for it and take decisive action to address the problems before they arise.
He noted that Ofori-continuing Atta’s tenure in office in the face of calls for his ouster was not resolving matters.
“The IMF negotiations are not going well. I know this for a fact. What the IMF is waiting for is a bold credible pronouncement from the president as he did over [the] COVID.
“The president said I take full responsibility, I am in charge and I am going to make sure that Ghanaians are protected from [the] COVID,” he submitted.
“We need the president to own the crisis. To come out and say, there is nothing that I will not do to stabilize the economy of Ghana, to stop this pressure and the economic crisis that is looming and that there are no sacred cows,” he stressed stating the need to review any and every government programme if need be.
Pushed about how he knew the negotiations were not going well, he insisted: “It is not going well, the negotiations. I know that. That is my business, to keep my ears open, I am a Ghanaian, and I am interested in the economy moving in the right direction.
“We have friends in Washington so what I am saying is that it is not going well,” he reiterated.
Government months back approached the IMF for a support programme amid an economic crisis. Whiles it has partly blamed the aftershock of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, the opposition insists the crisis has been brought on by economic mismanagement brought on by reckless borrowing and unnecessary spending.
Former President, John Mahama has blamed the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Attafor the country’s economic woes.
According to him, the President’s seeming inability to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta from office is making the situation worse.
“To be clear, we’re in this mess because of an untouchable Finance Minister relying on his Databank workers and neglecting the advice of seasoned experts at the Finance Ministry. He has been left to run this economy into the ground’.
We’re in this mess because of the so called solid Economic Management Team, who over the last several years has been unable to call the President’s cousin (Ofori-Atta) to order when he embarked on a reckless borrowing spree”.
Speaking at a lecture on the economy on Thursday, he stressed that the incompetence of the sector minister and the entire Akufo-Addo regimeaccounts for the depreciation of the Cedi and the other economic challenges plaguing the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we in the NDC will not have dared been reckless or would we have been allowed to be irresponsible in the handling of the public purse and the nation’s resources as the NPP has done.
We would not have been reckless and even society would not have allowed us to do some of the things that they have done. We’ve had our set of challenges in government. But nothing we did, or the outcome thereof has come anyway near close to the disaster unfolding before our eyes today”, he said.
The theme for the lecture was ‘Building The Ghana We Want’.
Touching on the hardship facing Ghanaians, he assured that the next NDC governmentwill rescue Ghana from its current state through prudent economic reforms and policies.
He also urged the current regime to consider measures such as a cut in the number of government appointees as a means of salvaging the economy.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo will on Sunday, October 30, also address the nation on the economic challenges facing the country and its people.
The President made this known in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The address is scheduled for 8:00pm, and will be telecast on ‘GTV and on major television networks across the country’, the post said.
The address by the President comes in the wake of recent public agitations about the ailing state of the economy.
At the moment, Ghana’s economyis reeling under pressure; a situation which has led to an increase in the cost of living as well as what some have described as a ‘galloping inflation’.
The country’s local currency is also battling a fluctuation against the US dollar and other major trading currencies across the globe.
Coupled with graduate unemployment and the general hardship in the system, many Ghanaians have subsequently bemoaned the situation and called on government to speedily resolve the crisis.
For some, the President’s upcoming address, therefore, comes as a welcome relief amidst the prevailing challenges.
Meanwhile, government says it is working to put the economy on a better footing.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, has insisted that his party, the New Patriotic Party, are better managers of Ghana’s economy compared to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking in an interview on TV3, which GhanaWeb monitored, Okyere Baafi said that if the NDC were the handlers of the economy in these difficult times, Ghanaians would be suffering so much that they would have to resort to selling people to make a living.
“When we say people have the men to govern, have the ideas to govern, it is even out of place to compare the NDC and the NPP. I don’t stand to be corrected. How do you say that? It is completely out of place.
“You cannot situate this at any given talk or conversation. What were you (the NDC) able to do? As a matter of fact, I am telling you with confidence that if you people were to be in power by this time, people will be selling human beings on the street of Ghana… It is a statement of fact that I’m making to you,” he said.
Okyere Baafi, who is the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, also refuted assertions by the NDC that Ghanaians are facing a lot of challenges because the Akufo-Addo government does not listen.
According to him, the advice given to the government by the opposition NDC are out of bad will.
“The mindset (of the opposition), the spirit behind the talk is not clear. It doesn’t seem good. It is not honest,” he added.
Pressure group Arise Ghana has announced its decision to demonstrate over the severe economic hardship visited on Ghanaians by president Akufo-Addo’s administration.
The group made the announcement to demonstrate in a statement jointly signed by Mr Rex Omar, Mensah Thompson, Bernard Mornah and Bobie Ansah.
The demonstration is expected to come off on November 15, 2022.
Below is the full statement:
“Arise Ghana observes with grave concern the current trend of severe economic hardship that has been visited on Ghanaians.
“We are of the view that such degree of suffering visited on Ghanaians are as a result of the recklessness, incompetence and greed of President Akufo-Addo, Ken Ofori-Atta and Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.
“Arise Ghana also notes with even greater concern the recent spate of insults thrown at Ghanaians at the mere attempt to complain about the severe economic hardship they are forced to endure under President Akufo-Addo, not only from the President himself but from his family and close acquaintances.
“Arise Ghana as the most vibrant pressure group that has led Ghana’s economic struggles in recent past deem it very important to yet again rise to the ocassion and bring some hope to struggling young people and the good people of Ghana.
“Arise Ghana, therefore, wishes to use this medium to announce its plans to lead a massive demonstration in the capital on 15th November 2022.
“Ahead of this massive demonstration, Arise Ghana will also engage various groups such as trade unions, labour groups, youth groups and other stakeholders.
“Again we want to use this medium to commend people like lawyer Martin Kpebu, Prof Ransford Gyampo, Prof Bokpin and others who have been fearless in pointing out the current crisis that we find ourselves in.
“We wish to assure them that they enjoy unflinching support from Arise Ghana and we shall stand with them through thick and thin.
“But finally, we wish to use this opportunity to call on young people of this country to remain calm as we prepare to provide them a platform where they can express their frustrations in a democratic manner.
“We also call on the Ghana Armed Forces to remain calm as we explore democratic avenues to put this country back on the path of prosperity and bring relief to the people.
Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has stated that President Akufo-Addo’s engagement with identifiable economic groups and institutions in the country has been fruitful and smooth and the deliberations has largely focused on the need to restore economic stability.
He said this when he addressed the press at the Jubilee House on 26 October 2022, at the end of two days of broad consultations between the President and multiple groups and stakeholders in the country’s economic space.
Amongst the groups the President held meetings with are; Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Ghana Association of Bankers, Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and Transport Operators.
The rest are Forex Bureau Association of Ghana, Forex Bureau, Market Women, Ghana Employers Association, Private Enterprise Federation, and the leaders of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
In his interaction with the identifiable bodies, President Akufo-Addo, according to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, briefed them on the state of negotiations between his government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the implications of a possible programme with the fund on the country’s economy in the coming weeks and in the long term.
“Cost of living has been big on the agenda, the currency is being big on the agenda but item number one has been stability, restoring economic stability and then on the back of that, looking to how we can bring back so growth and expansion on the Ghana economy. These discussions have gone very smoothly” Oppong Nkrumah said.
“Our expectation is that all of these will form a part of what the President and cabinet will be considering over the weekend prior to making some decision and then on Sunday, he [President Akufo-Addo] will have the opportunity to address the nation and we take the steps from there” he added.
President Akufo-Addo’s engagement with economic groupings in the country and the upcoming Cabinet retreat follows the challenging state of the country’s economy as a result of the hit it has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the geo-political war ongoing between Russia and Ukraine.
The entire global economy according to financial expects is slipping into recession as the World Bank warns that it will take all the countries of the world several decades to pay off the debts they have accumulated over COVID-19 spending in the last two years alone.
President Akufo-Addo will on Sunday, October 30, 2022, at 8PM speak to Ghanaians over the current economic hardships facing the country.
Since Ghana’s economy turned sour, President Akufo-Addo has not officially addressed the nation.
This left many, particularly members of the opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) peeved, as they argued that the President must assume his mandate and provide hope to Ghanaians.
Pressure group OccupyGhana urged the President to update the citizenry on the state of the economy and the general affairs of the country, as he did during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No one expects the President to physically halt the fall of the cedi or conjure inflation away. However, it is imperative in such times that Ghanaians get the reassurance that their elected leader is doing all he can and that he cares. The cedi is ‘burning’. The Ghanaian economy is in tatters. It is a disaster. Yet we do not see commanding leadership in this matter,” the group said.
The Majority Caucus in Parliament on Wednesday issued a tempered statement following a surprise announcement on Tuesday by some of its members who had called for the removal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister of State for Finance Charles Adu Boahene.
Wednesday’s press statement by the Majority Caucus, signed by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, MP, Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, confirmed a much anticipated, but quick, meeting between President Nana Akufo-Addo and his party’s MPs about the surprise announcement, with Members of Parliament (MPs) of the governing National Patriotic Party (NPP) pledging to back the President.
Sources at Jubilee House had earlier indicated that the call for the removal of the Ministers for Finance had caught the Presidency by surprise.
According to the statement, the President has requested that the matter be delayed and “acted upon” after “the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)” as well as the next presentation of the budget statement and economic policy”. This is to be followed by the passage of the Appropriation Bill, which is also a few weeks away.
The Majority Caucus, in their press statement, said that after internal discussions among their rank and file on Wednesday, they had “agreed to accede to the President’s appeal”.
In the meantime, analysts have pondered over the timing of Tuesday’s surprise announcement with looming fears over the uncertainty of the state of the country’s economic health should the Finance Ministers step aside, especially at a watershed moment. The two are currently leading negotiations on Ghana’s 17th return to the IMF. They are also in the middle of a yet-to-be finalised debt restructuring programme.
President Akufo-Addo has described as unacceptable the role of the black market in determining forex prices.
He has warned that government will not tolerate the unregulated activities of black market operators, which is partly responsible for the depreciation of the cedi against major trading currencies.
Opening a meeting with operators of forex bureau at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo said the Bank of Ghana will continue to clamp down on such illegal activities.
“I have been informed that the activities of these black market operators largely contributed to the currency depreciation. This is unacceptable” he said.
Stressing the need to remove activities of black market operators, President Akufo-Addo pointed out that players in that market deliberately engage in speculative activities to cause instability in the exchange rate market.
This, he said is engineered to allow the illegal operators benefit from the fall of the cedi against major trading currencies like the dollar.
On his part, the Chairman of the Ghana Association of Forex Bureaus, K.T Dadzieassured that his members will work with the Bank of Ghana to help stabilize the cedi against the other trading currencies.
He stated that a recent announcement of new measures and collaboration with members of the association is already bearing fruits as the local currency show signs of stabilization.
“Like I was telling the Governor and co yesterday, with the announcement that we were meeting yesterday, the rate started coming down. It means it’s not natural. It is done by people speculating and trying to make windfall out of the situation that we are in,” he said.
Mr. Dadzie assured that members of the association will continue to obey the rules of the Bank of Ghana to help stabilize the cedi and grow the economy.
“We are a regulated body and do not have much control apart from what our regulators tell us to do. For the past three months, it has not been easy for us, our customers, and the whole nation. I am talking about foreign exchange business,” he said.
“We have been in this business since 1988. We have had turbulences but this is a bit tough for all of us” Mr. Dazie recounted referring to recent sharp depreciation of the cedi.
“But we have gone through all that happened. Sometimes it’s a bit difficult but we tried and we survived and I know this too shall pass. I hope this meeting will help and I can tell you from what happened yesterday till today that, it’s already stabilizing”, he said.
The Majority Caucus in Parliament has acceded to President Akufo-Addo’s appeal to allow Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, stay in office till after the IMF negotiation is done.
Per the press statement released by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minister of Finance will stay “until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy in November, 2022 and the subsequent passage of the Appropriation Bill after which time the demand will be acted upon.”
This comes after some 80 New Patriotic PartyMPs called for the immediate dismissal of the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
According to them, the continuous stay of Ken Ofori-Atta in office was delaying the IMF bailout the country is seeking due to the fact that the Minister has lost all credibility.
They had thus petitioned the President to either remove him or face a boycott in Parliament.
“If our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing, neither will we participate in the debate,” Mr Andy Appiah-Kubi, spokesperson for the Majority caucus and MP for Asante-Akim North Constituency indicated.
Safe to say we are in the era of ‘internet doesn’t forget,’ a reference to how comments or positions held by a person could easily be dug up in the event that they add nuance to current conversations.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are undoubtedly the most talked about politicians in the last few days.
Ofori-Atta because of a call by some members of his party, the New Patriotic Party calling for his sack and Akufo-Addobecause of his ‘refusal’ to accede to that request – at least immediately.
Akufo-Addo has serially stood by his underfire Finance Minister despite an economic downturn that has seen Ghana run to the International Monetary Fund for a programme.
A video has popped up, of how Akufo-Addo, since Day 1, had spoken highly of his Finance Minister in early 2017 when he was introducing members of his cabinet to the public at the Jubilee House.
A UTV video that has been in circulation on social media shows Akufo-Addo call on Ofori-Atta to join him on a stage as the then new President speaks about his appointee’s academic and professional pursuits as well as experience with the local and global economy.
“He is arguably, one of the most successful bankers not in our country, an American-educated Colombia, Yale and the rest, worked in Wall Street as a youngman, Morgan Stanley and Solomon Brothers and when he returned here to Ghana …combined with his partners, co-found what has become what has become the most successful investment bank in our country, that is Databank,” Akufo-Addo said in his introduction.
In arguing out why the choice of Ofori-Atta, he stated: “We want to get the Ghanaian economy fully back on track and developing so that we can create jobs and raise the living standards of our people.
“We need an economist, we need somebody with finance, who has the range, who has the capacity and has the insight into how to move modern economies.
“I believe that most people who are dealing in the capital markets of our country would acknowledge him as one of the most outstanding figures in it,” he stressed.
Ofori-Atta was subsequently vetted and appointed, serving throughout the first term of Akufo-Addo, he was reappointed in 2021 to continue as Finance Minister, making him the longest-serving Finance Minister in the Fourth Republic.
Breakaway NPP MPs call for Ofori-Atta’s head
The group said it will not do business with government nor support the 2023 Budget if the president fails to heed their call to remove Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
According to them, the move follows previous concerns sent to the government that have not yielded any positive results.
“We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of confidence, and trust against the leadership of the Finance Ministry.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without and positive response,” Andy Appiah Kubi said.
The MPs believe the move will change the current economic situation in the country.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope to the finance sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” he added.
President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in an emergency meeting with leadership and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) majority caucus in Parliament Tuesday, expressed regret on the approach taking by some 80 of them in their call for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, as Minister of Finance and Minister of State in charge of Finance, respectively.
In a meeting that was cordial but tense, both sides, sources say, ended the meeting with deeper understanding of each other’s standpoint, with the common belief that the interest of the government, party and nation are paramount and need not be in conflict.
The President, in a passionate, eloquent but sober manner, told the NPP MPs that he would have expected those among them calling for removal of the two men to have first come to him directly on the matter.
There he could have also put his viewpoint and if they were not satisfied with his response then they would have been perfectly understood to advise themselves otherwise.
He told them, the nation was going through economic difficulties and the Presidency was open to ideas from an important arm of the ruling party, such as MPs, on the best way forward. But, the approach may matter as much as the message itself.
Majority Presser
In a press conference held at the foyer in Parliament Tuesday, Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante-Akim North, the spokesperson for the group, demanded the resignation of Ken Ofori-Atta, and Charles Adu-Boahen over the management of the economy.
According to the group of MPs, they will not participate in any government business that involves the Ministry of Finance or have any dealings with the Finance Minister or the minister of state for finance, until both men leave the government.
“We have had occasion to defend allegations of conflict of interest, lack of confidence and trust against leadership of our Finance Ministry. The recent developments within our economy are of great concern to the greater majority of members of our caucus and our constituents.
“The summary of our concern leads to the plea that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the minister of state at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, should be removed from office.
“Meanwhile, we want to serve notice that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority Caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of government by or for the president or by any other minister” Appiah-Kubi said when he addressed the press.
“If our request is not responded to positively, we’ll not be present for the Budget hearing, neither would we participate in the debate,” Appiah-Kubi added.
Wrong approach
The President made it clear to his MPs and the party delegation led by National Chairman Stephen Ntim, that his office has no record of any petition or request for a meeting by the MPs themselves, through the party leadership or the leadership of the majority side in Parliament on the subject matter.
Yes, he has been aware of murmurings, but the approach adopted took him by surprise and that was not the best. An Asaase News source who attended the meeting held also on Tuesday 25 October 2022, at the Jubilee House, says the President also described the timing of the resignation call as ill.
There have been growing calls for the removal of the Finance Minister due to the high levels of anxiety as a result of the persisting economic challenges exacerbated by the steep cedi depreciation.
The timing for the dismissal call, President Akufo-Addo, stressed, was not optimal due to the following reasons:
His government has 20 days more to present the 2023 Budget, which is intrinsically linked to the IMF negotiations. So there is a the need to appropriately reflect the priorities of the IMF negotiations in this critical budget. He called on his MPs to not lose sight of the importance of maintaining focus.
Both Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen have been leading Bilateral/ Multilateral Negotiations to secure additional funding to support the budget and Ghana’s development programme in line with the manifesto promise of the party.
The President was also clear that the ruling party could not afford any delay in either in concluding the debt sustainability agenda of the country or in securing the IMF programme itself.
He was in doubt over the duo’s determination to conclude the IMF negotiations, secure additional funding and finalise the 2023 budget and appropriation to bring relief to Ghanaians. “You do not change a captain who is steering the ship out of a storm”, he stressed.
There are also concerns over likely negative reaction of the market to new leadership who may not be privy to earlier discussions.
Inspite of all the challenges With the wealth of network and experiences built over the years and on the job, he asked for the two be allowed to finish with the budget and IMF negotiations, and if at the end the vast number of them are still not happy, he has no problem with listening to their concerns and taking the appropriate steps to address them.
For the President, given the exigencies of recent challenges, while he understands the anxieties this is also the time for calm heads.
Consultation
Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, according to the source, welcomed the sentiments expressed by the President and told him that the leadership of the majority caucus of Parliament will meet with the MPs demanding the resignation of the Finance Minister and they will consult the “old lady” and revert to him.
NPP MPs are meeting Wednesday afternoon on the matter. Asaase News is gathering that some of the ringleaders are still adamant that the duo must go.
However a large number of the backbenchers who were also for the removal are now shifting to the side of the argument that the two must be allowed to first prepare the budget and conclude the IMF negotiations.
Asaase News further learns that some are even planning another press conference to say the position stays and there are moves to organise a demonstration against the duo.
Party position
The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Stephen Ayensu Ntim, who was present at the meeting, said the party was fully behind both the Government and the Majority Caucus.
However, he added that the party will await the outcome of the proposed consultation between leadership and the MPs to determine the way forward.
Ordinarily, there shouldn’t be anything special about the day, Wednesday, October 26, 2022, but politically, Ghanaians would have two major things to look out for.
Coincidentally too, these two things concern members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It becomes even more relevant because of the many relationships that a lot of people are drawing between all the things happening in the United Kingdom at present, and why Ghana should take cues from it.
For more clarity, in the last week in the UK, Prime Minister, Liz Truss succumbed to mounting pressure from parliament and tendered in her resignation, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister ever.
Days after, British-born Indian Member of Parliament for Richmond, Rishi Sunak, made history by being elected the first person of colour and the youngest in the last 200 years to be PM of the UK.
The fate of Ken Ofori-Atta in the balance:
In Ghana, calls are already mounting for the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to be sacked, or, as other people have suggested, he should resign.
And that is one of the reasons Ghanaians should be interested in the happenings of Wednesday, October 26.
A day before – Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Ghanaians got the shock of their lives when news emerged that some 80 Members of Parliament from the Majority Caucus (whose government is in power) called for Ken Ofori-Atta to be sacked.
The MPs, most of whom are backbenchers, stated that this was a simple scenario of doing the bidding of their constituents and nothing else.
“Most of the majority caucus came to this decision because it is what our constituents wanted. This is not something we wanted to do but it is what the people who voted for us, our constituents wanted. This was not by a rebel group in the caucus.
“There is a lot of pressure on us. If you go to your constituency office and you listen to the concerns of your constituents it is very disheartening. Just yesterday, three women visited my office and they were crying while narrating how they had lost their businesses because the price of a gallon of oil they used to purchase for GH¢60 [600] is now selling for GH¢1000.
“The other MPs also shared their experience and we saw that it all boils down to the same thing. So, this is how we came to the decision that we have to let the president know what our constituents want. We had to let him know, otherwise, our people will not listen to us if we go to them again,” Ahenkrorah said in a radio interview on Neat FM.
The 80 MPs also stated in their press briefing that should President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fail to heed to their call, they will henceforth make government business in parliament a difficult one for him.
They added that they will begin by absenting themselves from the reading and participation in the 2023 budget statement in parliament.
Although President Nana Akufo-Addo held a late meeting with the NPP MPs calling for the sack of Ken Ofori-Atta, asking them to allow the minister to seal the IMF deal first, it is the hope of many that the minister would make an announcement on his own before close of day.
Speaker to determine fate of Sarah Adwoa Safo:
News of the fate or otherwise of the Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, is no longer a big news but the decision that will be made by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, is one many are looking forward to.
It will be recalled that since 2021, there have been many calls for the MP to make clear her stance in her political position, both as MP and as minister, but she never did come clear on it.
As a major first step, and after many attempts to get her to fall in line, President Akufo-Addo sacked her as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Having been away from Ghana for the greater part of 2021 and 2022, many have also wondered how it is that she is able to execute her work as an MP in absentia.
Calls have been made for her seat to be declared vacant, among others, though the decision by parliament has taken some time, it appears a finality will be brought to the subject when parliament sits on Wednesday.
Giving his assurances of delivering his final verdict on the fate of the MP on this day, many people are looking forward to what that ruling would be.
The last time parliament was to determine the fate of Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, speaking during the last sitting of the third meeting of this eighth parliament, said he would not want to make a hasty decision.
He therefore informed the House that on resumption for the fourth sitting of this parliament, he would deliver his verdict on the matter.
“I have consulted the old lady. The old lady has given me an advice and I think that advice is clear because the issues raised by the Majority Leader is both substantive and procedural law and I need time to submit to this House a reasoned, written ruling.
“I cannot in the haste of today, give you the ruling. In the circumstances, I’d urge this House for us to call it a day,” he said.
It is also worth mentioning that the call for the seat of Dome-Kwabenya to be declared vacant was made by the NPP MPs, knowing very well that it is the seat of one of their members.
The events of the day are surely expected to be interesting.
Ghanaian statesman and politician, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has revealed that, but for the intervention of the NPP MPs, Ghana would have been on the verge of experiencing a military intervention.
According to him, the call for the dismissal of the finance minister whipped away the plot.
He advised the president to learn from this development as the actions of the NPP MPs are unprecedented.
“Those who made this intervention have saved the 4th republic. We were getting close to military intervention but the MPs actions yesterday totally wiped it off and I think the country should learn from that as well. Akufo-Addo, as I know, will definitely make attempts to change their minds, if they instead allow that, then they will be most hated people in this country or on the political landscape,” he said in an interview with TV3’s Big Issue show.
Speaking on the call for the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta, Nyaho-Tamakloe indicated that it did not come to him as a surprise even though it was long overdue.
He added that what the NPP MPs did shows clearly that our democracy can be on course if we want.NPP MPs saved the country from an upcoming coup d’état – Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe
Ghanaian statesman and politician, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has revealed that but for the intervention of the NPP MPs, Ghana is on the verge of experiencing a military intervention.
According to him, the call for the dismissal of the finance minister whipped away the plot.
He advised the president to learn from this development as the actions of the NPP MPs are unprecedented.
“Those who made this intervention have saved the 4th republic. We were getting close to military intervention but the MPs actions yesterday totally wiped it off and I think the country should learn from that as well. Akufo-Addo, as I know, will definitely make attempts to change their minds, if they instead allow that then they will be most hated people in this country or on the political landscape,” he said in an interview with TV3’s Big Issue show.
Speaking on the call for the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta, Nyaho-Tamakloe indicated that it did not come to him as a surprise even though it was long overdue.
He added that what the NPP MPs did shows clearly that our democracy can be on course if we want.
Ghanaian comedian cum media personality, Kwaku Sintim-Misa, popularly known as ‘KSM’ has tackled some individuals, who according to him has contributed to the ‘running down’ of the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, these ‘boot lickers’ who have failed to point out ills within the Akufo-Addo government have also adopted the habit of chastising anybody who does.
In the midst of the country’s economic hardships, some individuals, including traditional leaders like the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, have chastised the youth for not being measured in their criticisms directed at the president.
The traditional ruler labelled critics who have used unprintable words against the president as villagers and witches, and this has sparked outrage on social media.
But KKD finds it worrying why critics who usually speak out of the country’s best interests have been labeled as naysayers.
In a satiric Twitter post, he congratulated some ‘sycophants’ for being successful in ruining the country.
“Congratulations to all the sycophants. You have brought Ghana to where you want it. Those who cared for Ghana spoke out, but those who spoke out were called “nay sayers” and of late “witches”. Let’s remember to keep Ghana first to avoid “crush landing”.
Read the post below:
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SYCOPHANTS.
YOU HAVE BROUGHT GHANA TO WHERE YOU WANT IT.
THOSE WHO CARED FOR GHANA SPOKE OUT, BUT THOSE WHO SPOKE OUT WERE CALLED “NAY SAYERS” AND OF LATE “WITCHES”.
LETS REMEMBER TO KEEP GHANA FIRST TO AVOID “CRUSH LANDING”.
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has chastised President Akufo-Addo for failing to address concerns raised by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) until the Ga Manste intervened.
On October 19, 2022, members of the Association, who are against the high taxes imposed by the government and the continuous depreciation of the cedi, closed their shops in protest.
Shops remained closed the next day, leaving customers stranded and furthering public rage against the Akufo-Addo administration.
Despite the consequences, President Akufo-Addo made no attempt to respond.
However, on October 20, 2022, GUTA suspended their strike following a meeting with Mantse Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru, while announcing that it had been given the opportunity to meet the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and lay their grievances and recommendations before him.
This development, according to Mr Nartey George, is unacceptable on the part of President Akufo-Addo, who seemingly is unappreciative of the hardships Ghanaians are facing.
In addition, he claimed that GUTA was being gullible in believing that the President would solve their problems.
“GUTA, they must be joking. You thank who? Akufo-Addo has been sleeping? It had to take the Ga Mantse to call him to know that GUTA members are dying? GUTA believes the rhetoric from the government?” he asked.
“You have a President who at this time, when businesses are collapsing, people cannot buy critical medication because of the increasing cost, is on a political tour. This is a President who held over 22 national broadcasts during COVID because it was an opportunity for him and his colleagues to loot state purse during COVID procurement,” he explained.
The Ningo-Prampram MP has called out President Akufo-Addo to “show leadership” in present times.
Currently, a working committee made up of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, National Security and GUTA is to be established to resolve the challenges.
President Akufo-Addosays the government is close to having a programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The President said negotiations are nearing completion.
According to him, this will have a major impact on the Ghanaian economy.
President Akufo-Addo at a stakeholder engagement on moves to revive the economy on Tuesday, called for the support of all.
“We are talking and, hopefully, concluding soon. These important negotiations that we are going to have will have a positive impact on the Ghanaian economy in the months immediately ahead”, he said.
In a related development, the President will on Wednesday, October 26, meet the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Association of Market Women at the Jubilee House.
The Akufo-Addo led government is seeking a US$ 3 billion bailout from the Bretton Woods Institution after months of struggle with the economy and a cost of living crisis.
The Ministry of Finance has said, government and the IMF have reached a clear path towards the final details of a programme with the goal of reaching a Staff-Level Agreement by the end of 2022.
This follows meetings between the Government and the IMF advancing negotiations towards a Fund-supported Programme in Washington (D.C) on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked the New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament (MPs) demanding the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister to hold on till Ghana concludes negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The President says, terminating the appointment of Mr. Ofori-Attawill disrupt the programme.
At a meeting with the aggrieved MPs at the Jubilee House, Nana Akufo-Addo appealed for calm.
Citi News gathered that the MPs were not happy with the appeal and were still insisting on the Finance Minister’s exit.
Nana Akufo-Addo has asked Ken Ofori-Atta to be given three more weeks to conclude the IMF negotiations.
Some NPP MPs say several efforts to have government address the plights of their constituents with regard to the ailing economy had proved futile.
They thus held a press conference on Tuesday, October 2022, to voice their disquiet and demanded the head of Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen.
Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, the Member of Parliament for the Asante-Akim North Constituency and spokesperson for the disgruntled Majority MPs group, told the media on Tuesday that sacking Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen will help restore confidence in Ghana’s economy.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern known to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response.”
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope to the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” he added.
Several Ghanaians had mounted pressure on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta from office in light of the country’s current economic predicament, which has compelled government to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Minority in Parliament has also filed a motion for a vote of censure against Ofori-Atta.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is scheduled to meet the New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament who want Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta removed from office.
The Media understands the meeting will come off this evening.
The NPP MPs claimed several efforts to have government address the plights of their constituents with regard to the ailing economy had proved futile.
They thus held a press conference on Tuesday, October 2022, to voice their disquiet and demanded the head of Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen.
Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, the Member of Parliament for the Asante-Akim North Constituency and spokesperson for the disgruntled Majority group, told the media on Tuesday that sacking Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen will help restore confidence in Ghana’s economy.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern known to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response.”
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope to the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” he added.
Several Ghanaians had mounted pressure on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta from office in light of the country’s current economic predicament, which has compelled government to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, traders at the Amasaman and Pokuase markets have vehemently decried the ongoing rise in commodity prices.
On Monday, October 24, 2022, the traders complained to Angel FM reporter Mubarak Yakubu about the customers’ lack of ability to pay for food.
According to the traders, a sack of pepper was selling at GH¢110, but same quantity is now selling at a cost of GH¢350 which is more than 100% increment.
“Prices of goods have gone up so, people don’t buy much as it used to be. Our customers complain a lot but it’s not our doing, but it is due to the dollar rate against the Ghana cedis. We plead for a reduction in the duties so that our customers can buy from us,” they said.
According to data from Ghana Statistical Services, food inflation for the month of September was 37.8%. Non-food inflation was however 36.8%.
Amidst the complaints, there were those who agreed that one of the contributory factors to the current economic condition is the increasing rate of the dollar against whiles others believe it is as a result of the poor governance of the Akufo-Addo led administration.
They, therefore, called on the management of the country to as a matter of urgency find a solution to the challenges to make their businesses and living quite better under the current situation.
Prophet Kofi Oduro has cautioned President Akufo-Addo to stop being excessively proud and arrogant or risk going down without remedy.
According to the founder of the Alabaster International Ministries, the president was very humble during the erstwhile John Mahama-led NDC regime, for which reason Ghanaians voted for for him to preside over the nation.
In his view, Akufo-Addo has, however, become proud and arrogant after becoming president, and has become worse than the NDC and Mahama, whom Ghanaians replaced with him.
“I stand here with a heavy heart to respectfully say this to you, Sir, the Lord is telling me, pride takes everybody down. And if you continue to be proud, you will go down without remedy. Your government will be the worst in the history of this country,” prophet Oduro warned during a sermon on Sunday, October 23.
He went further to urge the president to amend his ways and not forget where God picked him from, or he risks incurring the wrath of God.
Citing Proverbs 1:30 in the bible, the popular man of God spoke about how God abandons those who abandon his ways.
“Your excellency if you continue in the arrogance of speech and the pride of your life, you will never see solution and you will never see remedy.
“I stand here as a man of God and as a prophet of God, not needing anything from you except your repentance and your humility. If not, Ghana is going into destruction”.
President Akufo-Addo has been in the news headlines over the past few days following some controversial comments he made while touring certain parts of the country. Among some of his comments that got Ghanaians angry with many calling for his resignation was when he said that he did not care if they wanted to vote for the opposition party, NDC, in the next election due to the prevailing severe hardships.
President Akufo-Addo has entreated Ghanaians to keep their faith in God and in him to address the current economic challenges facing the country.
Speaking to congregants of the St. Mark Anglican Church during the inauguration of the Kyebi Archdeaconry on Sunday, October 23, 2022, he has kept faith in God and is optimistic that the good days are yet to come.
“Let’s keep our faith in God and let’s trust God to use me to turn the fortunes of the nation around. Don’t lose your faith in me. Keep believing me, know that this too shall pass,” he remarked.
The Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Church, Rt. Rev. Felix Odei Annanxy, who acknowledged the global economic crisis, pleaded with the president to have “direct contact with God for vision to lead the country right and change the economy.”
Currently, the Ghana Cedi has been cited by a Bloomberg report as the worst-performing currency against the dollar worldwide.
The local currency also lost further grounds Friday morning to trade at ¢14.70 to the dollar, quotations from the forex bureaus indicate.
The free fall of the local currency is having adverse effects on importers who rely on the dollar to trade.
Already, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have also increased the prices of petroleum products at the pumps.
Currently, some OMCs are selling a litre of petrol for ¢13.10 from the previous price of ¢11.10, representing about 16% increase.
On the other hand, the price of diesel per litre has shot up to about ¢15.99, from the previous price of ¢13.90 – this is about a 12% surge.
These, among others, have led to a cost of living crisis in the country, leading to some Ghanaians calling on the government to act quickly to right the situation.
General Overseer of Alabaster International Ministry, Prophet Kofi Oduro, has cautioned President Akufo-Addo against his pompous attitude amidst an economic crisis facing the country.
Prophet Kofi Oduro said the President has turned a deaf ear and continuous to exhibit hubris, which would in no way help resolve the country’s economic woes.
According to him, the President is exhibiting double standards by becoming exactly what he preached against when former President John Dramani was in power.
Prophet Kofi Oduro said, “they spoke carelessly without any remembrance and in the humility of your heart, God favoured you but your excellency you have become more prouder than the NDC and their Mahama.
“I stand here with a heavy heart to respectfully say this to you sir, the Lord is telling me pride takes everybody down and if you continue to be proud, you will go down without remedy.”
He continued: “your government will be the worse in the history of this country. Your excellency, if you continue in the arrogance of speech and the pride of your life, you will never see solution and you will never see remedy.
“I stand here as a man of God and as a prophet of God of not needing anything from you except your repentance and your humility; if not Ghana is going into destruction. It is only the fool that thinks that we are going in the right direction.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been criticised for stating that he is unmoved by threats to vote out his new Patriotic Party.
He said threats of voting against him or the NPP due to unfulfilled promises or lack of development under his tenure, especially, is a personal decision which he cannot be bothered about.
“People make those kinds of threats; they don’t frighten me. Somebody votes for you, and somebody supports you. It’s because they want you to do certain things for them. I understand that. But there is no need for people to say that if I am unable to do this and that… those are their own issues to deal with. Of course, I will do it (the road).
“But if it comes to the election and you choose to vote for the NDC, that is your own issue that is not my worry because nobody holds your thumb to vote; it is your own work. The important thing is that I understand my responsibility, and we will deal with it,” the president said during an interview on Kumasi-based Otec FM.
Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has condemned individuals criticising the Akufo-Addo-led government.
For some time now, President Akufo-Addo has been heavily chasitised for the current state of the economy, with many referring to him as “incompetent”.
In response to the critique, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has said such persons are uncivilized villagers, witches, and wizards who have no sense of appreciation.
He stressed that President Akufo-Addo has contributed immensely to the growth of the country, thus Ghanaians should be grateful.
According to him, the current economic hardship is a global phenomenon.
“We must appreciate the feat of the President and show him appreciation for what he has done for Ghana. We must defend and protect him”.
The Okyenhene minced no words stating that, “those insulting the President are children of villagers. They are uncivilized. No well-nurtured person will insult an elderly. If you were raised in the Church you will not insult an elder. If you are not a villager then you may be a witch or wizard”.
He consoled President Akufo-Addo that, “Not all will like you. Even Jesus Christ was crucified. It won’t bother me if they speak with sincerity but when you speak with hate, witchcraft, and envy, you must be careful because one day, one day ! one day! one day! One day! truth will overcome evil lies and envy”.
He said this Sunday, October 23, 2022 at the inauguration of Archeaconry Service held at the St. Martin Anglican Church in Kyebi in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region graced by President Akufo-Addo as part of his tour of the region.
On illegal mining, Okyenhene called on all to support the President to end the menace.
“Politicians want votes. Nobody will put his presidency on the line for the fight against galamsey. All that politicians like are votes but for him (President Akufo Addo) he doesn’t care about votes but the welfare and wellbeing of the voter is paramount to him”
President Akufo-Addo asked Ghanaians to have faith in him that, Ghana will overcome the economic crises.
“Don’t be shaken, continue to have faith in God that the hardship being experienced in the country, through God we shall overcome. Have faith in me! Have faith in me! This too shall pass,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Retired Revered Felix O. Annacy, the Bishop of the Koforidua Anglican Diocese urged Ghanaians to rally behind the government and pray for the manifold wisdom of God to direct the path of the President to take the country out of this global economic turmoil.
Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has said persons who are eying the presidency and are labeling President Akufo Addo as incompetent have nothing to offer Ghanaians.
According to him, the critics have not provided any alternatives to salvage the current economic crisis to prove their competence.
Addressing a durbar at Ofoase in the Eastern Region, Osafo-Maafo said, “Those who are seeking to govern this country, I don’t understand them. They aren’t providing any alternative. They actually don’t have anything to offer.”
His comment comes at the back of backlashes from Ghanaians and key industry players for the country’s economic woes.
Osafo-Maafo noted that he was optimistic the economy will bounce back despite its wobbling state.
“We all know the economy is not in good shape,” he is quoted by 3news.com to have said in vernacular.
“The economic challenge is not from Ghana. If something is not from you, you have to take your time to strategically resolve it. It won’t keep long and we will work on the economic challenge,” he added.
The former Finance Minister added that voting for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is not the alternative to solving the economic woes as some Ghanaians have suggested, 3news.com reported.
An economist, Professor Godfred Bokpin, has called on the President, Akufo-Addo,to heed to the calls of the general public to downsize his government and sack the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to him, the President has to sacrifice his loyalty to his appointees for the common good of the country.
He noted that keeping the Finance Minister at post is counter-productive to the government’s fight to stabilize the fast depreciating cedi and the ailing economy as Ken Ofori-Atta’s leadership has been discounted by both external and internal investors.
He added that the Finance Ministry’s sit-and-wait posture with regards to the IMF programme without putting in place any measures to stall the cedi depreciation as well as other fiscal problems is enough proof that the Finance Minister has overstayed his welcome.
“Sometimes it matters that you sacrifice somebody so close because if the President will be mindful of what is happening even across the investor base home and abroad, you could see that they’re already discounting the leadership of the Finance Minister.
“So part of leadership is to pick that right signal where you will say that I’ve gotten to the stage where I need to trade-off loyalty, I need to trade-off personal interest for the common good. If this is what will do the trick, why not? Because it’s done everywhere. It’s done in times like these. And that will just be the starting point.
“What we are asking for is actually beyond just asking the Finance Minister to go. Ghana has gotten to the stage where an IMF supported programme is not enough and all that we’re doing now is just to wait for what will happen from the IMF negotiation.
“Come on, the IMF is not here to govern this country, so there are necessary governance reforms that we need to initiate and we must do that regardless of whether an IMF programme is in place or not because reforms are more effective when they’re bundled together and reinforce each other,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.
Professor Bokpin added that the Akufo-Addo administration has no moral right to demand haircuts on investment returns from investors and the general public when it has failed to take action in the same regard.
He noted that downsizing government will save the country lots of resources which can then be injected back into the economy to build confidence.
“They have no moral right to ask Ghanaians to take a haircut, or investors to take a haircut when they have kept their hair on. It makes no sense. And we can do the permutations and say that look, we know Cote D’Ivoire took a decision to reduce the number of Ministers from 41 to 32, what is so special about Ghana?
“We can do that and free our space rather than loading the haircuts on ordinary people who perhaps did not contribute to the mess. That’s the point that we’re talking about. Look, and data exists to suggest that the size of government in Ghana is negatively affecting growth. That’s very clear.
“So some level of restructuring, and downsizing the government, and looking at it also across state owned enterprises. A lean government is the best response when you don’t have fiscal space,” he said.
An economist and political risk analyst says it is important that PresidentAkufo-Addo addresses Ghanaians on the current economic hardships.
According to Dr. Theophilus Acheampong, the President must tell Ghanaians what measures his government is working on to get the nation out of the crisis.
In his view, an address from the President on the issue will calm down the citizenry.
“I think we are at the time where the president must address the nation.
“The President needs to speak to all of us forthrightly about the challenges that we face and what they are doing to get us out of it because amidst all of these crisis there is some information vacuum or you may even call it policy which must be dealt with,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo
Meanwhile also speaking on the same show, a political scientist at the University of Ghana lambasted the government for solely relying on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address the current economic crisis.
Professor Ransford Gyampo says the Bretton Woods Institution cannot be the panacea for the country’s problems.
According to him, the ‘one size fit’ approach will not work for the nation in these times.
Prof Gyampo thus asked government to start working on other solutions.
“The IMF is not and can certainly not be a panacea to our woes and it appears that in our country, we have a certain one way propagandist stomach direction approach to solving every problem. They must be up and doing,” he said.
Meanwhile Ministry of Finance on Friday said the Government and IMF have reached a clear path towards the final details of a programme with the goal of reaching a Staff-Level Agreement by the end of the year.
This follows meetings between the Government and the IMF advancing negotiations towards a Fund-supported Programme in Washington (D.C).
President Akufo-Addo has said he will not throw in the towel despite the many challenges his government is facing in ending the activities of illegal miners in the country.
He showcased a determined spirit in the “galamsey” fight during his three-day tour of the Eastern Region which began on Friday, October 21, 2022.
”Many measures are being put in place. Community mining exercises are going on, and it is very important that we show determination. We will not relax. I am very determined. I am not going to accept defeat in this fight. I am determined to win the fight against galamsey,” the President said.
The menace has contributed to massive destruction of lands and water bodies in most mining areas across the country, with constant demand by the public for the government to act on the situation.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addohas charged his appointees and New Patriotic Party (NPP) members to embrace government’s tough measures in winning the fight against illegal mining.
This, he says, will help Ghanaians repose confidence in the party and vote for them in the next election, thereby making the NPP’s quest to break the eight a reality.
“Let us work together to get rid of this menace. I believe that if the people of Ghana see a determined effort on our part, which yields results, our water bodies are clearing, our lands are being reclaimed, and our forest zones are being preserved, it will help them enable us break the eight”, he stressed.
Currently, the Operation Halt II team led by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is destroying all mining equipment found on water bodies and forest reserves.
Ghanaians have vented their frustration on the government, accusing the authorities of being incompetent, as a result of the country’s crippling economic situation.
In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, some residents can be heard booing the president and his entourage as they drive on a stretch riddled with potholes in a town reported to be Akyem Akroso, in the Eastern Region.
The president received boos due to the appalling condition of the area’s roads, according to a Twitter user going by the name @PrinceHenry_PHK.
Skyrocketing fuel prices, ever-increasing food market prices, bad roads, and a high cost of living among other factors have driven Ghanaians to resort to booing the president at any given chance.
The first time was at the Global Citizen Festival, an international event held at Ghana’s Independence Square, where he was jeered as he took the platform to make his speech.
The incident drew a lot of criticism, with some chastising the youth and labelling them impolite for engaging in such behavior on an international platform.
A few days ago, while the president toured the Ashanti region to commission some projects, several market women and men also booed at him and his entourage as they drove through Adum.
The number of times Ghanaians have publicly shown their anger with the current administration in recent weeks now stands at three following the most recent booing episode in the Eastern region.
President Akufo-Addo has expressed optimism over the ability of his government to remedy recent economic headwinds the country is facing.
In an interview on Republic 97.5 FM, the president said the solutions being sought will fix the fundamentals of the economy and by so doing justify the government’s aspirations.
“I am confident that where our economy is now, we will find a solution to it and with that, the whole world will see that the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy, the things we set out t do, we were right in identifying those things.”
He identified specifically the areas of food security and industrial development and expansion as major planks of the new economy being built.
On the causes of the current crisis, Akufo-Addo, who is currently touring the Eastern Region, put it down to the inability this year to raise funds on the capital markets.
“One of the most fundamental is our capacity to raise money on the international capital markets, this year that has been compromised. Largely as a result of issues in the global economy, which meant that all budgets of countries have been thrown out of gear,” he stated.
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
The President Akufo-Addo, has stated that government is prepared to take the necessary steps in reclaiming all state lands including University of Cape Coast (UCC) lands that have been encroached on by developers across the country.
He explained that, one-third of the UCC’s legally acquired land for instance had been taken over by encroachers, saying, “This is unacceptable.”
President Akufo-Addo said this at a durbar held at the campus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to climax the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the University.
He inaugurated a number of facilities namely, the School of Graduate Studies Building, a six-storey guest house and School of Medical Sciences Auditorium and adjoining facilities.
The anniversary was on the theme: “60 years of quality higher education: expanding the frontiers.”
President Akufo-Addo said: “I am saddened with this state of affairs especially because it is happening in Cape Coast of all places, the cradle of Ghana’s education system”
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of the area to ensure cessation of this unfortunate activities, saying, “We must begin to see the university not only as a national asset and asset of the Central Region but most importantly also as an asset of the people of Cape Coast in particular.”
Touching on the current economic challenges, he said, graduates of UCC and Ghanaians in general, should continue to be inspired by the patriotic endeavours showed by members of the Aborigines RightS Protection Society which was founded in Cape Coast which ensured indigenous ownership of landS as they were threatened by European colonialists.
“It is this same example of patriotic endeavour, this same spirit of determination and tenacity by the Aborigines that we must summon up today to enable us navigate the current difficult headwinds that have engulfed the economy of our country so that we must come out stronger and more empowered than we were before to continue our journey towards our destiny of prosperity and freedom,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo commended the UCC for the feat it had chalked over the years and therefore charged management to ensure that the institution remain pure and unadulterated un the provision of quality academic and intellectual discourse and in finding solution to complex and far-reaching problems across borders and disciplines.
He expressed anticipation of witnessing products of the University making positive impact and building a strong and distinctive workforce in Ghana, West Africa and across the world.
He further urged management, staff, students and stakeholders to put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure further development and transformation of the University.
He noted that the achievement of UCC over the years had been remarkable as it was reflected in considerable growth of faculty, students and infrastructure.
He gave an assurance of his commitment towards redeeming a pledge made last year of supporting the construction of students’ accommodation facility for the University.
“I acknowledge the need for further expansion of infrastructure to meet current demands and support for the free SHS initiative of this administration,” he said.
He said, the current administration would offer the needed support to expand its infrastructure for the benefit of the numerous senior high school graduates who now qualify to access university education yearly.
The government, he said, would not renege on its commitment in providing quality education and equal opportunities for future generations to have a good education.
“Regardless of the difficulties currently confronting our nation, government will continue to intervene and remain responsible for the provision of free and quality basic and secondary education for all,” he indicated.
He noted that education was the key to the development of any country and said his administration’s commitment to the Free SHS remains unshaken.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson NyarkoBoampong, in his address, appealed to the government for financial clearance to recruit additional staff to compliment the efforts of the overstretched academic staff.
The University, he said, was currently pursuing international institutional accreditation exercise and said, it would ultimately enhance the process to increase the competitiveness of UCC.
He indicated that the University was pursuing a creative path to transform UCC into a world class competitive entrepreneurial university.
The Chancellor of UCC, Sir Sam Essuon Jonah, in his address, underscored the need for the University to be innovative in the training of students in order for them to meet the changing global demand.
He urged the School of Agriculture to lead the way in coming out with better yielding crop varieties in ensuring increase in crop production.
The commencement of work on the Suame Interchange and Complementary Roads Project, Ghana’s second-largest road infrastructure, is in fulfilment of the Government’s pledge to work for the people, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said.
“When I promise, I deliver,” he emphasised.
According to the President, his Administration was bent on providing to every region its fair share of the critical road infrastructure required to facilitate socio-economic activities.
Since assumption of office in 2017, the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government has put in measures to improve the statistics of good roads from 78, 000 kilometers to about 94, 000 kilometers, with the construction of the four-tier Pokuase Interchange being the most significant in terms of the magnitude of work and cost analysis.
Addressing a sod-cutting ceremony at the Suame Roundabout, in the Ashanti Region, for work to begin on the Interchange Project, the President tasked the contractors and Ministry of Roads and Highways to be diligent to ensure the successful completion of the Project as scheduled.
A concept note underpinning the Project says the road network in the Greater Kumasi area, in particular, comprises a ring road and spokes.
“Most of the intersections have exceeded their capacities and are experiencing severe congestion during the peak hours.
“The challenges of these intersections have been clearly identified in the Kumasi Transport Plans and the Suame Roundabout Intersection is the worst of all, experiencing delays and safety issues,” says the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
President Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that the intention was to upgrade the Suame Roundabout into a four-tier Interchange together with five other grade separated intersections.
Per the specifications of the Project, the job will be undertaken under two components – comprising the construction of a four-tier interchange at Suame, two overpasses at Abrepo Junction and Krofrom Junction.
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The second component will see to the construction of three overpasses at Anomangye Junction, Magazine New Road Junction and Abusuakruwa Junction, as well as widening of the Offinso road into a dual carriage way, 15 kilometers local roads and improvement of selected intersections.
Component one of the project will be executed by Messrs. Rango Construction Company Limited in joint venture with Dizmar of Spain, while component two is constructed solely by the former.
Messrs. Associated Consultants Limited will be the supervising consultant on the project, with the Department of Urban Roads as the implementing agency under the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
President Nana Akufo-Addo advised the contractors to institute measures to address the anticipated traffic congestion that might come in the course of the execution of the Project.
This, he said, was necessary to alleviate the inconveniences that might be experienced by commuters of the road.
Other road projects inspected by the President, who was on a four-day working visit to the Ashanti Region, included Anwiankwanta-Obuasi Road and Santasi-Apire Road Projects.
The Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin, has said neither himself nor President Akufo-Addo heard Ghanaians booing at them during their tour in the Ashanti Region this week.
According to him, the presidency was surprised when they saw the report in the media suggesting that some traders hooted and booed at the president.
“I didn’t hear anything. Even the president himself [didn’t hear anything too]. Some of us were a little bit taken aback [when we saw that in the media],” citinewsroom quoted Eugene Arhin.
On October 18, 2022, some traders at Adum reportedly hooted and booed at Akufo-Addo’s convoy as it made its way through the Central Business District of Kumasi during his tour in the region.
As seen in videos shared via social media, some traders lined up along the stretch of the road booed away as the president and his convoy passed through the Adum Market to inspect the progress of work on the Kejetia/Central Market Project Phase II.
The booing of the president’s convoy has largely been attributed to the current state of the Ghanaian economy and the general economic hardship in the country.
Some three weeks ago, the president, in a similar fashion, was booed at a public event held at Independence Square.
The president, who had mounted a podium to deliver an address during a Global Citizens Festival held in Ghana, was welcomed with wild boos.
Reacting to this, Eugene Arhin said just like what happened at the Global Citizens Festival; they also heard no boos are was reported.
“It is just like, probably, what happened during the Global Citizen festival. A group of people standing somewhere doing their own thing, and they record… but meanwhile, once you are in front there, you literally don’t hear anything,” he added.
They have bitterly bemoaned the Ghana cedi’s ongoing decline, especially when compared to the US dollar and the West African Franc (CFA), which is used by all three of Ghana’s neighbors.
Some traders seized the chance to urge the government to step in and do so as soon as possible during an interview with Kofi TV, a YouTube TV program.
One of the traders who spoke to Kofi TV said: “If our sin was voting for you, forgive us, we won’t offend you again; because we are unable to buy the CFA nor the dollar. What sin have we committed to have voted for Akufo-Addo?
“We are sorry for voting the NPP party into office, whatever sin we have committed by so doing, we are pleading for forgiveness. We beg the NPP with our knees on the ground, we beg them.”
If you sell, you run at a loss… I have run at a loss, I did not open my shop today, I just came to take some money I left here. We beg the president, we are on our knees. President, president we beg you. Intervene for us, come and intervene for us, why?
“Our funds are evaporating, we can no longer import, we beg you, do something for us, we want you to do something for us. The CFA is galloping, the dollar is on the move, why?”
The Cedi has recently been classified by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency against the US Dollar.
Currently, the Cedi is trading at around GH¢13 to a dollar at some forex bureaus. The depreciation rate is a contributory factor for the ongoing shop closures ordered by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
According to the group, the fast depreciation of the Cedi is eroding their profits and also increasing the cost of doing business.
Enock K. Gyetuah, National Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), has expressed the Council’s concern over President Akufo-Addo’s choice for the position of Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.
President Akufo-Addo has nominated Dr. Eric Nkansah as the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
His appointment was contained in a letter issued on Wednesday,October 19 by the Presidency and signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President.
Reacting to the appointment, the GNACOPS Director stated that it was a “violation of our professional education standards.”
“It is a total contravention of the Teacher Professionalism as far as the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 ( Act 1023) is concerned.
“The appointment is in breach of sections 67(1), 68(1,&1a), and 79 (1) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 Act 1023.
“The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), as an upholder of good standards in education, does not support this appointment,” he said.
According to him, Dr. Eric Nkansah is not an educationist and has not served, nor risen through the rank and file of the Ghana Education Service to be bestowed such an honour.
The Council is thus calling on the President to rescind his appointment and select someone from the GES to fill the vacant position.
“It is no secret that there are ranks or levels in every sector, through which employees should pass, before being promoted to managerial positions.
“Why should Educationists spend their lives in service to GES, go through promotions and ranks, if a banker could overnight become their Director General?” he said.
“GNACOPS strongly proposes that the appointment system of the Director General of GES, should be looked at carefully from the service viewpoint, and be restricted to only Professional within the Education sector.
“It should be based on projectory experience, qualification, and skills, with rank and longevity in the service, being made the heart of the appointment, similar to what is done in the Police Service, in the appointment of IGP,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eric Nkansah has 14 days to either accept or reject his appointment as the new GES Director-General.
Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for engaging retirees in the public sector while qualified young persons are being overlooked.
For Mr Ablakwa, Ghana should not have such a high number of retirees in the public sector in the face of high youth unemployment made worse by the current economic crisis.
“A country facing record high unemployment as captured by the 2021 Population and Housing Census of 13.4% and 32.8% for those aged 15-24 which is further aggravated by the current debilitating economic crisis should not be keeping so many retirees on contract in the public service.
So far, I have counted hundreds of these retirees who have been engaged on multiple post-retirement contracts by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government when they should be home enjoying their pensions instead of denying many qualified young Ghanaians employment opportunities,” he stated.
He pointed out that in the Civil and Local Government Services alone, there are over 60 retirees on contract, while the number is high in other sectors. This, he stressed, is a barrier to persons interested in working in the public sector, stifles career progression and lowers morale among serving public sector workers.
“There are as many as 63 retirees on contract within the Civil and Local Government Services as of today, and even more than this number under other public sector categories.
Apart from serving as a blockade to prospective young Ghanaians with public sector ambitions, the phenomenon is stifling career progression and lowering morale in Ghana’s public sector,” he noted.
Ablakwa added that some of the contracts of these retirees are unconstitutional, asking that the president terminate the contracts of all the retirees.
“…Equally troubling — some of those contracts we are reviewing are palpably unconstitutional.
President Akufo-Addo must immediately terminate all these contracts, ensure he thanks our retirees for their dedicated service and endeavour to honour them with a befitting send-off and urgently fill the vacancies to be created through a transparent, credible and meritorious recruitment process for our suffering youth — as we demand that this time he eschews his reckless penchant for Family/Friends/Akonta shenanigans,” he concluded.
Several other persons, notably journalist Johnnie Hughes have complained about the issue of the engagement of retirees when younger qualified persons abound.
Ghanaian female journalist Nana Aba Anamoah has expressed that she isn’t happy with how some Ghanaians are impertinent of the president under his social media posts.
Expressing her thoughts in a Twitter post she shared on October 20, 2022, she noted that their actions were unacceptable.
“On a serious note, the insults under the President’s posts on social media are not cool,” she said.
Her comment comes after the president shared images of his trip to the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, to cut the sod for the commencement of construction of a 4-tier interchange at Suame.
Akufo-Addo noted that his visit was in fulfilment of a pledge he made during his tour of the Ashanti Region last year.
Some aggrieved social media users unleashed insults on the president over what they say is his nonchalant posture towards the economic hardship in the country.
Many of them are asking him to resign and stop cutting sods for projects that will never see the light of day.
Read some of the comments shared under the president’s post:
On Tuesday, 18/10/22, I cut the sod for the commencement of construction of a 4-tier interchange at Suame, in fulfillment of a pledge I made during my tour of the Ashanti Region last year. The Interchange will be the first 4-tier interchange in the Ashanti Region. pic.twitter.com/XTQSK9TSTt
The Ashanti Regional branch of the opposition NDC has criticized President Akufo Addo’s just-ended tour of the Region describing it as full of tantrums and empty promises.
It argued that the Ashanti Region is no more a stronghold for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), but has now turned into a strangling hold for the governing party.
The opposition NDC said it observed a cold reception that turned into booing and jeering when the president visited the Ashanti region on his four-day working tour.
Addressing the media, the Regional Communications Director of the NDC, Nurudeen Abass contended the president had nothing substantial to show to the Ashanti region for all the revenues and votes the Nana Addo administration enjoyed from the region.
“Distinguished friends from the media, it goes without saying that President AkufoAddo’s latest tour of his favourite political backyard was nothing short of
underwhelming. With nothing by way of any worthy accomplishments, President AkufoAddo went about inspecting and commissioning mediocre and mundane projects which ordinarily should be the work of DCE’s and other government officials. To imagine that the President was driven in a convoy of nearly 70 V8’s to commission a magistrate court building at Toase, sums up what miserable spectacle of a tour it was.
“It is important to remind ourselves that when President Mahama and the NDC constructed a brand new High Court building at Obuasi in 2016, the then Regional Minister and MCE for Obuasi at the time did the honour of commissioning same. This is for us, the difference between the Nation-Builder, President John Dramani Mahama and the Family Builder, His Excellency William Akufo-Addo. Whereas one of them – President Mahama, built legacy projects in the Ashanti Region, such as the $234 million Kejetia Central Market project, the largest investment in the history of the Ashanti Region, the Kumasi Airport Phase II, Rattray Park, Konongo-Kumawu-Kwahu Water Project, the 500-bed Military Hospital at Afari, the 250-bed Regional Hospital at Sewua, the other – President Akufo-Addo, has very little to show for all his unprecedented borrowing and the huge votes he enjoys from the people of the region.
“Indeed, the popularity of the New Patriotic Party and President Akufo-Addo for that matter is so low in their own stronghold that they have resorted to emulating the NDC’s hugely successful membership drive in the Ashanti Region in order to try and revive their sinking fortunes. For a party that garnered as much as 1.8 million votes out of a total of 2.5 million valid votes cast in the 2020 elections to be conducting a membership registration drive in their supposed comfort zone two years down, is clear indication of their waning popularity in the region.”
A member of the Communications team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Fred Agbenyo has said he is not surprised by President Akufo-Addo’s comment that he is unperturbed by the threats to vote against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 elections.
Mr Agbenyo said the President’s conduct is not surprising because Ghanaians were warned by persons including Mr Kofi Koomson who used to be Mr Akufo-Addo’s friend, against voting for him.
Similarly, he recounted that a founding member of the NPP, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe said Ghanaians would experience bitter leadership under Mr Akufo-Addo.
Speaking on the New Day show with Roland Walker on TV3 Wednesday October 19, he said “I am not surprised… people like Kofi Koomson who knew Nana Addo very well told us that it was so dangerous and risky to entrust the destiny of this great nation in the hands of Nana Addo.Now the chickens have come home to roost. Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe told us we are going to experience bitter leadership with Nana Addo.”
President Akufo-Addo said he understands the duty he has to develop the country.
When his attention was drawn to the fact that some people have threatened to vote against the NPP because the government has not developed parts of the country as expected, Mr Akufo-Addo said on Kumasi-based Otec FM on Monday October 17 that “If you decide to vote for the NDC in the general election, it is your choice and that is not my problem. No one will force you to vote for someone.
“No problem. I am saying people make those kinds of threats; me they don’t frighten me.”
“Of course I understand the responsibility, we will deal with it, I will do the work” he stressed.
The President further said he takes full responsibility for the current economic difficulty but stated one cannot gloss over the external factors.
This is the first time the president has publicly owned up, as the country’s micro-economy continues to be challenged.
“I am the leader and I take responsibility,” Mr Akufo-Addo said.
The president was, however, optimistic, the economy will recover before he finishes his term “I hope the IMF support is concluded in the middle of November so we can feed it into our budget” he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he takes the blame for his government’s u-turn on Ghana seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that the move was necessary because it was what the country needed.
Speaking during his tour of the Ashanti Region on Otech FM, on October 18, Akufo-Addo added that he hopes the IMF bailout will help get Ghana out of the current economic hardships.
“I take full responsibility for it. But I’m hoping very strongly that by the middle of November, a month from now, these negotiations will be over. We are going to come to a budget for the country in the middle of November.
“I’m hoping that the IMF negotiations will be over at least substantially so we will have a clear idea of the elements of the agreement with the Fund, which hopefully will be able to feed into the budget and have that drive our budgetary projection for next year and the year ahead.
“For me, my hope is that we will have a programme of fiscal adjustment. It will take us through most of the immediate budget but then will put us in a position in 2024 to begin the recovery and the growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is reported to be pushing for the speedy completion of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for an economic support programme.
Ghana is targeting an amount of $3 billion from the Fund once an agreement can be reached with funds likely to be accessed in 2023.
According to Joy News, a team of government officials have been in the United States of America and met with the Director for the Africa Department of the IMF, Abebe Aemro Selassie, at the ongoing Annual IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings.
It is expected that the second round of negotiations will continue after the annual meetings between the Government of Ghana team led by Minister for Finance, Ofori-Atta, and the IMF team, led by the IMF Mission Chief, Stéphane Roudet.
The negotiations will focus on the implementation of policies that create conditions for a stable macroeconomic environment, sustainable growth and debt sustainability.
In recent times, government appointees have not been spared for either their poor performance or involvement in corrupt acts.
Even though there have been several dismissals by Akufo-Addo since he assumed office, Ghanaweb compiles a list of some government appointees who have been sacked in the last quarter of 2022.
Sarah Adwoa Safo
In July, 2022, Akufo-Addo relieved Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo, of her position as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Director of Communications at the Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, in a July 28, 2022 statement, indicated that the termination of her appointment was in accordance with Article 81 (a) of the Constitution.
“In accordance with Article 81 (a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabena, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.
“The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will continue to act as caretaker Minster for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, until such a time that President Akufo-Addo appoints a substantive Minister,” the statement read.
Her dismissal came at a time when Parliament was debating her continuous stay in the house after absenting herself for more than 15 sitting days without approval from the Speaker of Parliament.
Aside from the above, she was absent in her role as the Gender Minister as she was out of the office for a very long time after she requested an extended leave of duty.
Customs boss, Col. Damoah
On August, 2022, president Akufo-Addo asked the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (rtd), to hand over his duties to the acting deputy commissioner.
In a letter signed by the Secretary to the president, Nana Bediatuo Asante, the notice of handing over was due to the expiration of his contract on October 13, 2021.
The dismissal of Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (rtd) came at the time he was being investigated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, for his role in corruption-related acts involving Labianca Company Limited.
A finding from the Office of the Special Prosecutor dated August 3, 2022, and titled: “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption Related Offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority indicated among other things that the frozen foods company owner used her position to evade taxes.
Initially, while reacting to the report, the customs boss said any attempts by the Special Prosecutor to bring him down will not work.
“Three days ago a report purported to be coming from the Office of the Special Prosecutor trying to indict the Deputy Commissioner of Operations and myself [but] anybody who has read that report very well will know the basis of that,” he said while addressing some Senior Customs officers at a retreat in Kumasi.
“And luckily for Me, God is always on my side, before that report came that person had made a comment to some people who had come to tell me [that] he [Special Prosecutor] was going to publish that will discredit me…and I sent people to go and tell him that he is a small boy and I am older than him, I have lived a meaningful life and if he attempts to destroy me it won’t be easy for him. People have tried and I have survived and this one too I will survive it,” Col Damoah added.
Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa
Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, The Director General of Ghana Education Service is the latest victim of the sacked appointees.
Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa was sacked by the President on October 17, 2022.
In a letter dated October 17, 2022, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo terminated the appointment of the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa.
This brought the appointment of the GES boss, who was appointed in 2017, to an end.
According to ges.gov.gh, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa was appointed as Acting Director-General by President Akufo-Addo in April 2017, and he assumed office on May 15, 2017.
He was subsequently confirmed as Director-General in October 2017.
President Akufo-Addo has acceded to the assertion that Ghanaians are currently facing severe economic hardship that has compromised their wellbeing.
The President told the media that he has been furnished with the general outlook of the country’s economy, which indicates that the cost of living is high.
Speaking on Kumasi-based OTEC FM on Monday, he said “I know times are hard for Ghanaians. The data comes to me. So I’m very much aware. I know things are hard for Ghanaians.”
President Akufo-Addo, who is on a four-day tour of the Ashanti Region, however, assured that “we (experts in his government) have a plan and programme to help us resolve this.”
He cited the ongoing discussions between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government delegation led by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta as one of the measures put in place to restore the crippled economy.
“It’s part and parcel of a larger programme of development we want to embark upon to solve the current hardship in the country. So it is not like the government is not doing anything about it,” he reiterated.
It would be recalled that in December 2021, President Akufo-Addo made a similar comment, admitting that Ghana is facing some economic challenges.
He, however, made it clear that he was not responsible for the deteriorating state of the wellbeing of Ghanaians.
“I admit that Ghanaians are going through difficult times. Some people are trying to say that it is my fault, but you know that is not the case.”
Ghana is working to come out of an economy that is recording a consistent rise in inflation and further depreciation of the local currency.
According to recent international reports, the Ghana Cedi has fallen in value against the US dollar by 40.05% since January.
At forex bureaus in the Greater Accra Region, a dollar is trading at GHS12.
Again, as of September 2022, Ghana’s inflation stood at 37.2%. Eastern region, with 47.1% maintained its lead as the region with the highest inflation.
It was followed by the Greater Accra (45.3%) and Central regions (41.9%).
The rise in general prices has been attributed to a price surge in housing, water, electricity, gas, and other energy sources (68.8%).
In September this year, electricity and water tariffs were increased by 27.15% and 21.55%, respectively.
A litre of petrol, that cost about GHS7 in January 2022, now costs GHS13.10.
A rise in the price of fuel products has, in some cases, have led to the adjustment of transport fares. Transport fares increased by 15% in February and 20% in May.
As most economic activities engage in transportation as part of the production process, any surge in the price of fuel products and transport fares will translate to an increase in the price of a commodity.
According to the government, it is aware of these trends and is “working hard to try and find a solution to these problems.”
A residential complex for Court of Appeal Judges in the Ashanti Region, among other infrastructure projects, has been completed and commissioned by President Akufo-Addo for use.
This, according to the President, is in an effort to bridge the housing deficit associated with the judiciary.
The newly built, ultramodern Kumasi Court of Appeal complex, along with twenty (20) townhouses and a guest house, will serve as the permanent residences for Court of Appeal Judges based in Kumasi, who will be tasked with handling appeals from the northern region of the country.
In addition to the court complex, the President also hinted at constructing some one hundred and twenty (120) courts and one hundred and fifty (150) bungalows across the country, of which he mentioned some have already been completed.
Explaining the motive for this, the President indicated that, in the course of his first term in office, the government took note of the inadequate number of courts in various parts of the country, resulting in citizens travelling long distances to gain access to courts.
“I was also informed that some judges lived in insecure housing, and were subject to abuse and threats after their judgements,” he said.
“That is why, in my Message on the State of the Nation, on 9th March 2021, Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and the District Assembly Common Fund, has commenced, in an unprecedented initiative, the construction of ninety (90) courts with accompanying accommodation for judges across the country, to help address the
problem of inadequate court infrastructure,” he added.
He added that through the efficiency and ingenuity of the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo, “we [government] are, in fact, constructing one hundred and twenty (120) courts and one hundred and fifty (150) bungalows and not the ninety (90) that was contemplated earlier.”
According to the President, seventy percent (70%) of these projects have already been completed.
Projects under construction Six new Regional High Courts are also being constructed in the newly created regions, i.e., Ahafo, Bono East, North East, Oti, Savannah and Western North.
Three of the Courts, that is those in Ahafo, Bono East and Oti Regions, have been completed and are ready for commissioning.
The other three, that is those in North East, Savannah and Western North, which are at eighty percent (80%) completion, will be ready for commissioning by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Following the completion of about 70% of the projects and the commissioning of the residential complex for the Court of Appeal judges in the Ashanti region, the President declared all other projects completed.
“With the commissioning of this residential complex here, in Kumasi, and the Magistrates Court in Toase later this afternoon, I deem all the completed projects duly commissioned.”
He, thus, charged the Chief Justice to take over and start posting officers to commence work with immediate effect.
The President believes that this substantial investment in infrastructure will motivate the judiciary to work even harder to advance the rule of law and justice in the country.
He pledged to continue to support the judiciary during his term as a result.
“We will continue to implement policies to advance the rule of law, and, thereby, reinforce the confidence of the people, and shore up our nation’s reputation as a country governed by the rule of law,” he said.
He also acknowledged people who were instrumental in the execution of these projects.
“The efforts of Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, his predecessor, Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, the former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, and Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, must be warmly commended,” he added.
The Komfo Anokye Maternity and Children’s block, which had been abandoned for about 45-years, pulled down and reconstructed by the Akufo-Addo led administration, is about 60% complete.
The President received this information on Monday, October 17, 2022, while inspecting the project, which is currently undergoing remodelling, as part of his four-day working visit to the Ashanti region.
After a JoyNews documentary on the building’s deplorable state aired in 2020, a series of activities were launched to remodel it.
The remodelling process began with the demolition of the structure after tests on the structural integrity of the building revealed that it was too weak to withstand the test of time.
President Akufo-Addo then, in May 2020, President Akufo-Addo cut sod for the reactivation of work on the facility with an assurance that the project would be completed within a period of 36 months.
Contract to remodel the KATH Maternity and Children block
The Health Ministry on November 6, 2019, employed Contract Construction UK Limited for the design, execution, and completion of works and the remedying of any defects, which included the re-modelling and completion of shell spaces for the existing building structure.
Subsequently, after the Contractor’s structural integrity report for the existing building structure, the Government decided to revise the scope of works in November 2020 to include a complete demolition of the old existing structure, and a redesign, construction and complete equipping of the new and modern mother and child health facility.
The revised contract also includes the provision of a 3-year maintenance program for medical equipment with training and technical assistance, procurement of medical and non–medical consumables, and the training of needed human resource training, technical assistance and mentorship programs.
The new design has 8 floors, 22 consulting rooms, 3 group consulting rooms, 2 consulting rooms for adult emergencies, 2 consulting rooms for Paediatric Emergencies, 3 Auditorium (45 seats, 43 seats and 145 seats), 5 seminar rooms (14 seats) and 506 Beds with the capacity to hold, 199 paediatric cots, 136 Paediatric beds, 19 birthing beds and 152 Adult beds.
Additionally, the block will also have 1 Obstetrics Theatre, 7 General theatres, Pharmacy, Dispensaries, Laboratories as well as Ancillary spaces.
Once completed, it will house an intensive care unit, a high-dependency unit, isolation rooms, and student lecture halls, with the capacity to provide catering services for staff, patients, and students.
The expanded work has also resulted in the ongoing reconstruction of the Station Basic School classroom block at the UDDARA Barracks, which is scheduled to be completed by January 2023.
The project, which is an integral part of the West Africa Power Pool Project, seeks to reinforce the Ghana Transmission System, and ensure the export of, at least, 100 megawatts of electricity to Burkina Faso, as well as increase the reliability of the Ghana-Burkina Interconnection project.
To help achieve this objective, GRIDCo also constructed a 330kV Transmission line from the Aboadze Power Generation enclave through Prestea to Kumasi.
The 330 kV Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line Project consisted of the construction of approximately 550km of 330kV Transmission Line from Kumasi to Bolgatanga, the construction of 330kV substations at Kumasi, Kintampo, Tamale and Bolgatanga, as well as the expansion of the existing 161kV Substations at these locations, and the implementation of Environmental Mitigation Measures and a Resettlement Action Plan for the Project.
The French Development Agency (AFD) financed the project at a total cost of US$173.9 million.
Not only has the project succeeded in supplying 150 megawatts of power to Burkina Faso, but it has also increased transmission capacity to meet growing demand in Ashanti, northern Ghana and beyond.
The Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also noted that the projects have also contributed to the reduction of transmission line overloads and associated high transmission losses and improved voltages, particularly in Ashanti, Bono and Bono East regions.
He stressed that the 330kV transmission lines have also helped to improve the quality and reliability of power supply in the country.
History of WAPP
The West Africa Power Pool ( WAPP)projects commenced with the Coastal Transmission Backbone Projects (CTB) which involved the construction of 330kV Aboadze-Volta (Tema)-Momehagou (Togo) Transmission Line and associated substations as well as the upgrade of Power Generation facilities in Ghana.
The projects were jointly implemented by the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and Communauté Electrique du Bénin (CEB) of Togo/Benin and completed in 2014.
The developmental objective of the CTB project was to increase access of WAPP “Zone A” coastal states (Cote-d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin & Nigeria) to more stable and reliable electricity to alleviate power supply deficits and to reduce their collective vulnerability to drought-induced power supply disruptions.
The subsequent project was the Interzonal Hub Transmission Project. The development objective of the first phase of the project was to reduce the cost of and improve the security of electricity supply to Burkina Faso while increasing Ghana’s electricity export capacity.
President Akufo-Addo has said that he is not threatened by calls for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be voted out of office in the 2024 election.
He said such threats do not frighten him.
The President made this comment in an interview on Kumasi-based OTEC FM on Monday.
His comment was in response to a question posed by host of the programme regarding what he made of threats by the people of Kwabre against the NPP in the 2024election due to poor road infrastructure in the area.
Reacting to the threats President Akufo-Addo replied, “no problem. I am saying people make those kinds of threats; me they don’t frighten me.”
According to him, although he understands the masses may support a party with an expectation, he, however, does not see the need to threaten the government if it fails to deliver.
“If you decide to vote for the NDC in the general election, it is your choice and that is not my problem. No one will force you to vote for someone,” he stated.
He, however, admitted that he has been mandated with a responsibility to construct roads and will definitely execute it.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been assured that the US$330 million Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal project, popularly referred to as the Boankra Inland Port Project, which has been on the drawing board for some eighteen (18) years, will be completed by the first quarter of 2024.
The concessionaire, Ashanti Ports Services Limited, a joint venture of Afum Quality Limited of Ghana and DSS Associates of the Republic of Korea, made this known on Sunday, 16th October 2022, when President Akufo-Addo visited the site of the construction.
Covering a total land area of 413 acres, the President was informed by the Concessionaire that “we are working to deliver this job within the schedule date. By the end of 2023 eighty percent (80%) will be done, and, by the end of the first quarter 2024, we will finish the project.”
The Concessionaire was hopeful that the eastern and western railway lines will be completed on schedule, which will further improve the viability of the Boankra inland port.
The idea of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal project has been in the pipeline since the days of the Government of the 2nd President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor. In attempting to bring it into fruition, it encountered a number of challenges, a significant one being the exit of the NPP government in 2009.
2020 Sod-cutting
Cutting the sod for the construction of the Port on Thursday, 5th November 2020, the President explained that the Boankra Inland Port project has been initiated to provide service to importers and exporters in the middle and northern parts of the country, and also to act as a major conduit for the efficient transportation of transit traffic to and from our neighbouring landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
After completion of the Terminal, it will be fitted with an inland clearance depot, customs bonded and unbonded estates, commercial areas such as banks, offices and trading facilities, vehicle parking areas, light industrial areas, and an administration complex.
The Project will also offer significant employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labour during the two phases of construction and operation. Beyond the creation of jobs, there are other ancillary small and medium scale businesses that will be located within the enclave to support the operations of the Terminal.
“It is noteworthy that the transformation of the Ghanaian economy, from a raw material producing and exporting one, to an industrialised one, will be given a huge impetus with the coming on stream of this facility.
Government’s commitment to establishing firmly the economy of Ghana on a solid path of industrialisation, with the view to delivering a vision of self-reliance, development and prosperity for all, is unwavering,” he added.
The Concessionaire, Ashanti Ports Services Limited, a joint venture of Afum Quality Limited of Ghana and DSS Associates of the Republic of Korea, according to President Akufo-Addo, is committed to investing a total of $330 million for the realisation of this project.
Additionally, the Concessionaire is expected to design, engineer, finance, procure, construct, operate, and maintain the project, and transfer title to the Government after a thirty (30) year period.
“It is my hope and expectation that the Concessionaire will not renege on the confidence reposed in it, and will take all the necessary actions to deliver the project on schedule and on budget,” he added.
One of the success stories of the Africa economic integration agenda is the coming into force of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
The objective of the AfCFTA is to promote trade among African countries, with the President stressing that “this will be buoyed by the presence of an effective and efficient transport system, especially as Ghana is playing host to the Secretariat”.
President Akufo-Addo was hopeful that “this project and other similar infrastructure projects, such as the development of the Keta Port, the Tema-Akosombo Railway Line, and the ongoing port expansion projects at Tema and Takoradi Ports, would make a positive contribution in ensuring that Ghana derives maximum benefits from the AfCFTA.”
Deputy Minister of Education, John Ntim Fordjour, has urged BECE candidates to do their best during their 2020 examination.
According to him, several investment plans have been put in place to give them great opportunities after their examination.
This investment, he says, includes the flagship Free SHS/TVET policy, which has been put in place by the Akufo-Addo administration.
In a Twitter post, he said, “best wishes to all 552,276 BECE candidates across the country. The future is bright with you. The massive investment awaiting you through government flagship Free SHS/TVET policy is to give you a future of great opportunities and economic empowerment. Now therefore, put in your best possible efforts and make us proud.”
A number of 552,276 candidates will on Monday 17th begin the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).
The candidates include 276,988 males and 275,288 females.
The exams will end on Friday, October 21, 2022, and will be taken across 2,023 designated centres across the country.
In a statement issued and signed by the Head of the Public Relations Unit, GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo advised candidates to play by the rules governing the conduct of the examinations and abide by them in order to ensure incident-free examinations.
“All Candidates and Stakeholders are assured that Management has worked very closely with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations throughout the country.
“We wish to remind all Candidates, Parents, Invigilators, and Supervisors to appreciate the fact that the basis of success in life is honesty and hard work and therefore urge all Candidates and Stakeholders to eschew all forms of examination malpractices before, during and after the exams and to indicate that all cases of reported examination malpractices will swiftly be investigated and dealt with decisively,” he said.
