House must probe President's 43 trips

The National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ms Frances Asiam has called on Parliament to use its constitutional mandate to let the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration explained how useful and beneficial the over 43 foreign tips made by President Kufuor within the 19 months in office has been to the country.

“We believe the trips are a drain to our HIPC shoulders and the suffering masses and Parliament should bring the Kufuor administration to answer”, she stated. Ms Asiam made the call when she inaugurated a 24-member working committee of the NDC, here. It formed part of efforts at revitalising and restructuring the party at the regional, district, and grass root levels to recapture power in election 2004.

Ms Asiam described as unfortunate the fact that the President had made numerous trips outside the country yet he had not found time to visit the Upper West, East and Northern regions since he was elected into office.

She said the NPP government was non-performing and urged the people to boot it out in election 2004. The Organiser said the abolishing of the cash and carry system promised by the NPP continued to be a mirage, while parents were confronted with higher school fees with many more people being asked to go home under the syndrome: “proceed on leave and restructuring process”.

She said all those were a clear manifestation of the incapability of the government to rule the country and that Ghanaians had realised that the NDC was a better alternative for which they were poised to return it to power. Ms Asian, therefore, urged the women to remain united and work as a team by embarking on what she termed a recruitment drive to win more souls to the party, saying “the NDC should win on merit and not solely on the weakness of the NPP”.

The First Deputy Organiser, Hajia Ladi Ayamba, said the NPP had failed to pass the test set for it by Ghanaians as it could not fulfil its campaigns promises such as free education, free medical care and the creation of jobs, adding “Ghanaians were growing cassava before the NPP government came to power and that there is nothing strange, new or existing for government to urge people grow cassava.”

Hajia Ayamba noted that thee was no Cabinet Minister from any of the three Northern Regions, saying, “If there is nobody qualified to hold a Cabinet position, then there should be nobody qualified to vote for the NPP come 2004.

The second Deputy National Organiser, Hajia Salamatu Kunte described the closure of the National Mobilisation Programme and Non-Formal Education Division (NFED) as unjustifiable and in bad taste.

She said the NDC would come back to power in 2004 because people were disgruntled and that the common slogan even in the stronghold of the NPP was “sankofa” meaning let’s go back to our roots.

The Regional Women’s Organiser and chairperson of the working committee, Hajia Froko said the main objective of the NDC in the region was to capture the parliamentary seat of Sissala, which she described as being on loan to the PNC and that every effort was being made to attain that goal.

She said the NDC was solid on the ground in the Upper West Region and urged the Women’s Wing to concentrate its energy more in other areas to win more support for the party.