Kufuor responds to certain issues in Dr Kennedy's book

Accra, Dec 9, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has reacted to a book Dr Arthur Kennedy had written in which he discussed events he believed contributed to the NPP losing Election 2008 and said the author did not have in-dept knowledge of certain issues and events that happened during his eight-year administration.

The former President said in a statement signed by his Spokesperson, Mr Frank Agyekum, that he disagreed with Dr Kennedy's treatment of certain issues because he did not contact the persons involved for their views before coming out with his book: "Setting the Records Straight: Chasing the Elephant into the Bush - The Politics of Complacency."

He said on page 148 under the heading: President Kufuor Pledges "No Vote," Dr Kennedy made it appear he, the former President, had declared that no voting would take place in Tain.

The book also alleged that the former President was not able to effect that decision because "no concrete subsequent steps were taken" and he did not go to Tain because of security reasons.

Former President Kufuor said the impression that he sought to call off or cancel the elections in Tain was unfounded and strange because Dr Kennedy must be aware that Article 45c of the Constitution empowers the Electoral Commission to "conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda" in the country.

"It therefore comes to me as a great surprise that anybody could suggest that l could call off or cancel an election, when all through my tenure as President, l have advocated strict adherence to the constitution. " Former President Kufuor walked down memory lane and recounted events leading to the Tain election and said the decision not to contest the Tain election was taken by the Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the Campaign Team in Accra while he, the former President, was in Wenchi waiting to move to Tain.

He said after he had arrived, the candidate and the campaign team joined him at the residence of the late Premier Kofi Abrefa Busia, and informed him that they had issued a writ in the High Court in Accra to restrain the Electoral Commissioner from holding the election. "I was surprised at this news as l had no prior knowledge of it and was hearing it for the first time then. I had believed that we should have given Tain a fighting chance and that was why l had traveled all the way to Wenchi, ready to move into Tain."

Former President Kufuor said it was obvious the decision would not be changed and there was no need anymore for him to go to Tain so he returned to Accra.

He said he told Nana Akufo-Addo of his intention to issue a statement asking all Ghanaians to abide by the results that would be announced by the EC and he did it on his return to Accra.

"It is therefore never true that my decision not to go to Tain was because of security reasons. In fact, it was while we were driving from Wenchi to Kumasi en route to Accra, that l heard for the first time on the vehicle's radio that l had refused to enter Tain because of security reasons. It was a wicked lie by whoever put it out and l was highly disappointed on hearing it."

Former President Kufuor said it was not true that the decision to build the Golden Jubilee House was taken in the election year of 2008. He said he had appealed, through the then Indian High Commissioner in Ghana, to the Indian government in 2003 to assist Ghana to build a presidency. The response came in 2006 with a liberal offer of a concessionary loan of $30m, half of which was a grant.

"It was a virtual gift repayable over 25 years with interest of 1.75%. Construction was to be completed in 2007," he said.

The former President said the country's fleet of planes, including the ones used by the presidency, had aged. Three of them had reached the end of their air worthiness and were bound to go for their last retrofitting in South Africa after which they could last for just another three years up until 2011.

The advice by the Ghana Air Force was to buy new ones as soon as possible if the country was not to be caught off guard in as far as its air power was concerned.

The other option was to acquire used ones as had been the practice in the past and the then government opted for the former. He said it takes 72 months from the time a new aircraft is ordered to when it is delivered. It therefore meant that if Ghana did not place an order by 2007, it would not have any aircraft by 2011 and that it was on this basis that those aircrafts were ordered.

Former President Kufuor said it was obvious that "many of our own people had bought into the opposition propaganda about the appropriateness of these projects and had let it affect their thinking. They could therefore not defend them as vigorously as they should have."

He said Nana Akufo-Addo, then Foreign Minister and cabinet member, had supported the purchase arrangements and expressed surprise that some people who should know better were making some uncharitable remarks on these vital projects.

Former President Kufuor said these people had lost sight of the many pro-poor interventions the then government had made and continued to make even in its last days in office.