Govt is insensitive to plight of Ghanaians

Accra, Aug. 11, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday said the government's dead silence on major national issues raised by Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Flag Bearer of NDC for Election 2004, is a manifestation of its insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Ghanaians.

Prof Mills told Journalists in Accra that since the Party's "March for Survival Demonstration", the NDC have raised serious issues on the governance of the nation and the current economic hardship visited on the people of Ghana but the government through its spin-doctors have continuously diverted attention from them.

He said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Government has failed to deliver on its campaign promises of bringing down the cost of living, providing employment for the youth and making education less costly, especially at the tertiary level.

A sudden downpour on July 16 prevented Journalists from asking questions at a press conference that Prof Mills addressed and Monday's interaction was to offer them the opportunity to ask some questions.

He said: "We need to know why the national debt has increased by 22 trillion cedis. We want to know the full content of the Volta River Authority Report. We need to know how much the Ghanaian taxpayer paid for the numerous forensic audit reports. Ghanaians have the right to know the killers of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, Paramount Chief of Dagbon Traditional Area.

"When is the Tema Municipal Assembly Probe report going to be published? What is the government doing about the numerous allegations of financial malfeasance against some Ministers of State? When are the dubious awards of contracts by some district assemblies going to be investigated? He asked.

"To give meaning to President Kufuor's slogan of 'Zero Tolerance for Corruption', we expect that the allegations would be investigated and those found to be corrupt or have caused financial loss and betrayed the trust of the people prosecuted."

Prof Mills also urged the government to furnish Ghanaians with the names of all the forensic auditors, their appointment and how much was paid to each auditor in relation to each forensic audit conducted and its outcomes and benefits to Ghanaians.

"This is important, because the payment figures being bandied about are staggering and it is critical that those who are insisting on accountability are themselves shown to be accountable," Professor Mills said.

The NDC Flag bearer said lack of a credible response from President Kufuor's Administration would show its aloofness to public concern. Prof Mills also described the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Fund as an NPP political moneybag used to woo voters.