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OPEN LETTER TO MR. MAC MANU AN Submitted on 2007-10-16 03:54:10 (modified 2007-10-16 03:54:34)
Come January 7, 2009, His Excellency President John Agyekum Kufuor’s term of office as President of Ghana will come to an end. Under the 1992 constitution, he will not be allowed to contest on his party’s ticket as a Presidential candidate for a third term. The New Patriotic Party, which is the President’s party has therefore opened nominations for qualified and competent individuals who satisfy the national and the party’s constitution to file their papers to contest election as Presidential candidates to lead the party for December 2008 elections. The question I pose to the party’s Chairman, Mr. Mac Manu, the executives and the entire membership of the New Patriotic Party is; “What will be the status of His Excellency President John Agyekum Kufuor in the New Patriotic Party after January 7, 2009”?
The President, under his leadership as the Head of State, has chalked a number of successes which has brought glory to the New Patriotic Party and the country in general. He is well acclaimed for practicing good governance with respect to human rights and the rule of law. His government repealed the criminal and seditious libel law on August 17, 2001. This was a law which inhibited the country’s journalists from articulating their views freely. The current Press Centre of the Ghana Journalist Association was donated by his Excellency. With this, the President and the New Patriotic Party have won the heart of the Ghanaian media and all apostles of free speech.
Under his presidency, the economy has been stabilized. President Kufuor’s government inherited an economy where inflation was around 52%, interest rate around 48%, the value of the cedi to the dollar was depreciating on a daily basis. Since his assumption of office, inflation has been going down and is now around 10%, with, interest rate around 12% and the cedi to the dollar and other major foreign currencies stabilized. Banks now offer their customers various types of loans due to the improved state of the macro-economy. As was reported in the media a few days ago, Ghana has become the first West African sovereign state to enter international bond markets, selling a benchmark issue to raise $750 million. And, this has not been a feature of our economy until recently.
He has introduced a number of programmes which has been of great benefit to the party’s foot soldiers and the country in general. Mention can be made of the introduction of the National Youth Employment Programme, the Micro and Small Loan Scheme (MASLOC) etc. Again, as leader of a party and government which believe in the free market system of governance, he is implementing some social policies which are transforming the lives of the citizenry. It is under his regime that the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Mass Transportation system, free bussing for school kids, implementation of the capitation grant etc. are being effected as enshrined in the National Constitution.
Further, President Kufuor has traveled all over the world meeting governments and top officials in the discharge of his duties. This has enabled him to build strong links among his peers and other business men. He can therefore use his connections gained in government to raise funds for the running of the party.
It was reported in the media quite recently that, the former President of the country, Jerry John Rawlings raised a total of $700,000 for his party abroad. It should be noted that, he was able to raise such an amount due to the connections he created for himself when he was the President of the country.
It is in the light of the successes achieved under President Kufuor’s regime and his immense contribution to the development of the party and the country in general, that I propose to you, Mr. Chairman, and the New Patriotic Party in general to define a role for His Excellency to play in the party at the end of his term of office. This will guide him so that, his actions will not conflict with the next leader who is elected on the New Patriotic Party’s ticket.
Again, I propose to the party, to institute a chair to be known as the “JOHN AGYEKUM KUFUOR’S CHAIR OF EXCELLENCE” where the party’s youth can delves into his philosophy and ideas that have enabled the party and the country in general to chalk these successes. The youth of the party cannot allow his ideas to ‘die’ when he (President Kufuor) is out of power.
I recommend that, Mr. Chairman Table this idea in the next executive meeting of the party. It is my hope and belief that, Mr. Chairman and the entire executive committee of the New Patriotic Party will consider this noble idea.
Amoako Asiedu Atta Kakra Former Tescon President Sunyani Polytechnic
A good show, Madam Theresa Kuf Submitted on 2007-10-01 07:27:14 (modified 2007-10-01 07:56:44) I watched with delight the performance of our first lady, madam Theresa Kufuor on CNN's programme, what the african lady needs. She indeed articulated the needs of the african lady and showed how compasionate she was towards the african child. It is no surprising that she has instituted the mother and child foundation to support mother's and children in the country. Her sense of humour depicts her status as a true first lady of the country. She doesn't boast and always want to maintain a low profile in the discharge of her duties to alliviate women and children from their status. Madam, you are truely the respectable first lady the country has had in the past twenty years.
Govt's intervention to flood v Submitted on 2007-10-01 05:21:54 (modified 2007-10-01 05:23:58) Government under president Kufour has responded positively to the recent floods in the northern region. It has voted closed to 6.2 billion cedis in the form of relief items to the people in both upper east and northern regions. All of us must recommend govt. in this situation. A fact finding team led by the president's chief advisor, Mrs Chenery Hesse has also toured the enchi area to inspect the extent of damage caused in recent floods caused there too. Govt. deserves commendation.
THE SO CALLED NEGLECT OF THE F Submitted on 2007-09-26 12:53:01 (modified 2007-10-01 04:32:56) Undoubtedly, President John Agyekum Kufuor became the President of the country through the support and hard work of the New Patriotic Party’s foot soldiers. In the run-up to the year 2000 elections, many members of the party were brutalized, detained and intimidated by the then NDC government under Jerry John Rawlings for their support for then candidate Kufuor and his NPP. It may be recalled that a tipper truck run through some supporters of the party in the Bekwai constituency during a procession in which some of the supporters lost their lives. Space will not permit me to outline the many other incidents that took place.
Joy and happiness that emerged in the faces of the foot soldiers when the party won the year 2000 elections. Among other reasons, they were sure that many of their needs were going to be provided.
In spite of the efforts government is making, some few think the government under President Kufuor has not done enough to alleviate their suffering. Many as they may have a case, these people should avail themselves for the oppourtunities being created and stop blaming government for their condition. The fact of the matter is that, president Kufuor may not give money to individual members on each day. What he can do in my opinion is to create the oppourtunities for them (foot soldiers) to benefit to improve upon their lives.
A number of Programmes has been initiated by the Kufuor government since its emergence as the head of government in the country of which the foot soldiers can take advantage of to improve upon their living standards. Mention can be made of the introduction National Youth Employment Programme, the Macro and small scale loan (MASLOC) etc. These are government initiatives which are of direct benefit to the foot soldiers.
It is sad to note that, those who have been trumpeting on this issue are some of the party’s Presidential hopefuls. Many of these hopefuls have got the oppourtunity to serve under this government. My question is; ‘what help did they offer to our foot soldiers when they were ministers for closed to six years’ Really, the oppourtunities lied in their hands to help the party’s members because they were closed to the people. Some of them have been criticized for not allowing members into their offices anytime they visited them. So, is it because they want their (foot soldiers) power that is why they are trying to discredit President Kufuor?
Every foot soldier would agree with me that the State Protocol and security would not allow President Kufuor to meet party members frequently. It behooves on our ministers and DCE’s who are closed to the people to meet their needs to erase the perception that the government under President Kufuor has failed them. It has been the agenda of a particular aspirant to ‘soil’ the image of the sitting President to the potential delegates and the rank and file of the party. He and his cronies are propagating the so called “neglect of the party’s foot soldiers”. He is the same person who is priding himself as the one whose actions helped the party to chalk two successive elections. He has mobilized some disgruntle few to demonstrate against the President because he thinks the President is supporting Alan Kyeremanten. I find this ridiculous since the President has openly, on so many occasions, dissociated himself from Alan’s bid but this man and his cronies still want to tag the President as the one pushing Alan’s bid. This agenda would not in any way help the party’s course but will rather create antagonism among the rank and file. I advice all aspirant to demonstrate their commitment to the party by desisting from such actions. I urge our foot soldiers and potential delegates to disregard those who want to spit fire and break the party’s front. It is because they want power at all cost, that is why they are putting the currents President’s name in the mud. I urge them to continue to rally behind the President to make this country a safe haven. The President is well acclaimed in the country and the whole world for his economic policies and his commitment to the pursuit of good governance.
By Amoako Asiedu Atta Kakra
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR CHOO Submitted on 2007-09-20 05:43:07 (modified 2007-09-20 05:45:47) Come December 2007, the New Patriotic Party will go for their Annual Delegates’ congress to elect a presidential candidate. This congress is expected to be more competitive than previous ones. The reason being that whoever is elected has a chance of becoming the next president of Ghana. It is therefore no surprise that many members of the party have declared their intention to vie for the position of presidential candidates. To the party as a whole, two important conditions must be considered before arriving at a decision. The position of the flagbearer is unique and therefore calls for certain sterling qualities as enshrined in article 12 clause 4 of the New Patriotic Party’s constitution; “that no member shall be entitled to nomination as the party’s presidential candidate unless he or she”:1) is a known and active Member of at least five (5) years; 2) is of good character; 3) is otherwise of good standing; 4) has paid the prescribed fee for presidential aspirants by the deadline set by the National Executive Committee; 5) is found to be qualified to be a presidential candidate by the vetting committee; 6) has signed the “Undertaking for presidential Aspirants” and 7) the Member’s nomination has been endorsed in writing by at least one hundred (100) Members in good standing, ten from each region.
In spite of these statutory qualities, a candidate should have exceptional democratic credentials such as respect for human right, rule of law etc. He/She should be able to attract the undecided or floating voters to the party’s fold. An aspirant should not be elected on the bases of his long-service to the party. Long-serving members may be good and devoted to the party; however, they may not posses the qualities required to be a leader. Any individual considering to be elected as the party’s flagbearer should uphold what the father of the party, Dr J B Danquah stood for “The party’s policy is to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of property owning democracy in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice, as principles to which Government and laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen”. It is these guiding qualities that will inform delegates as to which candidate to vote for. In choosing a presidential candidate for the party, the goal of the latter should be to look for a person who can provide the leadership that will bring peace and prosperity to the people. A candidate whom when entrusted with the position of the flagbearer will emerge as the president of the state come year 2009. Delegates to the congress should reject aspirants whose ideals and polices do not conform to what the New Patriotic Party stands for. The party, which has its philosophy of being liberal democrats; believes in the individual willing to understand and respect other people’s ideas, opinions and feeling. Many pollsters have come up with opinion polls even before the party opens nominations. This has generated a lot of controversy in the country. Some media houses have even gone to the extent of calling it as bogus and that it thus not really reflect delegate’s opinions. It was rumored in town that a presidential hopeful got furious of the opinion polls and threatened to hold a press conference to nullify it because it had no bases. These events leading to the main congress shows how tensions will erupt immediately nomination forms are advertised. It is under this backdrop that, I advice our presidential hopefuls to be circumspect in their pronouncements. The internal wrangling and counter insults that prevailed in the NDC prior to their election should serve as a lesson to all those pursuing to lead the NPP. Prof. Atta Mills was regarded as a sickly suffering from a Sinus disease by Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah, one of the presidential aspirants, of which I think may be used as a campaign message in election 2008 if the party candidate. Another feature that has come up has being that; some presidential hopefuls are trying to discredit president Kufuor to either win favours from the delegates or the electorate. What many of them have forgotten is that, if president Kufuor fails, the party would find it difficult to win the 2008 election. An aspirant is even priding himself as the one whose actions helped the party to chalk two successive elections. How on earth can one person’s efforts help a political party such as the NPP win a whole election? Everyone within the rank and file contributed to the success of the party’s cause have remained quiet for the sake of party unity and cohesion.
I therefore urge our potential delegates not to fail the youth of the party, but go out to elect a candidate who is capable of winning the next general elections for the New Patriotic Party. Amoako Asiedu Atta Kakra
Former Student Leader
RE: AKOSA DECLARES FOR PRESIDE Submitted on 2007-08-20 08:28:47 (modified 2007-08-20 08:33:53) It didn’t come as a surprise when news broke that the former Director General of Ghana Health Service, Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa had declared his intention to contest for the flagbearership position of the convention people’s party. Prior to his declaration, there had been intense rumours in the Ghanaian media about his intentions as he himself enumerated, during his declaration “to end a long period of media and public speculation and to declare my candidature for the flagbearership of the great CONVENTION PEOPLE’S PARTY (CPP)”. Undoubtedly, the Professor goes with a lot of enviable credentials: a successful pathologist and a former President of the Ghana Medical Association, under whose tenure the Additional Duty Hour Allowance popularly referred to as the ADHA was introduced to motivate health workers who spend additional hours at work aside their normal working hours. He has been a strong advocate for the passage of the National Tobacco bill which is currently before Parliament for consideration. He was also a past President of the old student’s association of Prempeh College (Amanfoo), the institution which produced the sitting president, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufour. Needless to say, these achievements do not necessary mean the distinguished Professor can ascend to the presidency which is the highest office of the land. Anybody aspiring to be the CPP flagbearer should have won the confidence of a majority of not just party members but also Ghanaians on the whole, as well as being capable of running difficult, complex and demanding projects. Again, a candidate who will transcend the tribal divisions in the country and promote unity of among the citizenry. More importantly, the party needs an individual who can help it scale a mounting "national wall" of disbelief and distrust. A candidate’s expertise in the health sector should not be the only criteria in his selection as a flag bearer but an individual, who has knowledge in all spheres of the country’s development in the areas of the economy, education, entrepreneurial skills, etc. One would have expected that Prof. Akosa in his declaration speech should have touched on the party’s wayward members. The CPP as its stands today has weak structures and would be difficult for the party to win any elections. A little over 1% in the last elections, a survey conducted by one the election tin tanks showed the party had only 54 offices in all the 138 districts in the country. The Prof. should have addressed the apparent disunity within the party, and other daunting challenges facing the party; and the measures that he will take to confront these challenges when voted as the party’s flag bearer.
The party’s parliamentarians rose to their ranks with the help of the New Patriotic Party. This is how come the parliamentary action group (PAG) which has one of its members in the person of Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom also contesting for the flagbearership. This group was criticized and vilified for attaching itself to the NPP; but their action helped the party to win three (3) parliamentary seats. A visit to the party’s headquarters’ would attest that, the latter is in serious financial difficulty. The General Secretary’s office is an eyesore. It was reported in the Chronicle of Monday 20th August, 2007 that the party is cash strapped; ‘the Convention People’s party’s (CPP) third National Delegates Congress slated tentatively for September ending is in danger as the party cannot raise funds to organize it, eminent members of the Central Committee told the Ghana News Agency in an Accra on Saturday’. It went ahead to say that ‘The party barons and Godfathers have failed to roll in the needed funds for congress. Most of them are mainly interested in controlling the party machine rather than ensuring that we organize to elect the most popular candidates for elections 2008,’ they stated. This is the situation of the party today.
In his declaration speech (Prof. Akosa), instead of articulating what his leadership will offer to the CPP, he descended heavily on the NPP. “We would rather build Presidential palaces than ensure that not a single child is detained at the hospital because of the inability of parents to pay bills”. I was amazed and quickly asked myself, ‘is it not this same Professor who until recently was the Director General of the Ghana Health Service’? Somebody who, under his tenure, the National Health Insurance scheme was introduced’. A policy which has saved a number of lives and continue to cater for the sick in society could be looked at when one is making a critique of this government. It is of course Hippocrates who criticizes a policy they helped to formulate. Prof. Akosa was rumoured to be receiving thirty six million cedis (¢36,000,000) as his monthly salary aside his personal allowances when he was the Director General of the Ghana Health Service. This is a man who thinks Ghanaians today live in a state of poverty, ‘as I traveled throughout the Country identifying the challenges and the opportunities that came with my responsibilities, I was confronted with naked or abject poverty existing side by side with great untapped opportunities’ he said. So the question now is, did he realize this when he was receiving ¢36,000,000 a month? I get upset when I listen to those who aspire to become president of this country criticizing the construction of the presidential palace. A visit to the present seat of government, the castle will show that, the former slave dungeon do not deserve to house the presidency. The place is dilapidated and is really in a state of disrepair. So does Prof. Akosa and the others want the country to reject a loan facility which has a lower interest rate and its repayment period spanning over forty (40) years? I learnt half of the loan would be used to finance electricity in the rural areas. Is the Prof aware of this? It was wrong for the Prof. to downplay the achievements of His Excellency President Kufour. This is a government who believes in the free market system of government (capitalist) but has formulated and implementing some social policies. Mention can be made of the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Capitation grant, the free bussing of school children, the school feeding and a host of other social programmes. This indeed defeats the Prof.’s argument that this government does seek the welfare of the citizenry. The economy under president Kufour continues to stabilize in the face of the energy crisis which is receiving much attention now. Emergency plants have been built and I am happy to say that, the situation is now under control and the citizenry now enjoys full electricity during the day. The macro economic indicators show that the government is on tract in delivering in its promise. It inherited a deteriorating economy where inflation hovered around 40% plus, bank rate at 50%, GDP around 3.2% and the cedi to the dollar around ¢7000 etc. But today, inflation is around 10.5%, bank rate is around 22% and GDP is 6.2%. The government has been able to maintain its foreign reserves to cover three and a half (3.5) months import cover when it inherited an economy with a foreign reserve which couldn’t cover two (2) weeks imports.
My advice to Prof. Akosa and his other CPP aspirants is to concentrate on their ambitions of annexing their party’s flagbearership and leave President Kufour and His NPP government to concentrate on their mandate of making this country a safe ‘haven’ for one to live in. I wish the Professor and the other aspirants the best of luck as they present themselves to their party’s delegates. Amoako Asiedu Atta Kakra Former Student Leader.
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