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Opinions of Sunday, 22 December 2013

Columnist: Sangaparee, Clement

Kufuor Left The Country More Divided

Mr. J.A Kufuor Left The Country More Divided As His Legacy

Ex – President Kufuor has already made HISTORY. He is the FIRST GHANAIAN LEADER from the Danquah / Busia tradition to have served MORE THAN TWO AND HALF YEARS IN OFFICE and ended up serving a two 4 year term in office making it 8 years.

While this may reflect the relative STABILITY that Ghanaians now enjoy, and the commitment of the various political parties and stakeholders to democratic governance it is none the less also an achievement for Ex President Kufuor and his Asante / Akyem dominated cabinet from 2001 – 2008.

When President Kufuor took over from former President Rawlings in January 2001, one of his greatest wishes was to BREAK THE JINX of only 27 months of service FOR CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATIONS SINCE 1969. It will be recalled that Dr. K.A Busia’s Progress Party government that was elected into office in 1969 lasted for only 27 months and 10 years later, President Hilla Limann’s (PNP) government could also not last for more than 27 months. The first term of the Kufour administration was obviously very turbulent.

The NPP government took many UNPOPULAR DECISIONS including a 200 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF FUEL BUT NO ONE COUGHED IN GHANA. (2) THERE WAS ANOTHER 200 PERCENT INCREASE IN UTILITY TARRIFS AND NO ONE AGAIN COUGHED IN GHANA. Yet today 2013, the NPP is now in opposition and they are moving Heaven and Earth and shouting their voice hoarse on top of trees, pylons, and story buildings with the support of organized labor – the T.U.C, the Alliance for Attacking Government (AFAG) the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) GNAT, GMA and several affiliated groups aligned to the NPP are also moving Heaven and Earth to ensure that tariffs are reduced at all lost by blaming the NDC government of being INSENSITIVE TO THE PLIGHT OF GHANAIANS. Where was the T.U.C the G.B.A, GNAT, GMA and all the so – called civil society organizations between 2001 – 2008 when the NPP government was in power? AFAG did not exist at that time since it is was found during President Mills time in 2009? Where was Ghana’s Clergy between 2001 – 2008? They all hid their heads in the sand shamelessly.

Another unpopular decision of the NPP government was to opt for the HIGHLY INDEBTED AND POOR COUNTRY INITIATIVE (HIPC) with its attendant conditions for the Privatization of the TEMA OIL REFINERY (TOR) THE GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK, end THE GHANA WATER COMPANY which irked many Progressive Forces and put the Kufuor’s administration an the DEFENSIVE.

The sloppy handling of the IFC and CNTCI loan scandals where the NPP delegation led by their ‘’Best Finance Minister’’ Mr. Osafo Marfo went to a Chinese Hair Dressing Saloon to seek loans and allegations of massive corruption in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, the Volta River Authority and other state enterprises won a lot of criticisms for the NPP government. The textile industry suffered severe set backs as the level of production was reduced by 70% with corresponding loss of jobs. The massive retrenchment of labor in the public sector especially the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the National Mobilization Programme (NMP) created some serious disaffection for the administration as it went about ordering all known NDC sympathizers to Proceed On Leave never to return to work JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS. Therefore, if you are an opposition member under the NPP governments, you must NOT WORK OR EVEN EAT AT ALL while they sell government bungalows to themselves as well as prime lands all in the name of property owing democracy.

However, in reaction to the those developments between 2001 – 2008 among others, the NPP government was compelled to BUILD A NETWORK OF SHAMELESS BLIND DEFENDERS made up of Serial Callers, Spokes persons Bias stomach journalists and Plain faced sycophants who all lied to Ghanaians through their teeth for 8 good years with impunity. Those categories of people had only one assignment and that was To Defend the Then Government of the NPP to the Hilt Even if it was wrong as The NPP Bought both the electronic media (Fm Radios) and Print Media like Bags of maize with Proceeds from the TOR levy with impunity.

There was not limit, and no doubt that those in government at that time applauded the BLIND DEFENDERS OF THAT GOVERNMENT who had been referred to as praise singers. The other side of the REALITY was that those BLIND DEFENDERS offended many INNOCENT PEOPLE and to a very large extent turned themselves into Enemy Making Machines including the Clergy in the eyes of well meaning Ghanaians.

There were many in the population who wanted to get rid of the loud mouthed and sometimes empty praise singing which tended to be a cacophony between 2001 – 2008.

On the MIDNIGHT between January 6th and 7th January, 2009, Ex – President Kufuor left the country MORE DIVIDED than he had met it because his legacy is a political system built on animosity, insults, tribalisan, political intolerance corruption and total disrespect for FACTS BECAUSE THEY HATE THE TRUTH.

Frankly speaking, we will remember Kufuor as a President for NPP loyalists and an assortment of players in an orchestra which hurt the ears of a population with a cacophony of unrealistic bad mouthing. Kufour left the country awash with Hate, suspicions, distrust, dishonesty, unpatriotic behavior and divided Ghana more than ever. He was NOT a President for All Ghanaians between 2001 – 2008. This is a Fact that the (NPP) can never deny at all. Is anybody listening? I shall return when the need arise. I am done: ‘’Jaanbie Iwaii Aluta Continua!


CLEMENT SANGAPAREE
UNITED CADRES FRONT
OBUASI.

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Email: clementsang@yahoo.com