Economic crisis: Akufo-Addo's address was a whole lot of nothing - Dr. Amoako Baah

A leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Amoako Baah, has said that he is disappointed with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo concerning his address to Ghanaians on the economic hardships in the country. According to him, the president said nothing new and failed to allay the fears of Ghanaians. Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Dr. Baah added that the timing of the address was also wrong. "I am disappointed. The statements the president made are what people will describe as a whole lot about nothing or a whole lot of nothing. "He failed to meet the expectation of Ghanaians. They were expecting [him] to say that things are becoming better and indeed things are becoming better from my last visit to the market. Those who were advising him did not do him any good. "He should not have given the speech now; they should have advised him to address Ghanaians on a later date because the prices of items were coming down after the dollar stabilised. So that he can take credit for the stabilisation of the prices. But in this address, the same things he said about Ghana Beyond Aid are what he repeated. We don't need them," he said in Twi. He added that the president spoke about the long to medium-term issues of the country but failed to address the current challenges facing Ghanaians. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during his address on Sunday, admitted that times are hard economically and that his government is working assiduously to provide relief to the citizenry. He stressed in an address on the economy that his administration was ready to work towards restoring and resetting the economy on the path of progress and stability. These views were contained in his October 30, 2022, address to the nation on the state of the economy. "For us, in Ghana, our reality is that our economy is in great difficulty. The budget drawn for the 2022 fiscal year has been thrown out of gear, disrupting our balance of payments and debt sustainability, and further exposing the structural weaknesses of our economy. "We are in a crisis; I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time," he added. "But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy. "I urge us all to see the decision to go to the International Monetary Fund in this light," he stressed. Watch the interview below: Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below: IB/SEA