Suffering@Ghana: CPP Reacts to Speech

CPP Campaign Committee Reacts To President's Speech.

President J. A. Kufuor’s address to the nation this evening has vindicated the evergreen policies of the Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the Convention People’s Party (CPP). Indeed, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, the Flagbearer of the CPP has been sending warning signals to the NPP administration since his election at Congress in December 2007 about impending food and fuel price difficulties and the need for the state to intervene on behalf of Ghanaians.

The socialist policies of the CPP to intervene in the economy on behalf of Ghanaian consumers, farmers, fishermen and industry were considered irresponsible and contributed to the military coup of February 24, 1966. The reactionary National Liberation Council reversed the policies that brought about the State Farms, subsidized fuel and power, Workers Brigade, mass transportation, free and compulsory education and others. These reversals were continued and enhanced by the main beneficiary of the military coup, the UP bred Progress Party.

Try as it may, the NPP administration has not been able to avoid implementing socialist-branded policies such as the National Health Insurance, Metro Mass Transportation, School Feeding, National Youth Employment Scheme, poverty reduction strategy and Capitation Grant. Now, events have forced the administration to directly intervene to use the hitherto unpalatable word, subsidy. We are glad that the Kufuor Administration has admitted that there is the need to plan the use of subsidies to ensure that the people benefit from the economy. Governments exist to see to the welfare of all of the people, not just the few who own capital in the private sector and certainly not foreign producers and their local agents. The people must live, grow and prosper.

Vindication is not enough. The prosperity of Ghanaians is what we seek. This is what Dr. Nduom has been discussing on his campaign rounds. He has made it abundantly clear that a CPP Administration led by him will support the Ghanaian farmer and fisherman directly with low interest loans, subsidized inputs and market advantages. He has committed himself to retaining the Agricultural Development Bank as a Ghanaian entity to provide financial support to our food producers and processors. He has committed himself to using government’s purchasing power to ensure that we buy what we produce – rice, tomatoes, fruit juices, etc. Dr. Nduom will bring back the State Farms as joint ventures with the private sector to re-introduce large scale farming and make mechanization feasible. He will strengthen the NYEP as Workers Brigade which will be better planned and designed to include skills training to meet the needs of Ghanaian industry.

We welcome the measures announced by President Kufuor. But they do not go far enough. We will concentrate more on increasing local food production and subsidizing its cost than on subsidizing imports. We will target specific fishing and farming communities for immediate direct financial and technical support to boost production. We will commence immediately to re-launch the Ghana Food Distribution agency to rehabilitate food silos, enhance distribution of food items and promote food processing. Private food processing companies will be given direct government financial support. We will also launch a national programme to ensure that all state functions serve only locally produced food and drinks.

We urge Ghanaians to come back to the CPP and its caring Ghanaian-centered policies. No nation has thrived and prospered without the ability to feed itself.

Vote CPP, Vote Nduom for President. Vote for Edwumawura.

Yeresesamu.