Paa Nduom in Australia

Sydney, Australia Monday 23 Oct. 2006 -- The Minister for Public Sector Reforms, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, met Ghanaians resident in Sydney, Australia, to explain the contents of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), which was signed on 1 August 2006 in the United States of America.

Dr Nduom explained that the MCA program was going to deliver significant benefits to the country’s poor, most especially those in the rural areas. He explained that the program is principally focused on agriculture, roads, and in a limited extent to public education, sanitation and water.

Various questions were put to the Minster, but most notably, in an answer to a question put to him by a member of the audience whether there were conditions attached to the grant, Dr Nduom said there were no conditions, and or conditionality attached to the MCA. Dr Nduom explained that the MCA was a grant which is a reward for good governance to encourage other countries to do more for their people.

The Minister in his presentation encouraged Ghanaians abroad to apply for positions which are advertised on the MCA website so that they can bring their acquired expertise to bear on the success of the program.

Present at the meeting was His Excellency, Mr Kofi Sekyiamah, the Ghana High Commissioner to Australia; Professor Adei, Rector of GIMPA, Professor Woode, Chairman of the Public Services Commission and Mr Felix Ograh, Research Analyst and Head of Procurement at the Ministry of Public Sector Reforms. The event was moderated by the President of the Ghana Association of New South Wales, Mr Eric Tweneboa.

In a later interview with an African radio program on 88.9FM in Sydney, the Minister was shown a copy of the document which was presented to the U.S Congress by the Bush administration which stated that:

“... the funds will be dispersed in trenches over the course of the Compact’s term upon satisfaction or waiver of the conditions precedent.”

The Minister was asked whether that condition precedent (referred to in the document) is different from the conditions usually attached to aid.

The Minister responded that there were no such “conditions” and “conditionality” in the traditional sense of those words, no “quid pro quo”; but that the “condition precedent” means where the Government of Ghana does not live up to its own objectives which it presented, that formed the basis of the money being given, then the US government is entitled to, among other things, suspend Ghana from the program. He gave example as where Ghana government engages in corrupt practices or conduct that is inconsistent with the objectives of the MCA which is reducing poverty, then it is grounds for the U.S government to suspend or even drop Ghana from the program.

In the same document the Minister was shown another section which stated that,

“…the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has entered into a compact with the Government of Ghana (GoG) pursuant to… through which MCC will grant up to US$547,009,000 … of the Millennium Challenge Account funds”.

The Minister responded that the words “up to” means if Ghana engages in a conduct that result it to be suspended, or drop out, then Ghana does not get the total amount of $547 million as contained in the MCA.

In relation to jobs that are expected to be created as a result of the MCA, the Minister was asked to explain the basis of the President’s claim reported on Ghanaweb (Accra, Aug. 16 MCA to generate over two million jobs) where the President was quoted that the MCA will create more than 2 miliion jobs within a couple of years.

The Minister contradicted the President, and described the statement as a “misnomer”. He said the MCA will directly target 230,000 people and if it is successful, it is expected to create one million jobs. When pressed further on time lines in which the jobs are expected to be created, the Minister responded that the program is “for a five (5) year perspective and the benefit is from a ten (10) year perspective”.

The Minister was further asked whether he sincerely believes that this government, is the right government for Ghana. The Minister responded that “there is no question that in December 2000, Ghanaians made the right choice in choosing President Kuffour to be the President of Ghana.”

The Minister said that the country is now on a solid ground and that it is enjoying the confidence of the International Community that never existed before when compared to where it was before it came to power. Additionally, according to the Minister, the people are benefiting from good policies which the government put in place since it came to power. He gave examples of wages for teachers (contrary to what it is claimed) as having gone up by as much as 400% and inflation currently very low as an indication that this is the best government to deliver for the people of Ghana. He also stated that in spite of the benefits already accrued, it has not gone to in his words, “our level of expectations so we need to do more. Ghanaians can be very proud that under very difficult circumstances its government is trying diligently to do the right thing for the future of its people.”

Ghanaians and other Africans who subsequently listened to the recorded interview with that Minster gave the impression that can be described as “The President we never had”.