PNC, CPP North America branch intensify crusade against GT sale

Accra, July 22, GNA - The People's National Convention (PNC) and the North American branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday added their voices to the chorus rejecting the sale of 70 per cent of state shares in the Ghana Telecom to British telecom, Vodacom. In separate protest letters to Parliament signed by Dr Edward Nasigrie Mahama, PNC flag bearer for Election 2008 and Mr Kwasi Budu, General Secretary CPP North America and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra, they urged Ghanaians to abhor government's continuous disposal of hard fought for strategic national assets.

"This practice is a stain on the face of Ghana. Government must immediately cease the disposal of the nation's assets, whether they are strategic or otherwise for the sake of the future generations of Ghana," Mr Badu stated.

He said: "It is no secret that every year, since the overthrow of the administration of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, our nation's leaders have embarked on a systematic dismantling of the industrial assets of Ghana, the very foundation upon which the nation was to build and develop its economic future."

Mr Badu explained that for more than a decade, tens of Ghanaian industries built by the CPP administration of Dr Nkrumah had been sold under the guise of Structural Adjustment Program, or a disguised Highly Indebted Poor Country scheme devised by the enemies of African development to swindle us from ownership of these assets. He said, "despite the protests of the Ghanaian community, the Ghana government had turned a deaf ear to requests that the government immediately ceased this disposal of the nation's assets to international and neo-colonial asset raiders, all in their attempt to cripple our development and force us to be continually dependent on their economy, not ours.

"We strongly urge our government to immediately halt the sale of all national assets, and protect them in our country under the open supervision of the Ghana government to enable us to decide wisely what will be the best and most effective ways to regenerate these assets to the benefit of the future generation."

Mr Badu said to the CPP, the sale of these national assets were tantamount to the sale and expatriation of Africans centuries ago that led eventually to the economic demise and exploitation of Ghana and Africa by colonialists who came smiling yet with the sword behind their backs.

Dr Mahama, who is currently on two-week tour of America, urged the legislators to protect national assets and reject the sale as it would not be in the interest of the country.

He also expressed concern about the way the government was attempting to rush the whole process through while details of the contract were also shrouded in secrecy.

The PNC flag bearer commended Parliamentarians whose vigilance helped "to expose the hiccups in the original contract document". "We congratulate ...Members of Parliament and all dignitaries who stood firm in opposition to the sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone; we are not in the least satisfied with the way and manner in which this transaction was clouded in secrecy," he said. 22 July 08