Address attracts diverse reactions

Frontpage, Feb 15, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
PRESIDENT J.A. Kufuor’s last State of the Nation Address of his two-term rule has drawn diverse reactions from politicians, parliamentarians and economists.
For about 95 minutes, the 69-year-old President stood on his feet and gave account of his stewardship, amid verbal heckling by some members of the Minority.
In the end, he received a standing ovation from both sides of the House, with the Majority MPs shouting his accolades, while the Minority taunted him with a well-rehearsed chorus, “Away, away, go and sin no more, go and sin no more”.
Giving his impression about the address, an economist, Mr Kwame Pianim, described the contents as excellent, saying that “the President left no doubts in the minds of the people that he was leaving the scene early next year”.
He said such a gesture was good for the country’s democratic dispensation, since it offered a lesson for other African leaders to learn from.
Mr Pianim noted that his gesture was a departure from the attitude of most African leaders who adopted unorthodox tactics to alter their constitutions to go beyond their mandate.
He said President Kufuor’s administration had ensured economic stability “and that was exactly what he told Ghanaians in his final address”.
Mr Pianim said with the resuscitation of the economy, the President had succeeded in laying the necessary foundation for the industrial take-off of the country to provide jobs for its teeming youth.
The economist said the discovery of oil in commercial quantities was a good omen and an opportunity for the country to tap it for its future progress.
For his part, the General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, said the President told the truth about what he had achieved so far.
He, however, said the President’s promise in 2001 of “a golden age of business” had not been fulfilled.
Mr Greenstreet said the CPP believed in work and happiness and so it was unfortunate that Ghana continued to receive handouts from the international community, adding that it seemed the task was greater than what the President thought it to be.
On the renovation of the Flagstaff House, the Peduase Lodge and other legacies of the Nkrumah regime, he praised the NPP administration for the work done and blamed the PNDC and the NDC, who claimed to be Nkrumaists, for presiding over the wreckage of those national heritage.
He described the agreement between Ghana and its foreign partners in the drilling of oil in the country as ridiculous and questioned why the country should take only 10 per cent from the proceeds.
The General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah, said the address was a repetition of previous addresses to the House.
He said it was not the best for the President to blame his predecessors for the country’s predicaments anytime he had the chance to address a gathering, instead of solving such problems for which he had been voted into power.
Mr Mornah explained that the address did not concentrate on what the government would do between now and January 7, 2009 when the next government would take over, instead dwelling on what the next President should do to ensure the country’s progress.
He said that showed that the President had thrown his hands in despair, as if he had come to his wit’s end.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South and the Minority Spokesman on Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, wondered why the President was silent on the drug trade which had made the country a major hub of the illicit activity.
He said the address did not sound conciliatory, adding that it would have been better to preach unity, instead of leaving behind a polarised society.
Mr Iddrisu said President Kufuor “was not candid on his failures and it would have been better for him to do so”.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, however, commended the President for sounding more conciliatory in his address than in previous ones.
“It seems the President carefully chose his words because he will leave the scene soon and he knows it will be better for him not to step on too many toes,” he opined.
Mr Asiedu-Nketiah said he was, however, disappointed because he had expected the President to tell the whole country that the importation of rice and poultry products had reduced more drastically than what he came to meet.
He stated that the importation of rice and poultry products had now quadrupled, saying it had now become clear that the NPP could not reduce their importation by 30 per cent as promised when he assumed office.
Mr Asiedu-Nketiah wondered why the President failed to apologise to the country for the mess that the energy crisis brought, instead of blowing horns on his modest achievements.
The former Minister of Defence and MP for Manhyia, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, described the address as impressive, saying it lent credence to the fact that the President was the father of the nation.
“He was on top of the situation,” he said, adding that his advice to politicians and the promise to ensure free and fair elections in December made him a true statesman.
He praised the President for the manner in which he delivered the speech, saying that “even when he delivered a jab to his opponents, because he is a politician he was charitable”.
The MP for Wa Central, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, described the address as subjective, since it only focused on the President’s achievements and the usual blame game, without mentioning the failures of the NPP administration.
He said although the NPP had touted the positive indicators of the economy, such indicators had not been translated into money in the pockets of the people.
Mr Pelpuo added that the President was not bold enough to talk about his inability to fight corruption which whittled away the little gains made because of the greed of a few individuals.