Kufuor deserves commendation — MP

Page 15, Feb 21, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa/Nsuaem, Mrs Gifty Kusi, has said that President J.A Kufuor deserves commendation for his sterling performance as a Head of State.
“He has demonstrated qualities of a good leader through well-calculated, outstanding programmes and policies to propel our country to a level unprecedented since independence,” she stated.
Mrs Kusi was moving a motion for the beginning of debate on the state of the nation address presented to the House last week Thursday, February 14, 2008.
The MP, who is also the Second Deputy Majority Whip, explained that the President had defied all odds to improve the socio-economic situation in the country.
She said a cursory look through the last eight state of the nation addresses by President Kufuor showed a consistent principle of “I can do what I say”, which depicted a serious president poised to serve his people.
Mrs Kusi said when President Kufuor took over the administration of the country in 2001, inflation was 40 per cent while interest rate was around 50 per cent.
“Now inflation rate is ranging from 10.7 per cent to 10.3 per cent and there is no doubt that adherence to fiscal and monetary discipline has resurrected the economy of the country,” she added.
Mrs Kusi stated that the introduction of the Capitation Grant, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the relentless fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS, the successful re-denomination of the cedi, the People’s Assembly Concept, the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, the creation of new municipal and district assemblies and the establishment of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, among others, were some of the indelible imprints of the Kufuor rule.
She said that not only had the president endeared himself to majority of Ghanaians but to the international world as well, adding that Ghana was gradually taking its place as the shining star of Africa because of effort to lay the necessary institutional framework and socio-economic atmosphere for the smooth take-off of the country’s development agenda.
Seconding the motion, the MP for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea, said that Ghana’s economy was expanding year after year and predicted that the if trend continued, more jobs would be created for the unemployed.
He added that in the interim, the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) had been instituted as an intervention to offer jobs to the unemployed.
Nana Akomea, who is also the Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, gave the assurance that efforts were being made by the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to seek a lasting solution to the irregular payment of allowances to beneficiaries of the NYEP.
When he took his turn in the debate, the Minority Spokesman on Energy and Mines, Mr Moses Asaga, said he was not surprise that he was well composed when he delivered his address.
He explained President Kufuor’s demeanour to the fact that he would be leaving office soon and would, therefore, not want to cultivate enemies before his retirement.
Mr Asaga added that it was unfortunate that the President failed to inform Ghanaians about his success or otherwise of his zero tolerance for corruption policy.
He, therefore, called for measures to tackle corruption, especially when the country begin the production of oil so that the proceeds would not benefit only a small section of the people to the disadvantage of the rest of Ghanaians.