President’s address receives mixed reactions

Page 31, Feb 18, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah
THE maiden State of the Nation Address delivered by the President, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, has drawn contrasting reactions from individuals on both sides of the political divide.
While some hailed it as an excellent piece that offered hope to Ghanaians, others described it as a hollow presentation and just another tale of promises.
A former DVLA boss and MP for Bekwai, Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, said the address delivered by the President was not what he had expected.
He said he had expected the President to comment on how he was going to fulfil promises such as fuel price reductions and the provision of school uniforms made by the NDC in the run up to the elections, noting that surprisingly that had not been the case.
A former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board and MP for Subin, Mr Isaac Osei, also shared similar sentiments and said there was nothing unusual about the address delivered by the President.
“It was not what one would have expected,” he said, stressing that it would have been important for the President to put meaning behind the words.
He expressed surprise at the fact that although the President made various statements on the energy sector, he failed to comment on a major project like the Bui Dam.
Mr Osei stated that some of the figures given by the President with regard to the health of the economy would first have to be verified before any comment could be made on them.
The MP for Mampong, Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh, also criticised the President for delivering an address that could not be described in its entirety as a State of the Nation Address.
He said at a point it was not easy to distinguish the address from a budget statement.
The MP for Kwabre West, Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, said the President did well in his presentation and tried to ease tension with humorous statements.
“I will give him the pass mark, but there are some areas that we are going to critically analyse and debate on,” he stated.
The MP for Weija, Ms Ayorkor Botchway, said the President’s address contained nothing new, explaining that most of the areas he touched on were projects that had been started by the NPP administration.
She said the only significant message was the initiative to provide MPs with national service persons to serve as their research assistants, adding that if that was implemented it would enhance the work of the legislators.
For her part, the NPP MP for New Juaben South, Mrs Beatrice B. Boateng, said although the President made many promises in his address, he failed to tell the House how he was going to implement policies and programmes to fulfil those promises.
The NPP MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, said the address was “not too inspiring, since it failed to show the direction that the government wants to go”.
He noted that the address did not provide the country with hope, adding that Ghanaians were patiently waiting to see how he would deliver on his numerous campaign promises.
The MP for Oforikrom, Ms Elizabeth Agyeman, said he saw the address more as a budget than a State of the Nation Address and accused the President of failing to touch on any of his campaign promises.
She reminded him of his promise to provide all schoolchildren with school uniforms, reduce the price of fuel, among others.
For Kofi Frimpong, the MP for Kwabre East, said it was unfortunate that the President failed to touch on the various atrocities being meted out to NPP supporters by some members of the NDC since the latter won the December 2008 elections.
“How can the President pretend to preach peace when he sits down unconcerned while NPP members are being brutalised just because their party lost an election?” he asked.
The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Baba Jamal, described the address as an excellent one that underlined clearly the vision of the new administration for a prosperous Ghana.
“It offers so much hope to Ghanaians. The vision is clear and we have the people to prosecute it,” Baba Jamal stated.
The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, also praised the President for an exciting presentation that outlined the prospects and challenges ahead of the country.
“I believe the address was in the right direction,” she told the Daily Graphic, and expressed appreciation to the President for showing a commitment to develop the most impoverished regions in the country.
For his part, the MP for Juaboso, Mr Sampson Ahi, described the address as a very good one that explained the challenges facing the Ghanaian economy.
He said the address gave strong indications that the government had good intentions for the country.
The MP for Ellembele, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, described it as very impressive, since it touched on the various facets of the country.
He said what kept resonating in the address was the issue of modesty as the President enumerated measures being adopted to cut down waste, especially at the Castle, and measures to review the agreement by the previous government to purchase two presidential jets to save money for the country’s development.
For his part, the NDC MP for Odododiodoo, Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie Commey, said the President sounded reconciliatory in his address and urged the Minority to respond to that gesture to ensure the growth of the country’s democratic dispensation.