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              Latest ghana News - 15.02.2007    
 
 
  •  NDC: The "True" State of the Nation
  • Ghana@50: Govt invites Rawlings to celebrations

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NDC: The "True" State of the Nation

Accra, Feb. 15, GNA -
 
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Wednesday said President John Agyekum Kufuor's State of the Nation Address last Thursday failed to present the "actual picture of desperation and despair" for the majority of Ghanaians.
"The President, in his State of the Nation Address presents a picture of hope, progress and achievement instead of the actual picture of desperation and despair, doom and gloom of the future and the dark clouds of fear and insecurity hanging on the lives of the majority of citizens," the NDC said at a press conference in Accra.

The press conference dubbed: "The True State of the Nation Address" presented by Mr Alban Sumanu Kingsford Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament, was in "review" of the President's Address presented to Parliament last Thursday. President Kufuor read the address without the presence of the NDC MPs, who had since February 6, embarked on a boycott in solidarity with Mr Dan Abodakpi, MP for Keta who had been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment by an Accra Fast Track Court.

Mr Babgin said the recent return of former UN Secretary General, Busummuru Kofi Annan and the victories of the national football team the Black Stars and the forthcoming Golden Jubilee anniversary presented a unique opportunity for the nation to reconcile itself.

"The true state of our nation is one that is bitterly polarized on political and ethnic lines where political patronage reigns supreme and the politics of exclusion is a daily nightmare for people who do not toe the line of the ruling government," said Mr Bagbin.

The NDC accused the NPP of practicing selective justice, bad governance abuse of human rights and having stagnated the economy. The NDC said the NPP was pursuing bad policies, which had adversely destroyed jobs rather than fulfil the promise to create jobs.

"The unemployment situation has worsened. The worst affected is the textile and garment industry. Textile factories which were the flagship of Ghana's industrial sector have collapsed leading to massive retrenchment of labour."

Mr. Babgin observed that despite the President's numerous travels to seek investment, foreign direct investment had fallen steeply and hovered around the 100 million dollars per year mark from a high of almost 400 million in the late 1990's.

Mr Bagbin said there was also a steep increase in external borrowing and in 2005 alone, borrowing amounted to almost 400 million dollars in external debt.

The NDC also noted a rather low performance in education, health and agriculture and the President's Special Initiative, and called for an urgent restructuring of Ghana Telecom and a review of its management.

The NDC criticised the Government for poor preparation for the Golden Jubilee celebration which had consequently created poor public awareness and participation in the programmes marking the Golden Jubilee.

"Malaysia which also celebrates its Golden Jubilee this year set up its anniversary planning committee more than a year before the event. Unlike Ghana, the events have been better planned and publicized over an extensive period, evoking a strong national response and participation in the programmes and participation amongst the Malaysian people."

The Party expressed the hope that NDC's "State of the Nation Address" would add to the public discourse on the numerous challenges that faced the nation."


Source:
GNA

 

 



 
          Ghana@50: Govt invites Rawlings to celebrations


Accra, Feb. 15, GNA -
 
 The government on Thursday sent a delegation of eminent persons to inform former President Jerry John Rawlings about Ghana@50 celebrations and to formally invite him to the opening ceremonies of all functions lined-up for the celebrations.

The delegation, led by Professor Daniel Adzei Bekoe, Chairman of the Council of State, included three other members of the Council as well as selected religious and traditional leaders.

Those on the delegation were His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, Sheikh Nuhu Shaributu, Chief Imam, the Rev. Dr. Paul Fynn, Moderator of the Lutheran Church, Madam Ama Busia, Mrs. Cecilia Bannerman, Ms. Emma Mitchel and Prof. Miranda Greenstreet.

Those with the former president at his residence to receive the delegation were Professor John Evans Atta Mills, NDC Flagbearer, Dr Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, General Secretary of NDC, Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr. Doe Ajaho, NDC-MP and some leading members of the party.

After four-hours of meeting with the former President behind closed doors, Prof. Bekoe told journalists that their mission was to inform the former president of Ghana@50 activities and to give him an open invitation to all activities during the celebration. "We have handed over the invitation and it is our hope that he would come to any of the functions he chooses to," he said.

Prof. Bekoe said the meeting was also used to discuss a wide range of issues during which the former president and leading members of the NDC frankly and candidly raised issues of concern to them. "We listened to their concerns and we would report back to the President," he said.


Mr. Bagbin also told journalists that they had some concerns about the manner in which the invitation was extended to the former president. They therefore told the delegation to report back to President John Agyekum Kufuor for the proper thing to be done.


He would, however, not say whether they were expecting a different approach to determine whether or not the former president would participate in any of the Ghana@50 activities.


Mr Bagbin also avoided the question on the exact concerns of the former president by telling journalists that it was for the presidential delegation to tell the press the concerns of the former president and the NDC leaders.

Source:
GNA