During the commissioning of the Elmina Fishing Harbour on Friday, May 26, 2023, President Akufo-Addo used the occasion to subtly criticize former President John Dramani Mahama.
In his speech, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the successful completion of the Elmina Fishing Port while subtly rebuking Mahama’s previous skeptical comments.
Speaking to the gathered crowd in Elmina, he expressed gratitude to the people for entrusting his government with the task of delivering the project. He recalled the groundbreaking ceremony that took place on August 20, 2020, and thanked the residents for disregarding negative voices.
In particular, he made reference to Mahama’s visit to Elmina four months later, where he disparagingly referred to the project as a “sakawa fishing harbor” and asserted that it would never come to fruition.
“I thank the people of Elmina for trusting the Akufo-Addo government to deliver this project, whose sod I cut on 20th August 2020, and I thank them for not listening to the naysayers. I remember that, after cutting the sod, the former President, John Dramani Mahama, the perennial NDC presidential candidate, came to Elmina four (4) months later, in December, and described the fishing harbour as ‘a sakawa fishing harbour’. He was emphatic in his statements that the construction of the Elmina Harbour would never materialise,” the president said.
With a touch of satisfaction, President Akufo-Addo reminded everyone that Mahama is not God, and he expressed joy that both Mahama and the naysayers are alive to witness the commissioning of the Elmina Fishing Port.
“It is just as well that he is not God, and I am equally happy that he, together with all the naysayers, are alive today to see President Akufo-Addo commissioning the Elmina Fishing Port,” he stated.
The president acknowledged the significance of the Elmina Fishing Port, which now joins the existing fishing ports in Tema and Sekondi-Takoradi. He also mentioned the ongoing works on the Jamestown Fishing Port, which, once completed, will bring the total number of fishing ports in the country to four.
President Akufo-Addo assured the audience that his government remains committed to supporting the growth of the fishing industry by pursuing programs and initiatives that enhance its development.
The commissioning of the Elmina Fishing Harbour marks a major milestone in Ghana’s fishing sector.