Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, has criticized former President John Dramani Mahama for inconsistency in his recent remarks regarding the Agenda 111 Hospitals project undertaken by the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Dr. Afriye pointed out that Mahama’s characterization of the project as overly ambitious contradicts the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s manifesto prior to the 2020 presidential election.
In reference to a press conference he led for the Majority in Parliament on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Dr. Afriye emphasized the need for leaders to uphold consistency in their statements and actions.
He argued that Mahama’s suggestion to scale back the project to around 40 hospitals was inconsistent with the NDC’s promise to construct approximately 96 hospitals.
“The press conference led by myself on behalf of the majority was to drum home a situation that, if not checked… this country will be led by leaders based upon what they say and not what they mean, and that is based upon the claim by the former president that we should have focused on Agenda 111 by stating that maybe we will do about 40 hospitals and that he thinks it was an over-ambitious position for the president and then also that it was unrealistic.
“I think that couldn’t have been the position of the former president. It makes him absolutely inconsistent,” he stated in reference to a press conference he led for the Majority in Parliament earlier on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
As a guest on Joynews’ PM Express on Tuesday night, Dr. Nana Afriye, also the Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, praised President Akufo-Addo’s ambition of establishing 111 new hospitals as a commendable step toward achieving universal healthcare delivery in Ghana.
He defended the government’s optimism regarding the project, citing historical examples of bold leadership and policy implementation despite initial skepticism.
Initiated by President Akufo-Addo on August 17, 2021, the Agenda 111 project aims to build 111 district hospitals nationwide to enhance healthcare accessibility.
“Therefore, what was the reason why the NDC came out with this? Was it that it was mere talk, mere rhetoric? And if you say we are over-ambitious and we could have cut it to 40, you are going to 96. So what were you thinking about when you were going for yours, and what were we also thinking?” he stated.
“We would go for optimism. All over the world, there have been leaders who have been bold; they will come out with a policy, and people will say no, you can’t do it. They may start, and others will complete it. In history, they have been vindicated,” he added.
Despite delays due to economic challenges, Dr. Afriye expressed hope that 50 to 60 hospitals would be ready for commissioning by year-end, citing issues such as land litigation as contributing factors to the construction delay.
He contrasted the modest number of hospitals built and commissioned under previous administrations with the scale of President Akufo-Addo’s Agenda 111, characterizing it as groundbreaking.