TIG Post

Tag: President Nana Addo Dankwa

  • Dr Kennedy accuses Akufo-Addo of abuse of power

    Dr Kennedy accuses Akufo-Addo of abuse of power

    Physician, author, and politician, Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has voiced his concerns over President Nana Addo Dankwa‘s governance approach, noting a stark difference between the promises made by candidate Akufo-Addo and the actions of President Akufo-Addo.

    Dr. Kennedy recalls that before becoming president, Akufo-Addo shared with him his worries about the excessive powers vested in the Executive by the constitution, which he believed impeded presidential accountability.

    On the AM Show on JoyNews, Dr. Kennedy recounted a past conversation with Akufo-Addo, in which the then-candidate expressed a preference for a Prime Ministerial system over a Presidential one, citing the former’s superior checks and balances.

    However, Dr. Kennedy now struggles to align the admirable perspectives Akufo-Addo held prior to his 2016 election with the actions and decisions he has made since becoming president in 2017.

    “The President once told me, ‘I don’t like the presidential system,’ and I said, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘Because it gives too much power to one person’,” Dr. Kennedy who is also a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) recounted.

    “He says, ‘In the Prime Ministerial system, you are only a first among equals, so your colleagues can rein you in when you get too dictatorial.’

    That was very admirable, hearing that from him, and when you put that beside the person we are seeing as president now, it is very difficult for me to reconcile the two,” he continued.

    Dr. Kennedy expressed dismay at how Akufo-Addo has seemingly embraced the very powers he once criticized, failing to uphold the constitutional principles and the sense of propriety he once championed.

    “I am stunned. You know, you would have expected that apart from everything else, you could rely on him to be a guardian of our constitutional principles—you know, respect for boundaries, sense of propriety, making sure the nation does not get harmed.

    “Opportunity after opportunity, you get the impression that he just has not found it in him to do that, and it is sad watching that,” Dr. Kennedy lamented, reflecting on the president’s missed chances to be a guardian of Ghana’s constitutional values.

  • Tea production by Unilever Ghana moved to Nigeria over poor economy – Ato Forson alleges

    Tea production by Unilever Ghana moved to Nigeria over poor economy – Ato Forson alleges

    Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has disclosed Unilever Ghana’s plan to transfer its tea production operations to Nigeria during his concluding remarks on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s 2024 State of the Nation address on Monday, March 11, 2024.

    Representing the Ajumako Enyan Essiam constituency, Dr. Ato Forson pointed out the potential for more companies to relocate amid the prevailing economic challenges in Ghana.

    Expressing concern about the management of the nation under the Akufo-Addo administration, he stressed that the departure of businesses is alarming and should raise concerns among Ghanaians.

    As a former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s remarks reflect the growing anxiety surrounding Ghana’s economic stability and its repercussions for local enterprises.

    “Again, Mr Speaker, Unilever Ghana, which has for a very long time been producing its famous Lipton tea in Ghana, has stopped its tea production here. Unilever has relocated its tea production to Nigeria.

    “We have lost jobs by exporting the Lipton tea production to Nigeria. This is bad news for Ghanaian employees! Again, Mr Speaker, Unilever Ghana has not been able to commence its Pepsodent production in Ghana after President Akufo-Addo commissioned the plant, five years ago. This is as a result of the worsening business environment,” he stated.

  • Government committed to help Ghanaians in hard times – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said his government is committed in ensuring that they provide relief for Ghanaians in difficult times.

    The president said, “steps at increasing further our testing capacity have been taken, with the coming on stream of the Veterinary Laboratory in Accra, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory also in Accra, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and the Veterinary Laboratory in Pong-Tamale, to aid the labours of the Noguchi Research Institute, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital.”

    He added, “A number of isolation, quarantine and treatment facilities have also been identified across the country for use. The nation is profoundly grateful to the Church of Pentecost for the generous, Christian gesture of making available its multipurpose Convention Centre, at Gomoa Fetteh, as an isolation centre which can house over one thousand (1,000) persons and three hundred (300) medical staff.”

    He continued: “It is important for every Ghanaian to note that the more people we test for the virus, the more persons we will discover as positive, and, thus, have the opportunity to isolate and treat them. The implementation of this strategy of tracing, testing and treating is our surest way of rooting out the virus.

    I will continue to urge all of us to continue to practice social distancing, wash our hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands, and, wear our masks whenever we leave our homes. Businesses and other workplaces should operate, and observe staff management and workplace protocols of social distancing. This applies equally forcefully to public transport operators and users of our market places. We must observe these measures religiously, as they are the weapons of our battle against the virus.”

    Source: kingdomfmonline.com

  • Coronavirus: A weaker response would have jeopardized economic gains – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he took robust and drastic measures which included the closure of the borders, as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic because, in his view, a weaker response would certainly threaten the lives and livelihood of Ghanaians.

    He noted that the impact of COVID-19 cannot be underestimated, hence the tough measures he adopted.

    Speaking in the studios of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on May Day, the President said: “As government and social partners, it is our collective responsibility to chart our own course out of this pandemic”.

    “It is obvious that a weak response to COVID-19 will jeopardise the gains made to create a buoyant economy and will worsen the lives and livelihood s of all Ghanaians.”

    The President also said he has charged Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to work with the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to draft a policy that will further strengthen the industry and the agriculture sectors of the economy to mitigate and fix the economic damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The President said his administration is determined to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic through innovative ways.

    Mr Akufo-Addo said: “Discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to raise more funds which should be completed soon”.

    “I have charged the Minister of Finance to work with the Bank of Ghana to design innovative policies and find more resources to strengthen the productive sectors of the economy, particularly industry and agriculture. I understand that the process will shortly yield positive results.”

    He added: “The Minister of Finance and his South African counterpart, are leading the efforts of African ministers of finance to take debt reliefs for our economies.

    “The World Bank has granted a debt repayment standstill for the next nine months, which will result in our delayed principal interest payments totalling $500 million.”

    Mr Akufo-Addo further said that job creation is a priority for his government.

    He said several measures have been taken to create jobs for Ghanaians and, or, create the enabling environment for Ghanaians to create jobs and wealth for themselves.

    “Job creation is one of the priorities of this government,” he said, adding that it is a social contract with the people, hence bold steps have been taken to that effect.

    He applauded workers for their contributions toward nation-building as Ghana joins the rest of the world to celebrate them.

    “We recognise and appreciate the efforts and sacrifices they have made toward the construction of the happy and prosperous Ghana we seek, and, on this day, I say Ayekoo to each one of you,” Nana Akufo-Addo said in his May Day message to Ghanaian workers.

    Source: kingdomfmonline.com