Members of the National Democratic Congress in the Central Region have said in a press conference that the president and the ruling New Patriotic Party are only renaming projects that were initiated by the NDC Mahama led administration and attempting to take credit.
Below is the statement:
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS, NDC*
*EKUMFI CONSTITUENCY*
*PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE LAUNCH OF 1D, 1F IN EKUMFI AND SOD-CUTTING FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF A FRUIT PROCESSING FACTORY IN EKUMFI HELD AT EKUMFI ESUEHYIA ON MONDAY, 28/08/2017*
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the media and thank you for your prompt response to our invitation to this press conference aimed at setting the records straight so far as Ekumfi issues are concerned.
*Disrespect to Ekumfiman and Nananom of Ekumfi:*
Under the NDC administration of Presidents J. J. Rawlings, Prof John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills and Dr John Dramani Mahama, every National or State function or program hosted in Ekumfi was chaired by either the Omanhene of Ekumfi or the Acting Omanhene of Ekumfi or a representative of the Ekumfi Traditional Council but under the Presidency of Nana Akuffo Addo and during the launching of their 1D, 1F program at Ekumfi Eyisam on Friday-25th August 2017, the Govt invited Nana Pra Agyensaim-Omanhen of Owerenkyiman Traditional Council to come all the way from Assin Kushea to chair the program in Ekumfi Eyisam. Why? Is this how the NPP Govt intends to disrespect Ekumfiman and Nananom of Ekumfi?
*The NPPGovt of Akuffo Addo and Borrowmia’s penchant of stealing projects and initiatives of the NDC Govt of JM:*
Redesigning or renaming of good policies, projects, initiatives and programs of the immediate past NDC Govt to deceive the good people of Ghana and also to avoid giving credit where it is due has been the modus operandi so far upon coming into office and examples abound. We recall President Akuffo Addo launching the planting for food and jobs programme in Goaso earlier this year and the programme is to be run primarily on the back of a US$120 million (C$125 million) fund. The President in his SONA, indicated that His government had secured the funds for this programme which was yet another lie from him because of the following facts;
A). In 2013, the Government of Ghana and the Canadian Government began discussions on the design and modalities for the next phase of budget support programmes for Ghana.
B). The Mahama administration after extensive studies decided that the sure way to food sustainability was to have a specific programme targeted at injecting capital at the District level to support agriculture.
C). The Mahama administration developed a programme named Modernizing Agricultural Productivity to the Local Economy (MAPLE). This programme was approved by the Canadian government and a roll out date of 2015 was set.
D). In 2015 however, there was a change in Government in Canada and this led to a delay in the disbursement of funds for the programme as the new Canadian government sought to understand the terms of the arrangement.
E). On the 25th of February 2016, the Canadian High Commission in Accra indicated to the Ghana Ministry of Agriculture that approval had been given for the disbursement of US$120 million (C$125 million) by the Canadian Treasury Board in support of the MAPLE project. *A roll out date of March 2017 was then set between the partners to kick start the programme.* It is important to note that any serious student of governance would attest to the fact that no bilateral arrangement of this nature involving such technical detail can be completed in less than 40 days. It was less than 40 days of this #419NPP administration when the Nana Akuffo Addo mentioned this fund in address to Parliament on the State Of the Nation.
We in the NDC were elated to see yet another baby of President Mahama born. President Mahama’s desire to redefine the economic structure of Ghana by vigorously pursuing an import substitution programme which saw a boost in local rice, sugar, vegetable oil and poultry production led to our first balance of payment surplus in 2016. For the avoidance of any doubt, Ghana earned more in exports receipts than we imported. However, the Govt of Akuffo Addo which is now synonymous with dishonesty, quickly changed the name MAPLE to Planting for Food & Jobs and launched it at Goaso in accordance with the Mahama administration’s roadmap but refused to give credit where it was due. Similarly, the
*Youth Enterprises Support (YES)* program also rolled on by the visionary NDC Govt of JM which Nana Addo has now renamed it as National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) among others so the desperate attempt by this #deceitfulGovt not to acknowledge the immediate past NDC Govt for the Ekumfi Sugarloaf pineapple growing project which has given birth to this *Ekumfi Fruit Processing Factory* did not come to us as a surprise. We believe strongly that Ghanaians have also taken note of this dishonesty and they recall Prof Mills and JM giving credit where it was due for projects initiated by their predecessors that completed.
*Why the fraud of Cottage Industries?:*
The #GreatNDC will like to remind Ghanaians that the NPP did not promise the teaming unemployed youths cottage industries and in any case, the NDC was doing far better when it comes to giving financial support to Small & Medium term Enterprises and for that matter, the #419NPP Govt cannot make a U-TURN that they are giving support to SMEs whiles claiming that answers their 1District, 1Factory pledge. The #419NPPGovt of Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr Borrowmia cannot run away from their campaign Promises of 1District, 1Factory which they maintained will be a State led activity of which Mr Alan Kyeremateng, Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo and Nana Akuffo Addo made categorical statements on it on various campaign platforms.
*Source of Funding:*
Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu, the National Coordinator for the 1D, 1F project stated in a news item that was published on myjoyonline.com dated 20th April, 2017 that the 1D, 1F was ready to take off in June 2017 with the construction of 10 new factories. She also stated that an amount of GHc450 million has been earmarked for that project whiles the Minister for Special Development Initiatives-Mavis Hawa Koomson was also heard on citifm saying the 1D, 1F falls under her outfit and that it is part of the $1million per constituency which was to be used to finance the following Key Government Priority projects in the constituencies: 1D-1 F, Planting for Food and Jobs, SADA, 1V-1D etc and stressed that those Constituency Priority Projects listed above were going to take 70% of the budget of the $1million per Constituency with the remaining 30% going to the constituencies. Is this not confusing enough and to think that the President in his policy statement during the National Launch of his Govt’s 1D, 1F could not clearly tell Ghanaians the source of funding after the usual rhetorics till Mr Lawrence Agyinsam, CEO for the Ghana Export Import (EXIM) Bank revealed that the Bank is investing US$7.7million into the pineapple processing factory to be established in Ekumfi and as usual the deceitful NPP Govt of Akuffo Addo will never give credit to the previous administration for sustaining and supporting the EXIM Bank to make it viable to assist their projects and not collapsed like Capital Bank under them.
*Cut the pretense, Nana Addo: You did your worst against PROF MILLS*
The Ekumfi politics by the NPP stinks. It loudly demonstrate how we have allowed cruelty and dishonesty to replace partisanship as a people and the rank & file of *Ekumfi-NDC* will continue to expose the serial and pathological hypocrisy of Nana Akuffo Addo to the good people of Ekumfi, Central Region, Ghana and the rest of the World over his uncanny attempt to play to the gallery with respect to the late *Okunyin Asomdwehene Prof John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills*. Throughout NPPs campaigns from 2008 first round, second round, Tain round off and afterwards, Nana Akuffo Addo and his NPP never spared *the only Person from Ekumfi & Central Region* to have become President of Ghana from unnecessary, harsh, uncalled for personal attacks and wickedness. Was it not under the watch of Nana Akuffo Addo when the NPP tasked *Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, Richard Nyamah, Hopeson Adorye, John Kumah and other members of the Young Patriot* to be insulting Prof Mills on daily basis? Did Akuffo Addo bother to call them to order if he didn’t sanction it? Didn’t Akuffo Addo know that Prof Mills was his classmate then? What kind of naked hypocrisy is this? Ghanaians have not forgotten how Akuffo Addo himself led vitriolic personal attacks and name calling against President Mills. If he and his NPP have forgotten all the unfortunate attacks on our Father and Uncle-Prof Mills, we in Ekumfi and Central Region haven’t forgotten: The moral and character attacks on Professor Atta Mills. Can you imagine? and today after his demise he is claiming he loved him more than his wife? How many times did Nana Addo attended the State Of The Nation Address delivered in Parliament by President Mills? How many times did you see Akuffo Addo present at the 6th March Parades and other National programs during Prof Mills’ time as President? Was it not Akuffo Addo and his NPP who pledged to make the Country ungovernable for him? Didn’t Akuffo Addo sanction his NPP MPs to wear *mourning clothes to go to Parliament and show Prof Mills spiritual red card?* On Thursday February 16th, 2012 when President Atta Mills presented his last state of the nation address to Parliament, the then entire minority caucus of Parliament which he (Akuffo Addo) was their Presidential candidate, wore black cloth & attire with red armed bands to welcome him, and showed him red card after he finished with the presentation of his statement. I respectfully and humbly wish to remind the President that, in Akan tradition, it’s only a group of people or an individual, who wish the demise of a fellow, that decides to wear black attire and cloth to welcome the fellow. If President Mills met his untimely death as President before the end of his tenure as President, it’s not out of place to suggest that, the NPP led by the current President wished for that tragedy to befall Prof Mills, owing to their conducts and hostile behavior when he went to Parliament to fulfill a constitutional mandate on the aforementioned date. A conduct by them which before its occurrence, has never happened in our fourth republican democratic dispensation. Did he condemn that despicable and unGhanaian behavior if he didn’t sanction it? As recent as July 24, 2017, neither did Nana Addo himself nor a Government delegation/representation was present at the wreath laying ceremony to mark the 5th anniversary of the passing away of the late law professor and President and Nana Akuffo Addo want to throw dust into the eyes of Ekumfiman that he loves Prof Mills? Who called him *Prof Do little* whilst we all know how derogatory the history behind that name was?
*Development of Ekumfi*
Ekumfiman will always be grateful to the *NDC* for almost every major development that can be found in our District from construction of roads, bitumen surfacing of roads, building of schools, Health Facilities, markets, lorry terminals, provision of potable water, provision & extension of electricity, creation of enabling environment for farmers/traders/fisherfolks etc *when evidence abounds that the previous NPP Govt that Nana Akuffo Addo was a cabinet Minister abandoned Ekumfi for good eight (8)yrs* so The President’s statement that he will develop Ekumfi out of his association with Prof Mills is just one of his usual empty political rhetorics. Ekumfi and Ekumfiman pride ourselves with the creation of the Ekumfi District Assembly, construction of a dam &water works, construction of a Rest Stop at Eyisam (which the NPP used for the Launch of their 1D, 1F), functional SHS at Ekumfi Otuam named after Prof Mills, construction of a Polyclinic at Ekumfi Narkwa, expansion of water to cover many towns, extension of electricity to cover many towns, bitumen surfacing of the Essarkyir-Ajumako road, commenced the bitumen surfacing of the Esuehyia-Otuam road, Abor-Techiman road, other road projects and the mother of all, before the NDC Govt of President John Dramani Mahama was voted out power in 2016, there were two major projects at various stages of implementation and these are: *the Phase 2 of the Ekumfi Pineapple growing project which was to have a Pineapple Processing Factory sited at Ekumfi Eyisam according to the completed technical and feasible reports*, the other project is construction of a *2000MW Coal-fired Power Plant* at *Ekumfi Aboano* which comes with *a Harbour* and *Two landing beaches* for the good people of Ekumfi and Central Region thanks to the Visionary Leadership of *President John Dramani Mahama and Hon Abeiku Crentsil*. These two projects was to employ thousands of Ekumfi and Ghanaian citizens whiles impacting positively on the socio-economic development of our Ekumfi.
*Conclusion*
*His Excellency John Dramani Mahama* won massively in the Ekumfi Constituency in the 2016 general elections but we lost the parliamentary mainly due to internal issues that wasn’t tackled early and lapses in our results collation so the NPP can continue to tickle themselves but their Deception will be exposed on daily basis to the good people of Ekumfi and Ghana. No wonder Ekumfiman are in a hurry to vote them out come 2020. Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, thank you once again for coming.
Signed:
*Mr Edward Acquah (Fayah),*
*Constituency Secretary*
*(0244246883)*
*Mr Raymond Moore,*
*Deputy Communication Officer*
*(0201505888)*
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