The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has declared that Ghanaians will not in any way miss the absence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia when they leave office in 2025.
According to him, the president and his vice Bawumia have left the economy in shambles causing citizens a great deal of pain and suffering hence their departure will not be felt.
He made these comments in a bid to support the motion to adjourn parliamentary debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered by President Akufo-Addo on February 27, 2024.
Dr. Ato Forson was particularly unhappy about the high unemployment rate in the country especially among the youth which has increased dependency ratio among the working populace.
“Mr. Speaker, the state of our nation is hopeless. No wonder that ordinary Ghanaians including professionals are leaving our shores in droves, in search of greener pastures. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am scandalized, I am shocked to the marrow to notice that our president following the recent ministerial reshuffle has increased the size of his government. Mr. Speaker, today we have a Minister of Finance International and Minister of Finance domestic.”
President Akufo-Addo, among other things promised to do right with cocoa farmers, ensure EC delivers credible elections, find ways to improve the Free Senior High School policy, and complete the Kumasi Airport by May.
The president also promised to launch a tracker for all major projects for all to monitor the speedy preogress of work while adding that Ghana shall halt the raw export of minerals such as bauxite.
He also disclosed that GH¢5.8 billion has been paid to the bondholders, saying, “For the last leg of the domestic debt exchange on September 5, 2023, a week ago last Tuesday, on February 20, 2024, the second coupon of GH¢5.8 billion was paid to domestic bondholders. This is the largest coupon paid in a day in Ghana’s history. On the external debt side, we have achieved a significant milestone by reaching an agreement with our bilateral creditors and I will use this occasion to thank the Republic of China and France, co-chairs of the official creditors committee for their positive roles in this achievement.”
Despite these pledges and successes outlined by the president, Dr. Ato Forson, on the floor of Parliament, stated that the Akufo-Addo-led administration has failed woefully and the Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who doubles as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party cannot be exempted from such failure albeit describing himself as a driver’s ‘mate’.
Dr. Forson went ahead to compare the cedi depreciation under the Mahama regime to that of Akufo-Addo saying that the former performed better.
“Mr. Speaker, 1 dollar is today GH¢13. Mr. Speaker, under President Mahama, 1 dollar was 3 cedis, 80 pesewas. Mr. Speaker, a vote for Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia is a vote for President Akufo-Addo. Mr. Speaker, to conclude on the matter, Ghanaians voted for the President and appealed to the vice president to support him to succeed. Mr. Speaker, the president cannot fail alone. The President will have to fail together with the Vice-President so Mr. President, you have failed with your Vice President. Mr. Speaker, to conclude, Ghanaians will not miss Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia. We know you are going, and we can only wish you bye-bye.”