The Common Man’s State Of The Union Address.

State of the Union Addresses are normally presented by incumbent and constitutionally elected leaders of countries. Therefore, I, an unknown and unsung political animal do not have any locus stand to present one to my constituents, who in this instance happen to be the down-trodden and hardworking masses in the country. It must be emphasized that it is these unsung heroes who include:

i) The ordinary farmers who, today are being denied the use of tractors due to greed and insensitivity of a highly- placed government official. This official chief liar of government allocated or conscripted for his own personal use five of such tractors and rented them to the local farmers at double the rate the tractors go for

ii) The fisher – folks in and around the coastal areas who are also denied their legitimate right to make a decent living through the obnoxious complex and anti people policies put in place by the Mills administration.

iii)The students, who, today under the NDC regime are being ordered to pay full course recovery fee.

iv)The children of today, whose parents cannot afford to buy decent clothes for them because the money which should have gone into providing amenities to improve their lots have been spent on pampers for one top government official. v)The drivers who are compelled by unexplained circumstances to very often spend long hours at petrol stations to look for petrol which has been appearing and disappearing from the stations on regular basis. The commodity, most often is not available and even when it is, is sold exorbitantly above their means.

vi)The hard-working market women who can hardly attain full recovery cost of the foodstuff which they bring from the villages to the cities.

vii) The mechanics, the petty trader and all those whose businesses are affected as a result of government insensitivity to their plight and who are being asked to make more sacrifices through the introduction of new taxes whiles at the same time, government officials lead luxurious lives oblivious of the sufferings of the people.

viii) The contractors, some of whom have executed their projects but are yet to be paid for the work.

ix) Members of the various security outfits who, even though lack logistics, are compelled by circumstances, to fall back on their training to ensure that all citizens and non citizens alike sleep with at least one eye closed.

It is to all such Ghanaians that I am speaking to.

Precedence

As I have already stated, I am performing this assignment with the best of intentions and to the best of my ability. You may choose to call me names, or refer to me as a blind nationalist but since my constituents have asked me to speak on their behalf, and I cannot but oblige them.But if you object to the stance I have adopted, I will take you back to history. Some few years ago, after President Kufuor had delivered his State of the Union Address, the NDC, then in opposition, decided to come out with what it termed “The True State of the Union Address”. And who was the President / Presenter? The then Minority leader, Alban Bagbin and the audience? Top leadership of the NDC.

Thus, I am equally qualified to represent the poorand the down trodden/ordinary people in the country. I represent the voice of conscience and reasoning. You may choose to agree or disagree, but I must make it abundantly clear that I do not force anybody to read my write – ups or listen when I speak.

President Mills on the Discovery of Oil in Ghana.

The President claims oil is a gift from God and that credit should not be given to anybody but God Please, join me in reading what the Lord says with regards to such things : Deuteronomy 28:1 – 5 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently into the voice of the Lord, thy God, to observe and do all his commandments which I command thee this day, the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations on earth. And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord they God.

Blessed shall thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shalt be the fruit of thy kind and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basked and thy store.

Chapter 30, vs. 9-10 of the same book says: “The Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoice over thy fathers.\ And if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his Statutes which are written in this book of the Law and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

Yes, indeed, Ghanaians must be thankful to God for giving us oil. Our cries went up to the High Heavens. God listened to our cries. But you must remember that the discovery did not come on a platter of gold. It came with a price. And what was it? That we should adhere to the commandments of God. Why was it that the exploration started several years back but the discovery was made only during the NPP administration? It was because God wanted it to be like that. It was the Grace of God.

Why didn’t it happen during the regime of Rawlings and Mills, when Tsikata’s GNPC used our scarce resource to prospect for salt instead of oil?. We should not forget that when King David- who is described as a man after God’s own heart decided to build a temple for the Lord, God told him not to do so but to leave it to his son. Now the questions: Why didn’t God allow David to build the temple? Why didn’t Ghana strike oil during Rawlings time? Simply put, it was God’s own wish to make the discovery take place during Kufuor’s regime. There cannot be any other reason. It showed that God favoured the Kufuor’s regime with the oil discovery. Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices to Lord, God accepted the offerings of Abel whilst that of Cain was rejected. It was God’s own way of doing things. We cannot question Him on that. Dr Otabil puts discovery in simple terms. He said it was covered and when the scientists took off the lid, they uncovered the knowledge. In the same circumstances, the oil was covered or buried in the ground. It needed somebody to remove the soil or the lid and that task fell to Kufuor and the New Patriotic Party. Simple!

Many people often question the use of religion to analyze my points. Those people are entitled to their opinions. They can use their own criteria to do their own thing. But for me, the representative of the common people, I will continue to rely on the wisdom as enshrined in the Holy Books. I shall continue to refer to the scriptures as long as God gives me breath and the ability to comment on national issues.

But before concluding on this issue, I would like to refer Ghanaians to what the out –of-control NDC said when the discovery of oil was first made public. They said it was not true and referred us to several years back. According to them, a similar discovery was made by the K. A. Busia led Progress Party Government. That discovery, according to the NDC turned out be a hoax. The discovery during the Kufuor’s era, they alleged was adwe ngo (palm kernel oil).

Justie Douse’s Commission On Ghana At Fifty Celeberations.

The main aim of setting up the Commission is to investigate and report allegations of improper use of public funds and related matters. Yes, it is within the ambits of President Mills constitutional mandate to establish any commission he deems necessary. But is the commission necessary, one may ask?

To me, it is duplication and a waste of scarce public resources. What are the duties of the public Accounts Committee? Last year, we all hailed the committee when its hearings were given live coverage on both radio and television. Why can’t we adopt a similar procedure? Televising the hearings of both the Justice Douse’s Commission and that of the Public Account Committee will result in a loss of revenue to GBC. And since both committees are performing virtually the same function does common sense not dictate us to use only one of the two to find answers to the numerous questions dogging for answers? And if I may ask, is it economically viable to set up a Commission with the sole intention of investigating and reporting on mere allegations? And what are these allegations?

The only reason for establishing such a Commission was to cut to size and also see to the immediate incarceration of the arrowhead of the NPP men at the secretariat, Dr Wireko Brobbey and Kwadwo Mpiani and to prove to their master and mentor, J. J. Rawlings that the Mills regime is ready to jail the NPP members. The Mills administration is testing the ground to see how the public would react if any of the top notchers of the NPP regime are jailed. On paper, it appears to be an open and close case and that is why Government started with the Ghana @50 secretariat. Facilities are not in place to make the work of the Commission hitch free.

In fairness to all the parties, let me state here that the Chairman, Justice Isaac Douse has proved to all and sundry that he is his own man and can be expected to deliver judgment based solely on the evidence before him. Perhaps, it is the fear that the chairman will not play ball and that Kwadwo Mpiani and Wireko Brobbey might after all be left off the hook that has necessitated the adjournment of the commission’s activities. Whether this is the reason or not, it is only time which will tell.

Ex - President Kufuor’s Comments On BBC

The ex-President had said on BBC that the Mills administration was constantly waging a campaign of slander against him and his former appointees in order to buy time to stabilize itself. He went further to say that the NDC’S approach to governance makes it look as though there had been a coup I the country. Let us juxtapose the ex- President’s comments with that of Zita Sabah Okaikoi’s reaction and see who is saying what. Zita claims ex-President Kufuor’s comment on BBC sought to create the impression that government is vilifying him and other members who had served under him.

Is President Mills, Zita Okaikoi, Okudzeto Ablakwa and others not aware that they have treated ex- President Kufuor with contempt? I have stated it before and I will do it again. When their mentor left office, how long did it take for him to return over sixteen cars in his possession? When Rawlings decided to join his wife at the Ridge residence, did Kufuor decline his request? Three Bungalows were placed at the disposal of ex-President Rawlings and his family. The three bungalows were merged to become one which is now being used as official and residential apartments. There was no brouhaha on it. Everything was done without any acrimony or publicity.

How have they treated Kufuor when he decided to make use of a bungalow which had been used by the late Hawah Yakubu? The National Security Co-coordinator publicly gave him an ultimatum to vacate the place. Without waiting for the deadline, Gbevlo-Lartey sent his operatives to take possession of the said facility. And what made the case a pathetic and humiliating one was that at the least opportunity, Gbevlo-Lartey would dash to the press to inform the nation of what he intends to do with ex-President Kufuor. Is this not treating the ex-President with contempt? If it not, then what do you call it?

Talk about the seizure of cars? It was so debasing that the least said about it, the better. You go for some cars from the ex-President’s residence leaving three or so behind. Three days later, the National Security Co-coordinator again jumps the queue and alleges that ex-President Kufuor was keeping some armour plated vehicles belonging to the Presidency. He vows to retrieve those vehicles if they were not returned within a specified period. The ex-President returns them only to be re-assigned to NDC apparatchiks. What humiliation is worse than that? Then next we hear was that two Mercedes Benz cars had been assigned to ex-President Kufuor, only for the statement to be rebuffed immediately by his spokesman. What do you call that? Isn’t it Sakawa or the mother of all lies?

Then come to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who says with emphasis that John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are thieves and criminals and he gets away without even a verbal reprimand from his bosses at the castle.

Zita Sabah Okaikoi Reaction.

Zita Okaikoi who groped her way during her vetting has now got back her tongue to lash out at ex- President Kufuor for his comments. To Zita, she sees no reason why the ex-president did not make use of appropriate state channels to communicate his grievances IF ANY, but resorted to an international Network like the BBC.

In the first place, is there any law barring any Ghanaian from expressing his views on any subject on an external network? Has ex-President Kufuor not granted two separate interviews on both radio and television? Should he refuse an interview just because a foreign network had asked for one? And what was it that he said which was in a bad taste?

Is it not true that he is being treated shabbily? And if he is being humiliated, should he keep quiet over such acts. It is like being beaten up but asked not to cry. Has he not been stripped of everything? And what is wrong if he makes known his complaints publicity. Let me state that ex-President Kufuor has borne the brunt of those humiliations and public disgrace with the decorum and dignity expected of someone who has held the higher office of the Presidency with the hope that the situation would be ameliorated.

But since nothing was done about it, he was compelled to bring this to the notice of the international community. And you should not forget that ex-President Kufuor is an international figure. And by her statement, is Zita not denigrating state channels like the GBC. What is her ministry doing to improve the lot of state channels like the GBC/GTV.

Kufuor alluding to NDC’S approach to governance which makes it look like there had been a coup d’état in Ghana is the truth. Every Ghanaian with eyes to see and ears to hear will not deny such an assertion. Have cars not been snatched at gun points by security operatives acting on advice form above? Have toilets and lorry stations not been seized from their operators? Have passports not been seized by operatives who refuse to identify themselves? Are all these not negative things or symptoms’ and traits of coup d’états? So if Ex-President Kufuor says so, he has not said anything negative.

I, a common man speaking the language of the common people appeal to all my compatriots all to unite and speak out against any attempt to denigrate our former leaders. If anyone does something wrong, he/she ought to be sanctioned in accordance to the laws of the country. But we should not demonize them because they hold different political views/persuasions from ours.

All those condemning ex-President Kufuor should cast their minds back to the period when the out-of- control NDC was in opposition and ex-President Rawlings used external networks and even mounted platforms in the capitals of foreign countries to cast aspersion on the character of Kufuor and his minister. On many occasions he called Kufuor and his Ministers murderers, looters, thieves and drug peddlers. He even called Kufuor Ataa Ayi, the notorious armed robber Ex-President Kufuor has not attacked the personality of Mills nor any of his ministers. He is only complaining about the ill treatment being method out to him and his ministers? What is wrong about that?

Asiedu Nketiah’s Reaction.

Reacting to ex-President Kufuor’s comments on BBC Network, the General Secretary of the out of control NDC, Asiedu Nketia, alias General Mosquito says the government will come for Kufuor and his Ministers if he continues to make uncomplimentary remarks about the government. I laughed my head off when I read that comment. Does Asiedu Nketia understand the import of what he said? Does he think we are living in the jungle when might prevails at all levels? No wonder I refererred to Ghana in one of my write-ups as having reverted to the state of nature where life was very short and brutish But some undemocratic elements who want to perpetuate the era of domination and imposition of one’s will on the generality of the populace criticized me for my assertion. But here is a clear case of the country which will revert to such a state if Asiedu Nketiah were to have his way. If Government invites ex-President Kufuor to clarify any statement, why, he will honour such an invitation because he is a law-abiding citizen. But to arrest him for such an innocuous remark like the one Asiedu Nketia is referring to will be done over the dead bodies of some of us.

If Asiedu Nketia does not know the history of people’s resolve to resist oppressive rule, I will refer him to what is happening in Iran. Let him learn from that and not set the country on the precipice of chaos. We are all law abiding citizens of this country. If any one commits a crime against the laws of this country, we will not stand in the way of justice. But to unilaterally make a blanket statement like the one coming from the General Secretary of the out of control NDC just because the party is in power is something that is unacceptable to majority of the ruled. What is not true about what ex-President Kufuor said? If to Asiedu Nketiah, the treatment being meted out to ex-President Kufuor is good, that is Asiedu Nketiah’s own opinion. But Kufuor is saying it is not good and we should respect his opinion. We cannot gag him, and he has not said anything “unsayable”.

Rawlings versus Ekow Nkenso Arkaah is synonymous with NPP versus P.C.Appiah Ofori.

Getting to the latter part of Rawlings administration as a civilian President, he fell out with his second – in command, Ekow Nkensen Arkaah. Arkaah had disagreed with Rawlings on certain policy issues and spoken publicly against them. Subsequently, he mounted political platform with the Great Alliance, while at the same time keeping his position as Vice President, a situation some of us felt uncomfortable with at that time. Some of us felt is was unethical or morally wrong for a Vice President to mount political platform with opposition parties white still holding onto the Vice Presidency.

Then ex-President felt he had enough and decided to act by physically preventing his Vice from attending cabinet meetings. The former was somehow right in doing so for there was the possibility of leaking secret/ classified information to the opposition. But the ex-President hit below the belt when he acted beyond the decorum expected of an international statesman. However, Arkaah also relied on that portion of the constitution which allows him to participate in cabinet discussions. This was the genesis of the incident which resulted in the beating-up of the old and frail-looking Vice President by the aggressive and strongly- built Rawlings. Now all those who are questioning the right/power of the NPP to investigate and apply appropriate sanctions on P.C Appiah Ofori should cast their minds back to the Rawlings-Arkaah imbroglio. The NPP- Appiah Ofori’s imbroglio is a replica of Rawlings – Arkaah feud, albeit on a smaller scale. Arkaah had a constitutional mandate to participate in cabinet deliberations. The NPP also has a constitutional mandate to apply appropriate sanctions on an erring member, who in this case happens to be P.C.Appiah Ofori

Revolutionary Rawlings Encounters Post Revolutionary Rawlings.

Many years ago when I was a voracious and avid reader, a friend gave me a book on the life history of Mohammed Ali, former Cassius Clay. There was a fight between Ali and one white fighter whose name I cannot recall. That white man was reputed to be one of the best in the Heavyweights Division in the world and had lived many years before Ali burst into the boxing scene. A computer was therefore used to bring the two fighters together. Two minutes’ into the 15th round an upper cut from the white man caught Ali on the jaw and down went my hero. He could not beat the mandatory eight count and so ended the great computerized fight in favour of the white hope. In an interview after Ali had watched the premiere of the fight, he expressed great reservations about the outcome of the bout. He said he did not trust the computer especially when viewed against the background that it was made in Alabama. He was therefore not surprised that he had lost the encounter.

Another computerized bout took place between Cassius Clay and Mohammed Ali which ended in favour of the former. What do you think will happen when Revolutionary Rawlings encounters post-revolutionary Rawlings? Only one thing can and will happen. Revolutionary Rawlings will stab to death post revolutionary and presidential Rawlings. The former will accuse the latter of having betrayed the so-called principles of the Revolution. For one thing, Revolutionary Rawlings is the very antithesis of post revolutionary/presidential Rawlings. The June 4 insurrection had made probity and accountability the main focus of the revolution, and it was on such principles that the lives of full-fledged Ghanaians were wasted just like that. It was for such reason that the accounts of anyone who had GHC5.00 in the banks were frozen and such individuals made to appear before a Citizen Vetting Committee whose members used the ears of those appearing before it as ash-trays. Compare the lean and hungry look of Revolutionary Rawlings with the puffy cheeks and easy life-style of Post Revolutionary Rawlings and you will applaud me for my deduction. In those days, Rawlings hated flamboyance. He hated the Western World with a passion. His rhetoric’s went a long way to confirm that. But post- revolutionary Rawlings has so much fallen in love with Uncle Sam such that when Obama came visiting a few weeks ago, post revolutionary Rawlings was captured on tape struggling with others to take snap-shots of the visiting American President and smiling at himself for a job well-done after he had succeeded in doing so. A newer Rawlings, after transforming himself into a civilian President had shocked political observers with a completely new mindset immersed in the capitalist Bourgeoisie ideology by”grabbing” property here and there.

Thus, in the likelihood of a chance meeting between the two, Revolutionary Rawlings will take a stern, Contemptuous, defiant and harsh look at Post Revolutionary, Royal and Presidential looking Rawlings and stab him in the heart for betraying him and their large followers.

State of Insecurity in the Country

Let me first of all give kudos to the Mills administration for the re-introduction of joint Military cum Police patrols and the setting up of road blocks to check the menace of men of the underworld, especially armed robbery. I commend the gallant men and women in uniform who, by the tenets of their calling, put their lives on the line at such ungodly hours of the night. But anytime I pass such check points my heart bleeds for those manning them. In the first place, their numbers are so small that they can easily be overrun by a group of desperados bent on unleashing mayhem. The funny aspect of it is that some of them do not carry arms. Most of them appear to be newly recruited. I engaged one of these manning a checkpoint in a conversation and what he told me was very revealing. He and some of his colleagues were brought from the Volta Region to beef up security during the Obama’s visit and have remained in Accra ever since.

I asked myself this question. Are we using our men and women as guinea pigs to see how they will fare if they come in contact with men and women of the underworld or what? That is how it appears to me oo. Otherwise how can we send them out without adequate protection? Instead of putting a small number on a particular beat to be duplicated a few metres away, can’t we put say ten or more of them on a particular beat to ensure that they have enough cover to repel any of such unprovoked attack? At least, the weapons they carry must match those wielded by men and women of the underworld. The way that the exercise is being carried out the chances of our men coming out unscathed during any such attack is very minimal indeed.

However, I am amused because the out of control NDC as a party made no secret its dislike for absorbing more intakes into the various security services. At least, we got inkling into what the party intended doing during the presidential debates. No wonder, the party put on hold applicants who had successfully gone through the selective process. In the case of the Police, I am told that when the applicants congregated at the Police Training School, the powers that be denied having issued out any such letters. I am still investigating the authenticity of that claim.

In the heat of the 2008 General Electioneering campaign, some newspapers sympathetic to the cause of the NDC had alleged that the killings of prominent Ghanaians were the result of contract killings. They even implicated ex-President Kufuor and the NPP in the killing of one, Rokko Frimpong. We all, including die-hard supporters of the Out of Control NDC knew that it was not true, but the party made capital use of it. Now that Appenteng Kyei Mensah has been killed in cruel and bizarre circumstances by unknown assailants, are we also going to regard it as one of such contract killings? The other day, we read of an armed robbery gang forcing male occupants of a vehicle to have sex with their females counterparts. In spite of the so-called security lapses in the Kufuor government, never did the security of the country degenerate to such a low level as we are experiencing at the moment. The plebeians have asked me to send their concerns to the bourgeoisie’s government to act fast and stem the tide of armed robbery in the country. It is only then that my colleagues and I can sleep with at least one eye closed or opened.

Shortage of Petroleum Products in the country.

Isn’t it a pain to the heart and a stab in the back of ordinary citizens of this country that after all the hullabaloo the out-of-control NDC made about the so-called exorbitant rates of petroleum prices against the NPP, the Mills administration has further compounded the problem. To put it bluntly, the “I Care” slogan has metamorphosed into “We care for ourselves”, “whilst Atta Mills will drastically reduce the prices of fuel” has become, Atta Mills will drastically reduce the living conditions of Ghanaians”. That is why they could spend so much money on the NDC transitional teams. Tell me, if this is not ‘sakawa’ what do you call it?

Seven months into the Mills administration, there appears to be no sign of hope. The Government is groping its way to find solutions to our numerous problems. There is no clear cut policy or direction and that is why at times we have both the President’s Spokesperson and the Director of Communications speaking from both sides of their mouths on the same issue. The fishing season will be over in less than a month and the President is telling our hardworking and betrayed fishermen that he needs two weeks of consultation to come up with a solution. Haba, Prof.! Your two week grace period will leave the fishermen with only two weeks to enjoy the bumper harvest. How will the fishermen take care of their families? What about consumers? Are we going to continue buying fish at such exorbitant rates? Whom do we blame but President Mills and the out-of control NDC?

Judging by the manner the out-of-control NDC harassed the NPP administration to the extent of publicly stating that there is no sea in Kufuor home region and that was why he does not care about the plight of fishermen, one would have thought that they already have a blueprint on how to turn the fortunes of the fishermen around. But no, not they! The fire brigade approach being adopted by the government will rather complicate issues. We all know that there was no shortage of pre-mix fuel during the Kufuor’s administration. The problem was with the distribution system. But at least, it was available. But now, with even the exorbitant price of the commodity, fishermen can hardly get the commodity to buy. The new policy introduced by the out-of-control NDC will help create a new class of millionaires among the ‘official distributors’ just as it has catapulted its chief ‘white washer’ Mahama Ayariga above others by ‘dashing’ him five tractors bought through the sweat and toils of ordinary Ghanaians.

Instead of showing remorse for taking Ghanaians for granted, they are adding salt to injury by calling hardworking and law-abiding fishermen criminal. Their only ‘crime’ was that they had asked Government to extend some of the ‘goodies’ being enjoyed to them. They did not ask for more. They asked for that which was legitimately theirs. Kwame Ametor and other members of the NDC had stated publicly at different fora that it was through their criminal act of smuggling the scarce commodity across the country’ borders that has led to the shortage. The out of control NDC has forgotten that the abolition of the Ministry of Fisheries, coupled with the fact that the NDC has, since assuming the reigns of power has not lifted a single drum of crude into the country is responsible for the problem.

Decongestion and demolition of illegal structures. Decongesting the cities and towns is a laudable thing which should gladden the heart of every patriotic Ghanaian. Any Government that has the political will to embark on such exercise will enjoy my support. However, I am not enthused at all about the manner the operatives are going about with the exercise. It is devoid of human feelings as if they have personal scores to settle with the victims. Isn’t it an act of callousness to embark on the exercise at such an ungodly time of the night? Burning of tables, benches, chairs, chop-boxes in which the victims have packed their wares and destruction of kiosks go a long way to reveal the beastly nature of such operatives. I have seen officials of AMA and some security operatives chasing helpless victims all in an attempt to arrest and confisticate the wares of their victims. This is not the best antidote to street trading. Force is and cannot be the solution. What is needed is education to sensitize the traders on the importance of allowing the free flow of traffic by keeping off the streets. We should also explain the them the dangers of street trading. But above all, find them an alternate cheap and decent places where they can sell their wares.

On demolition of illegal structures, I strongly advocate a cautionary approach. Is demolition of buildings on our waterways the only solution to arrest the problem of flooding in our towns and cities? And if at all, such buildings are to be pulled down, why do it at odd hours when most of the tenants are at work? Why do security men at the scene prevent the occupants from removing their things from their rooms before the demolition begins? Is there no other ways that such buildings can be saved? What are the alternatives? If a person provides genuine documents to show he had approval to put up that building, is Government going to pay compensation to the victims? And if the answer is ‘Yes’, why can’t Government use the compensation money to find alternate means so that the buildings stay? Do we lack the required technology? If we do, let us showcase our problems to the outside world so that medicine can be found for our ailments.

Conclusion.

Onipa beyee bi wammaye ne nyinaa. Onipa baako na okum osono emaa amansan nyina dedi bi. Kufuor has done his part and left the scene for Atta Mills to continue. Kufuor was a human being. He was fallible and indeed made mistakes. But that should not be the basis to malign him and his entire administrative structure. The zeal by members of the out-of-control NDC to outdo one another in demonizing ex-President Kufuor and his ministers is the last thing the country needs now. The world economic recession started during the NPP regime. Kufuor studied the situation and opted for HIPC. The legacies of that decision are there for all to see. Where is Mills taking us?

But I will agree with Dan Botwe, MP for Okere on one thing. And that is, if the Eighty Percent President Mills has scored himself is synonymous with scarcity of petroleum products and the sky rocketing of prices of virtually everything in the country, then, I am afraid Ghanaians have a hell lot of problems awaiting them.

But the question is, ‘Is the President equal to the task?’

Daniel Danquah Damptey E-mail address : [email protected] 0243715297.