Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s speech on the economy received low ratings because of the exclusion of pertinent measures.
To Okudzeto Ablakwa, the speech failed to tackle the pressing needs of Ghanaians and comfort them in the present economic predicament.
Highlighting fifteen (15) salient measures President Nana Akufo-Addo should have included in his speech to win the admiration of Ghanaians, Mr. Ablakwa said, “Just imagine how President Akufo-Addo would have been celebrated by Ghanaians tonight if he said the following: I am sorry for the economic difficulties I have imposed on you; I have with immediate effect fired Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen; I am reducing the size of my government by 40%.”
He stated the president should have considered slashing of taxes on petroleum products to salvage the people from the untold hardships.
“I am instituting regular meetings with Ghana’s only 2 surviving former Presidents: President Kufuor and President Mahama to share their rich experiences and insights with me as we navigate this crisis,” he said
Furthermore, the NDC legislator believes the President should have publicly committed “not to charter a €20,000 an hour luxury jet for the rest of my term; I suspend all ex-gratia payments and would be reviewing Article 71 together with comprehensive constitutional amendments.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the public funding of the National Cathedral should be in hiatus.
“I am establishing a special task force to assist the Auditor-General in retrieving the billions of Ghana Cedis misappropriated by public officials; I will revive TOR within the next 6 months so we can refine our own crude, attain better fuel prices on the domestic market and create more jobs; I am initiating steps to build our own gold refinery; I have requested all retirees to go home in order to create hundreds of jobs for the youth;
I am initiating steps to renegotiate all existing contracts in the extractive sector;,” Ablakwa stated.
He indicated that the president should have dissolved the Economic Management Team and reconstituted a new one to feature prominent Ghanaians regardless of his leadership’s importance.
He suggested Kwame Pianim, Sam Jonah, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, and Prof. Godfred Bokpin among others as persons to be included in the new Economic Management Team.
“I shall comply with Article 36(5) of the 1992 Constitution and present my vision and coordinated programme to Parliament this week,” the North Tongu MP concluded.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo described the current economic crisis as a ’historic’ development while addressing the nation on the economy on Sunday, 30 October 2022.
“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.
But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedeviled our economy”, the President said.
By: Bernard Ralph Adams | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
