Ghana doesn’t need ‘419 change’ - Fifi Kwetey

A change in government come December 7 will spell doom for Ghana because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has nothing to offer, according to the Minister of Transport Fifi Kwetey.

Speaking at the ‘Setting the Records Straight’ Forum in Accra on Wednesday, Mr. Kwetey said change is already happening under President John Mahama hence Ghanaians must not be deceived by the NPP’s “419 change.”

“Ghana has not become Paradise over the last four years of the rule of John Dramani Mahama. We in the NDC have not made this claim. Neither have we run away from the fact there remains lots of challenges, hence the need to collectively work even harder to resolve them. But what is the undeniable fact is that on virtually every front, the Four years of the NPP or even the 8 years of the NPP cannot compare to the tremendous achievements chalked by President Mahama in Four years,” Mr. Kwetey said.

He added: “The economy of Ghana today is vastly more improved than the economy left by the NPP. As we amply explained in our first press conference on virtually all the fronts we have a better situation. 1. Nominal GDP 2. Real GDP 3. Budget Overrun 4. Inflation, 5. Gross Reserves 6. Currency Stability 7. Attractiveness to Portfolio Investors 8. Medium term Economic Outlook 9. Non Performing loans in the banking sector 10. The Viability of critical SOEs such TOR, BOST, VRA etc.

“The Change Ghana needs can be seen in the massive infrastructural projects that are being done across the length and breadth of our country- a testament to Kwame Nkrumah’s statement that loans are a massive investment for the future transformation of Ghana. When one takes a look at NPP’s first four years in power as captured in the party’s Four Years of Positive Change booklet and we compare that with the first four years of JM as President the difference is like daylight and Darkness. So why on earth will Ghana turn its back on this Wonderful Change that is happening right under our noses and go on a dangerous journey of embracing a “419 Kweku Ananse Change” being proposed by a Man who will stop at nothing to SAY and DO ANYTHING FOR POWER.”

Below is his full statement

NDC Forum For Setting The Records Straight

Ghana Needs No 419 Change- The Genuine Change Is Already Happening

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen of the media for honouring our invitation once again.

Today we want to discuss the issue of Change. It is said that Change is the only constant in the Universe. So Change per se is not a problem. After all, the body of every living thing is going through physiological change every second. That said, real change must not be negative or retrogressive. Ghana does not need a fake change. It must be the Right kind of Change. The change NPP is proposing is a fake change. NDC is already bringing the authentic positive changes the country need.

Nana Addo Cannot Deliver A Positive Change To His Party- How Can He Bring A Good Change To Ghana

• Before Nana Addo took over the leadership of the NPP, the party had won two elections and in those two elections won in 6 regions out of 10. Nana Addo has since changed the fortunes of his party for the worse. Not only has he lost two back to back elections but he has also reduced NPPs regional dominance from 6 to 2 and reduced the 52.4% obtained by NPP in 2004 down to 49% in 2008 and 47% in 2012.

• Under his leadership NPP has grown to become a party of disunity and disharmony. A house that is divided against itself. A party where elected leaders such as Chairman, General Secretary and second Vice Chairman have been hounded out of the party. A far cry from the situation when Nana Addo took over.

• The NPP family has historically been bad losers. But this negative trait has grown far worse since Nana Addo became the leader. In 2008, under his leadership,

1. The NPP, in the second round set the record of having over 100 percent voter turnout in more than one of its stronghold constituencies- A feat of dishonor and shame- which will forever continue to be a blot on the already dead conscience of the NPP.

2. The NPP went to the extent of conniving with some unscrupulous officials of the EC at the National level and at Ashanti regional level, to alter and re-send results that had already been announced and forwarded to the strong room. This dastardly act had the potential of plunging the nation into chaos but for the vigilance of the NDC officials who were in the strong room and the firmness of Dr. Afari Djan the former EC boss. No wonder the Nana Addo led NPP subsequently loathed him to no end. He had bravely and in good conscience stood up to their shameless and desperate attempt to rig elections by every means in 2008. That’s why it’s so ironical that this bunch of desperate people, who blatantly tried to rig the 2008 elections and were busted, have the audacity to even accuse the NDC of rigging elections in 2012.

3. The Nana Addo led NPP did not stop there. They were caught on tape plotting to litter the water bodies in the Volta region with dead bodies with a view of creating the false impression that their supporters had been murdered in the Volta region.

4. The whole Ghana saw that in 2012, when it was even much clearer that Nana Addo had been defeated in the first round and also lost the parliamentary battle, they again desperately tried on the day the results were to be declared, to stop the announcement by putting out spurious and false claims that there were widespread swapping of Nana’s votes for President Mahama. The EC investigated the claim that day and threw it out as groundless and went ahead to declare. When eventually the Sore loser and his advisors appeared at the Supreme Court, they failed to provide even one iota of evidence backing their initial claims and rather went on a whole new fishing expedition that sought to cancel the votes of millions of voters. In their desperation, their chief witness Dr. Bawumia, in line with the desperation of his boss, had no hesitation lying under oath and dishonoring the Holy Koran when he deliberately lied about the number of polling stations whose documentary evidence they had submitted. It had to take KPMG to expose his desperate lies.

These are the people talking about bringing Change. NPP under them, has grown from bad to worse in this respect too.

5. Under his leadership the NPP has become increasingly disrespectful and disdainful towards national institutions. Institutions such as Statistical Service, Central Bank and Electoral Commission etc. All these institutions whose credibility was not questioned by past leaders of the NPP have suddenly all lost their credibility since Nana Addo assumed the rein of leadership. National institutions are great only when their activities favour the NPP. As soon they take positions on issues that go against NPP, they have no credibility.

6. Under his leadership, the NPP has become far worse in its treatment and views of other ethnicities. Taking a cue from Nana Addo’s open incitement of Akans, other close allies of NPP have made similar disparaging comments about other ethic groups in Ghana- comments that show that as far as Nana Addo and his close advisors are concerned so many ethnic groups are inferior and are not entitled to leadership of Ghana. Nana Addo famously justified Osafo Marfo’s ethnocentric submissions as “Economic Reality”.

7. Under his leadership, NPP already known for its violent tendencies has grown into an even more intolerant and violent party. In the past their violence used to be reserved exclusively for the NDC. Now under Nana Addo, they have taken that violence not only to their own members but have set the record of killing a whole regional chairman of their party through acid bath and Rambo style violence at the NPP party HQ has become a regular happening.

It’s obvious that everything Nana Addo touches turns from bad to worse.

8. Under his leadership, even finances of the NPP have become murkier. Accusations and counter accusations have been flying around regarding the operation of secret Ecobank account and complete lack of transparency and outright theft. So much for Change!So much for claims of being non corrupt! Even common party finance, Nana Addo cannot show transparency.

9. NPP has had several candidates that took part in the party’s primaries from 1992 to date. None of these has ever been accused of having close dealings with cocaine dealers except Nana Addo. And in the case of Nana Addo we can establish that these are not just allegations but they can be factually corroborated. We will now delve into why Nana Addo represents a dangerous change because he will only return Ghana to the era when our nation was called A Cocaine Coast.

Ghana Needs No Cocaine Change

It is a known fact that under the NPP Ghana unfortunately became a haven for the trafficking of narcotic drugs. This unfortunate situation was clearly encouraged by people who were in the heart of the NPP government. One of such individuals was Nana Akufo Addo. In fact we have stated it before and we are reiterating it that Nana Addo as Attorney General through his inaction opened wide the gates of “Cocainecracy”. Here is why-

• Nana Addo for reasons best known to himself failed the first test by discontinuing the Frank Benneh Narcotic Drug trial which the previous NDC had started led by then Deputy AG Martin Amidu. Frank Benneh was a Geneva based diplomat who was arrested in Switzerland on charges of dealing in narcotic drugs.The NDC fully aware of the need to set the proper example, swiftly brought Frank Benneh back to Ghana and began his prosecution before a regional tribunal in Accra chaired by Justice Wright Mensah. Frank Benneh’s lawyer at the time incidentally was a top guru of the NPP, Ray Kakraba Quarshie. The NDC relentlessly prosecuted the case until the court ruled against Frank Benneh. The defense made a case for a bail pending appeal and this was granted. While the Appeal case was being heard, the 2000 elections came and NPP won.

When Nana Addo became Attorney General and had a golden opportunity of continuing this case to send a clear message to all cocaine dealers and other traffickers, what did he do? He discontinued the case. This was the first signal he sent out to drug dealers that a new regime had come and this new regime was ready to open wide the gate for drug dealers.

• Raymon Amankwah is Nana Addo’s drug dealing brother in law. Prior to NPP coming to power in 2001, he was the subject of an international manhunt in Houston and Paris and was in jail. Under a protocol arrangement with the US, his assets had been seized in line with NDC’s uncompromising stance against Drug dealers. When Nana Addo became Attorney General, similar to what happened in the Frank Benneh case, he failed to fight the case in court and Frank Amankwah his Drug baron brother in law recovered his assets through a default judgment. That was another strong encouragement Nana Addo gave drug dealers that Ghana under the NPP was ready to roll the red carpet to cocaine dealers and drug traffickers. Raymond Amankwah would subsequently be arrested in Brazil in another drug deal. When he was arrested it was realized that he was holding a Ghanaian diplomatic passport. It’s not too difficult to figure out how he obtained the diplomatic passport when we remember that his Do Nothing brother in law in 2003 became the Foreign Minister of Ghana.

• Was it any surprise that on February 2002, three NPP polling station executives at Dzorwulu, Abena Oforiwaa (65 year old NPP polling chairperson), Comfort Akua Amankwah (organizer) and Ama Nyakoa (Treasurer) were busted in a drug deal- the Daily Graphic at the time carried all these details. What did Nana Addo do as AG at the time?The same thing he does all the time whenever issues with drug dealers came to his attention- Nothing or Nada as is said in Spanish. NADAA incidentally is the Acronym of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo. So Mr. Do Nothing did nothing about this drug case as well. Under his “able leadership” as AG, a series of events occurred leading to the disappearance of the three NPP drug queens and their criminal docket. So that’s how the first Vanishing happened under the very nose of Nana Addo.

• Any Surprise that two major cocaine vanishing would happen after Nana Addo had opened wide the gates to drug dealers and cocaine traffickers? The story of how MV Benjamin, a vessel loaded with 77 parcels of cocaine vanished when it arrived in Ghana’s territorial waters. Why will it not vanish when Nana Addo had set the tone of vanishing through his actions and inactions as AG.

• Any surprise that another massive haul of cocaine equivalent to a full truckload of cocaine vanished at the very headquarters of the Police, even though it was being kept in a strong room with three locks and a security camera to boot. Why will it not, when Nana Addo, the great facilitator had opened wide the gates and set into motion the series of vanishing?

• In the meantime the drug dealing “NPP Chickens” that had been hatched since Nana Addo became Attorney General, had started coming home to roost when a whole NPP MP, Eric Amoateng, widely known as a heavy financier of the NPP, was arrested in the US on charges of drug trafficking and imprisoned- further disgracing the good name of Ghana- all this because one individual who was highly placed, abysmally failed to stand up and be counted and through his failure, opened wide the floodgates.

• Initially, most observers assumed that this was just Nana Addo at his incompetent best. However, people started to think differently when it came to light that apart from his brother in law the drug trafficker, Nana Addo also had other very close aides who were neck deep in the drug business-

• One the close associates of Nana Addo and a key member of his 2008 campaign Finance team is Yaw Amfo Quakye. Another key associate of his goes by the nickname Le Baron. He is known to have heavily contributed to Nana Addo’s campaign in 2012.

So what kind of person is this that on his left, right, front and back- wherever one looks all one sees are issues of cocaine and drug dealing. What kind of Change is ahead of Ghana when this man who seems to have such a Magnetic Attraction to cocaine barons and whose campaign obviously been funded by them takes the reins of power? Ghana obviously cannot afford to have this COCAINE CHANGE. We have moved forward since and we cannot allow a Companion of Cocaine Dealers to take over Ghana.

Ladies and gentlemen, you will realize that we have deliberately not touched on the issue of Nana Addo being a Drug user. We are focusing on the bigger issues that affect Ghana. We are not too interested on Nana Addo’s personal issues.

From the above, it can clearly be seen that the kind of Change Nana Addo is talking about is not the authentic and progressive change Ghana has been experiencing under President Mahama. He is seeking to take this country back through his negative change. His “Do Anything For Power Philosophy” as we have seen in the way he has no problems with cocaine dealers, has no problem encouraging every desperate strategies to rig the votes and subvert the Will of the people, His terrible leadership of his party that has brought in wake, Violence, tribal bigotry, disrespect for institutions etc, is not the only problem. Equally dangerous is his penchant for Saying Anything For Power.

• He has no problem promising to transform Ghana in a short time when evidence abounds that as MP for 12 years and cabinet Minister for 7 years, he performed abysmally and could not provide even basic water for his people. It took the coming of President Mahama to provide basic water for his hometown. Yet he is Promising Change. What Change!

• He Promised free education at the secondary and tertiary level and lied that his government had already provided free education at the basic level- that’s not the kind of Kweku Ananse 419 deceitful Change Ghana needs. What Ghana needs is the progressive change of President Mahama anchored on telling the truth about the fact that education cannot be free overnight but must be made progressively free and must be established on heavy investment in educational infrastructure as opposed to eight years of NPP that saw absolute mediocre performance as far educational infrastructural investment is concerned.

• Nana Addo in line with his “Say anything for Power” is today blatantly promising to restore allowances to trainee students when he knows fully well that his party NPP had already set in motion the removal of the policy as a policy priority for 2009 when they hoped to have been in power. But a desperate man who would do and say anything for power has no hesitation peddling these desperate lies with the hope of deceiving innocent people for power. Is this the Change Ghana needs? Definitely No.

• Time will not permit us to discuss all the other 419 promises about abolition and removal of taxes and magically finding money not only to continue the expensive single spine but also expanding the infrastructure of Ghana while doing very little external borrowing and adhering to the current Bank Of Ghana Zero financing regime. Only Nana Addo can explain how he hopes to resolve this conundrum. But come to think of it, it will not be a surprise when the whole strategy is anchored on opening wide again the floodgates of Cocaine and filling our beloved country with tons of cocaine money as we experienced in the eight years of the NPP negative change era.

• What change can we expect from a candidate who has no qualms lying blatantly about the cost of projects or a running mate that has no problem fabricating lies about 76000 Togolese on the electoral register of Ghana? But come to think of it, we should learn to expect anything from Nana Addo who lies so much that he even lies about his CV- hiding from the people of Ghana his whereabouts between June 1958 when he finished 6th form and September 1964 when he entered the University of Ghana. Ghana does not need this 419 behavior- these kweku ananse lies and desperate deeds by a man who believes that at all cost he must become the President of Ghana. God Forbid!

JM Is Providing Already The Change Ghana Needs

Ghana has not become Paradise over the last four years of the rule of John Dramani Mahama. We in the NDC have not made this claim. Neither have we run away from the fact there remains lots of challenges, hence the need to collectively work even harder to resolve them. But what is the undeniable fact is that on virtually every front, the Four years of the NPP or even the 8 years of the NPP cannot compare to the tremendous achievements chalked by President Mahama in Four years.

The economy of Ghana today is vastly more improved than the economy left by the NPP. As we amply explained in our first press conference on virtually all the fronts we have a better situation. 1. Nominal GDP 2. Real GDP 3. Budget Overrun 4. Inflation, 5. Gross Reserves 6. Currency Stability 7. Attractiveness to Portfolio Investors 8. Medium term Economic Outlook

9. Non Performing loans in the banking sector 10. The Viability of critical SOEs such TOR, BOST, VRA etc,

The Change Ghana needs can be seen in the massive infrastructural projects that are being done across the length and breadth of our country- a testament to Kwame Nkrumah’s statement that loans are a massive investment for the future transformation of Ghana. When one takes a look at NPP’s first four years in power as captured in the party’s Four Years of Positive Change booklet and we compare that with the first four years of JM as President the difference is like daylight and Darkness. So why on earth will Ghana turn its back on this Wonderful Change that is happening right under our noses and go on a dangerous journey of embracing a “419 Kweku Ananse Change” being proposed by a Man who will stop at nothing to SAY and DO ANYTHING FOR POWER.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana needs no such Fake Change- The Real and Authentic Change is Already Here Under JM.

Thank you a lot our friends of the media and the people of Ghana for the attention given us. Peaceful election to all of us from the NDC Forum For Setting The Records Straight.