President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The regime of President Akufo-Addo has been full of political rhetoric. The reality has come back to hit this government very hard in the face now!
As I espoused in Part l, President Akufo-Addo urged his fellow African leaders to eschew wanton borrowing and dependency on the West for budget deficit support. On the contrary, he has not demonstrated such utterances with enough practical action to better the lives of Ghanaians and other Africans.
This Part ll focuses on several mismatches of Akufo-Addo’s WORDS and ACTIONS in the areas of corruption and nepotism, climate change, the National Cathedral of Ghana, and galamsey operations worthy of mention.
Galamsey menace
Galamsey has been an old land use practice with its attendant environmental consequences in Ghana. However, the current galamsey situation has been worst under this regime with the wanton destruction of many Forest Reserves, and water bodies as well as arming biodiversity and habitat loss.
President Akufo-Addo told Ghanaians that he was willing to put his presidency on the line and set up the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) coupled with various Task Forces to either minimize or regularize the illegal practice.
Various independent revelations rather badly exposed the insincerity and complicity of the Presidency in fighting this raging cancer.
The Galamsey economy expose by Ana’s Tiger Eye PI, JoyNews Reporter, Mr. Erastus Asare Donkor’s brave expose, and lately, Prof. Boateng’s bombshell report naming ‘presidential Galamseyers’ at the Presidency clearly show that President Akufo-Addo cannot be trusted with his WORDS as they don’t concur with his ACTIONS on the ground!
Climate change fight
When Akufo-Addo, Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum was at the last COP27 in Nov 2022 held in Egypt, he said all the nice things about Climate Prosperity Plans in most climate-threatened nations including Ghana.
Meanwhile, in his backyard in Ghana, the uncontrolled Galamsey menace is devastating Carbon sinks e.g. Rain Forests, Riverine areas, and farmlands in search of gold.
How can one fight the climate crisis without proper environmental management? Why carelessly cut down grown-up trees and spend so much to plant seedlings with little or no continuous care in the bushes?
Ghana’s fight against climate change is rather dwindling and the country needs to contribute more to the ongoing climate crisis in the world. The linkage of the Galamsey menace to climate change is apparent and the President is not doing enough in this regard.
Corruption and nepotism fights
President Akufo-Addo while a Presidential candidate of the NPP said he was going to employ the ‘Ana’s Principle-Investigative Journalism’ to fight corruption and nepotism in the system.
We are now observing the direct opposite of what Akufo-Addo is doing in his government. His government has been plagued with countless scandals such as AGYAPA, PDS, BOST Contaminated oil, Galamsey Economy expose, etc. and Anas himself has been so mute now!
The Number 12 then and now Aljazeera investigative piece mentioned Akufo-Addo as a Lawyer to Mathias Alistair and that should be worrying to every Ghanaian.
Regarding nepotism, his government has over 50 persons with familial relations. President Akufo-Addo has failed abysmally in fighting corruption and nepotism.
National Cathedral building
Akufo-Addo called Ghanaians Saballant and Tobias for pointing out to him the shambolic handling of the National Cathedral building. The Cathedral building started with a personal pledge by Akufo-Addo to the opaqueness of revenues accrued for building the Cathedral.
The National Cathedral is essentially built on LIES as Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is exposing emerging increasing scandals. I strongly support the BOLD CALL by the TUC to President Akufo-Addo to convert the National Cathedral into a ‘National Hospital’. Thumbs up to the TUC General Secretary!!
Concluding remarks
Apart from the failed or struggling campaign promises of the NPP on 1Village1Dam, 1Constituency1m, fSHS, Agenda 111, etc. President Akufo-Addo has consistently double-spoken on corruption and nepotism, climate change, the National Cathedral of Ghana, galamsey operations, and borrowing. Ghanaians are rather seeing the opposite of what he promised to do if given political power in 2016.
The President has been referred to as the ‘Clearing Agent’ and ‘Mother Serpent of Corruption’ based on numerous scandals that have been unsatisfactorily handled under his watch. President Akufo-Addo should seriously listen to the voices of the people because their voices represent the voice of God on earth.