Nana Konadu condemns NDC’s handling of economy
The Leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, yesterday stepped up her criticism of President John Mahama, condemning his handling of the economy and accusing his administration of perpetrating “violence against Ghanaians”.
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“It’s not only when someone has taken a knife to your throat that there is violence. It’s not when someone breaks into your car that is equal to violence. It’s not when somebody even attacks you or fights you that it is equal to violence.
“Violence is when you have violated us – when we have given you our mandate to run a country efficiently and effectively and you are able to actually disrupt the lives of Ghanaians, but you can still tell us that you are changing our lives. Yes, indeed, you are changing our lives, but not for the better,” she said.
In a speech delivered at an Electoral Commission-supervised ceremony to swear in newly elected Greater Accra Regional executive of the party in Accra yesterday, Nana Konadu said Ghanaians were suffering due to what she said was President Mahama’s inept handling of the economy.
“There are some who cannot even eat a meal a day. It is not easy in Ghana today… People are suffering; people are dying in the hospitals; people have no water coming through the taps; people have no clean water to drink; people cannot pay their children’s school fees; people cannot take their children to hospital, irrespective of the NHIS.
“We are not interested in the niceties of who is smiling on TV; we are not interested in who is walking around and telling us that he is transforming Ghana. Put your hand in your pocket and see if your life is being transformed,” Nana Konadu said.
The former First Lady has been one of the fiercest critics of the government, consistently accusing its officials of engaging in shady deals that benefit only their families and friends.
Pointing to the Ridge Hospital expansion project, Nana Konadu repeated her accusation of sanctioned corruption, questioning why the 420-bed expansion project cost $250 million, whereas a 1,000-bed hospital being built by Aliko Dangote in Nigeria would cost just $12 million.
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“Can you explain to me why this is not violence against the people of Ghana? This is an indictment on our nation and nobody is talking about it. There is a lot of stealing going on but nobody is able to talk. When you steal from the coffers, you are committing violence against the people of Ghana. If the things cost $70 million and you come and tell us they cost $250 million, you are committing violence against the country,” she said.
Change
Nana Konadu, who last year announced that she would contest the November presidential election on the ticket of the NDP, said there was the urgent need to change the government in order to guarantee a bright future for the country.
According to her, if the current trend of corruption and mismanagement continued, the next generation of Ghanaians would suffer.
She charged her supporters to take a firm decision against “incompetence, abuse of power and corruption”.
Executive unopposed
The conference proclaimed members who contested the executive positions unopposed.
The newly elected Greater Accra executive of the party — Mary Blanc Aidoo, Chairperson; Augustine Kwame, Secretary; David Panford, Youth Leader; Ayesha Qusman, Women’s Leader; Aliu Nunoo, Communications Officer; Cecilia Danso, Treasurer, and William Amaah, Administrator — are expected to lead the charge to capture the hearts and minds of voters in the capital ahead of the elections.