Prof. Mills can lead Ghana better - Fiifi Kwetey

Prof John Evans Atta Mills is the Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, the leading opposition party in Ghana

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday October 21 2008
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says its Presidential Candidate Prof. John Evans Atta Mills and the party “have the pedigree to provide the critical infrastructural needs to boost the socio-economic development of the country better than the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP)”.
They also contended that the NDC is the only party that has “a proven track record to lead Ghana in the right direction”.
At a news conference in Accra yesterday to throw more light on the party’s manifesto, Fiifi Kwetey, NDC propaganda secretary said “ We would prove to Ghanaians that the fight against corruption, cocaine and its attendant crime boom can best be dealt with by the Prof. Mills-led NDC rather than a Nana Akufo- Addo-led government”.
He said “Our promises are credible because we have as candidate, a man who is a shining icon of incorruptibility, honor and sincerity”.
Mr. Kwetey said unlike the NPP, the NDC will deliver its promises saying “we have over the years shown that we do not speak much but deliver a lot”.
In the area of education, he said the NDC’s record was very impressive even though they worked with serious resources constraints.
“Conversely, in spite of the huge resources that have flown into the hands of the NPP, they have shown mediocre in their performance-they have scored several Zeros and been abysmal in their overall performance”, he elaborated.
He said the NPP has resorted to two what he calls “Plain deception and are without any shame lying that the insignificant 25 pesewas a month capitation grant has made education at the basic level free”.
“They are misleading Ghanaians that they are feeding and transporting freely large numbers of school children” he added.
“To add insult to injury, this government that has performed so abysmally is now making fun of Ghanaians by promising free education at the secondary level, when they have not even scratched the surface at the basic level”.
Touching on health, Mr. Kwetey said “Prof. Mills and the NDC successfully piloted the National Health Insurance Scheme much against the vehement opposition mounted by the NPP at the time”.
“In our 2000 manifesto, while the NPP was still staunchly opposed to the NHIS, we had clearly stated how the health insurance would be a major strategy for mobilizing additional resources and for ensuring financial asses”, he disclosed.
On energy, Mr. Kwetey said “the crises which hit the country last year helped the people to realise the incompetence and lack of fore-sight of the NPP”.
He claimed the ruling party has to wait seven years for the crises to hit the people before realizing the need to start taking steps to address the critical energy needs of the people. Adding “even as we speak, we can not say emphatically that the power crises is over”.
He said the NDC under the leadership of Prof. Mills “is ready to form the next government and stop the moving forward of economic suffering.