Akufo-Addo settles debate: I’m The Driver … The buck stops with me!

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has accepted full responsibility for all actions the government has taken in the last seven years.

This admission deflates attempts by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to blame the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for the current challenges the Ghanaian economy faces.

In his last but one message on the state of the nation to Parliament on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 President Akufo-Addo was emphatic that “the buck stops with me.”

He explained that all his appointees act in an advisory manner and he, the appointor, takes credit or blame for the performance of the government.

“It is probably worthwhile making what I consider to be important observations at this stage on some of the issues in our public discourse in the lead up to the elections for a new president.
Under the Constitution, the executive power of the state is vested in the President of the Republic. He or she is the executive.

“There is no ambiguity about where the buck stops when it comes to responsibility for what happens in the government. It stops with the president; he or she has ultimate responsibility,” he said.

According to him, it would be unwise for a president to pretend to have all the answers and refuse the advice of his officials, but that does not negate the fact that the president holds executive power.

CRITICISMS
The President remarked that it gives him satisfaction and great pride that young Ghanaians today believe that criticising the President of the Republic and challenging government proposals are normal, regular activities.

He observed that, unlike decades ago, when people had to tune into foreign stations to hear critical and opposition voices, there are now 550 radio stations in operation in the country.

Meanwhile, he said that the recent change in the leadership of the Finance Ministry will not affect the government’s commitment to implementing the terms agreed with the IMF to ensure that it restores the economy to healthy growth as soon as possible.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The President touted achievements under his administration in all sectors, including security, health, agriculture, and the economy.

He told Parliament that, in the last seven years, his government has taken measures to modernise and formalise the economy through digitalization.

According to him when he took over the reins of power in 2017, only 900,000 Ghanaians had Ghana Card, but today the figure has jumped to 17.6 million.

The President said he also implemented a digital property address system with unique addresses for all properties in Ghana.
Furthermore, through the implementation of mobile money interoperability, Akufo-Addo noted that his government has provided access to financial services for adult Ghanaians through mobile money accounts that are interoperable with bank accounts.

According to him, Ghana is now ranked number one in Africa in terms of access to financial inclusion.

President Akufo-Addo reported to the House that his government has digitalized the provision of public services at the ports, DVLA, NHIS, GRA, Births and Deaths, Registrar of Companies, ECG and Ghana Water among others.

He also mentioned the implementation of the use of drones in the delivery of medicines, blood and vaccines, adding that Ghana currently runs the world’s largest medical drone delivery service.
The president said he has also networked all teaching, regional and district hospitals, and patient records can easily be accessed in these hospitals without the need for a folder.

“Ghana is making giant strides in the area of digitalization, thereby improving transparency, accountability and efficiency in the public sector and accelerating the growth of our economy. We are definitely going to be part of the digital revolution that is sweeping the world,” he asserted.

DUMSOR
President Akufo-Addo said his government had managed the energy sector with discipline and expertise to avoid a recurrence of the power crisis inflicted on Ghanaians some years ago.

He indicated that, after the dumsor experience inflicted by the NDC, his government was determined that it would not return under an NPP government.

“And I am glad to be able to say, so far, so good, we have managed to keep the lights on these last seven (7) years, even in the midst of a financial crisis,” he told the MPs.
He said the government negotiating team carried out a successful reconciliation exercise with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and ECG, which established that the IPP arrears position was not the US$1.6 billion that had been previously reported in the media, but was actually US$1.2 billion, that is savings of some four hundred million dollars (US$400 million).

In the meantime, he said, ECG has been able to secure a fixed monthly energy purchase price with all the IPPs.

This, he added, has led to a monthly payment of US$43 million instead of US$77 million, which is a monthly savings of US$34 million or a 44% reduction in monthly payments, a far better outcome than the “take-or-pay” system this government inherited.

JUDICIARY

Reporting on the progress being made in the administration of justice, President Akufo-Addo said that this past year, a total of 76 judges and magistrates were appointed.

He said unprecedented progress has been made in the provision of court buildings and residences for judges around the country.

He recalled that in 2020, government set out to construct 100 courthouses with residential facilities nationwide.

He reported that, as of January 31, 2024 – 67 courthouses had been successfully inaugurated and are in use at various sites around the country.

Also, 12 completed projects have been slated for inauguration by the end of this month, and the remaining 21 projects, he said, are at various stages of completion and are expected to be completed and inaugurated before May 2024.

In addition, one hundred and twenty-one (121) residential units have been constructed for judges throughout the country.

Further, twenty (20) fully furnished 4-bedroom units, together with social amenities have been constructed for Justices of the Court of Appeal in Kumasi.
A-G OFFICE

The President informed the legislators that the Attorney-General has contested every civil litigation against the state and has avoided the numerous judgement debts that used to be given against the state.

President Akufo-Addo said the A-G’s office, as a result, has saved the country over ten trillion Ghana cedis (GH¢10 trillion).
He told the House that he would be commissioning the Law House, the 12-storey office building, which will house the offices of the Attorney-General and his Ministry.

This building, he recalled, commenced when he was Attorney-General in the government of President John Agyekum Kufuor back in 2001, thereby expressing personal interest in its completion.

UNCOMPLETED PROJECTS
President Akufo-Addo said he was committed to concluding the external debt restructuring process as soon as possible, so Ghana could move past the economic crisis.

This, he explained, will enable his government to substantially complete projects that have been constrained due to financial challenges.

He said that in the meantime, some of the priority projects have been transferred onto the Government of Ghana budget within the same fiscal space to ensure their completion.

The move, he announced, will enable the Kumasi International Airport, which is 98% complete, to be completed by May.

He said other projects like the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Maternity Block in Kumasi, the Takoradi Interchange, the Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange in Accra, the University of Environment and Sustainable Development Project at Bunso in the Eastern Region, phase two of the construction of roads in Tamale, and the construction of the 84km railway line between Tema and Akosombo would also be completed.

He announced that an alternative source of funding has also been secured for the reconstruction and completion of the La Hospital Project as a fully functional modern hospital with the necessary equipment for diagnosis and treatment.

He said the contractor has been paid an advance mobilisation of 15%, representing US$7.5 million, and work has begun. The project commenced effectively in January of this year and will be completed in 28 months.

PERFORMANCE TRACKER

President Akufo-Addo indicated that he would launch a website called Performance Tracker next month to enable individuals to track the projects of the government.

The President termed his administration “the Digitalization Government, and the man who has led the entire digitalization process these past seven (7) years, my indefatigable Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, ‘Dr Digitalisation’, the NPP’s excellent presidential candidate for the 2024 election, is coming up with what will allow everyone and anyone to check on every project being undertaken by the government without having to listen to the President’s Message on the State of the Nation. We are calling it the Performance Tracker.”

The Performance Tracker will help people check and satisfy themselves about the status of the projects and their location.

“With the Performance Tracker, we can be sure that never again will pictures of an artistic impression be offered as projects that have been executed,” he jabbed at the NDC, which introduced the Green Book in 2016.

According to him, the Performance Tracker will help people check on roads, classroom blocks, CHIP compounds, Agenda 111 hospitals, bridges, science laboratories, water projects, sanitation projects, landing sites and harbours among other infrastructural projects.