In a recent interview on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia monitored by InsiderGH.com,Edwin Ennin, the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Obuasi East, expressed his dissent over the widespread notion that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo‘s tenure has outshone all previous governments in Ghana.
Ennin’s remarks came as a response to statements purportedly made by party members, including John Boadu, commending Akufo-Addo’s accomplishments.
During the interview, which aired on August 23, 2023, Ennin voiced his concerns regarding the claims of unparalleled achievements under President Akufo-Addo’s leadership.
He urged party members, particularly John Boadu, to refrain from making such assertions, stating, “I want John Boadu and other people who wake up and say that Nana Addo has performed better than any government in this country to stop saying those things.”
Ennin highlighted the need to acknowledge the achievements of past administrations, particularly the impactful contributions of former President John Agyekum Kufuor. He argued that attributing all successes to the current administration undermines the accomplishments of prior leaders.
“They should stop saying those things from today because if you say that, it means that, Kufour is also part of the people that Nana Addo has performed better than,” Ennin asserted.
Drawing attention to President Kufuor’s tenure, Ennin emphasized the importance of evaluating economic indicators and historical context. He referenced Kufuor’s initiatives such as free maternal care, national health insurance, free hernia surgery, free birth services, and a free school feeding program. Ennin also noted that Kufuor’s administration achieved these milestones without relying on revenue from oil or mining resources.
Ennin criticized what he perceived as ingratitude within the party ranks, emphasizing the significance of recognizing the contributions of all party members across different administrations.
He lamented, “So being ungrateful is what I hate because it seems that we are all in the same party and we are fighting … Kufour did not use any oil money in his administration, and he didn’t use any mining money but when you look at the kind of things that he did and the few debts that he left upon meeting huge debts.”
The former MP urged for a more balanced assessment of government performances and cautioned against divisive rhetoric that undermines the unity of the party.
He reiterated his stance that claims of Akufo-Addo’s unparalleled achievements are unfounded, asserting, “They should stop saying that nonsense because they make us diss our own party. I am telling John Boadu and others who claim that the Nana Addo government has performed better than all other governments, that is a lie.”
In closing, Ennin invoked a hypothetical scenario, suggesting that if President Kufuor had managed the substantial budgets available today, Ghana’s development would rival that of the United States.
