Kufuor Bids Farewell
Prez Kufuor (M) and Vice Prez Mahama (R) President John Agyekum Kufuor bade a soul-touching farewell to the people of Ghana when he gave his last address to the nation in fulfillment of constitutional provisions in Parliament yesterday before the dissolution of the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic mid-night today.
The President, who will be handing over power to Prof. John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) tomorrow January 7, commended Ghanaians for electing and giving him their overwhelming support in trying moments to carry out his vision and programmes, which have largely transformed the economy of the country over the last eight years.
“I owe this enlarged vision and more to the good people of Ghana for electing me to the highest office of the land for eight years. I am very grateful indeed to all my compatriots for bestowing on me so rare an honour,” President Kufuor acknowledged.
The Session was graced by many dignitaries including Vice President Aliu Mahama; the Speaker of Parliament, Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes; the Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Wood; two of the losing presidential candidates who are also Members of Parliament, Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Convention People's Party (CPP) respectively; Members of the Council of State; Chiefs and Traditional Leaders; and Members of the Diplomatic Corps.
President Kufuor used the occasion to congratulate Ghanaians, particularly all the presidential candidates for their immense contribution to the conduct of peaceful general elections this year, thus further entrenching the country's multi-party democracy.
He reaffirmed his acknowledgment of Prof. Mills as the next president of Ghana, stating, “I therefore congratulate once more Professor John Evans Atta Mills on his election.
It is to be hoped that he will bring the wealth of experience garnered while in government and subsequently out of it to forge a sense of unity within the body politic, which is a sine qua non for nation building”.
The President also applauded the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo for acquitting himself with valour and the greatest sense of dignity in what is perhaps one of the closest and most keenly contested elections in Ghana's political history.
He urged the NPP flagbearer to uphold the long tested democratic credentials of Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition by fighting on till the party regains political power.
In recounting his political experience and policies of the NPP administration over the past eight years, President Kufuor noted that transforming a nation cannot be effected under one presidency and therefore there should be succession of Presidents working towards the growth and development of the country.
Accordingly, the President has called on the Prof. Mills-led NDC administration to continue with the laudable policy initiated by the NPP that can propel the nation to attain its vision of becoming a middle income status by 2015.
The first project President Kufuor mentioned was the emerging petro-chemical sector where the NPP administration had already staged an international forum with a view to learning from best practices around the world for managing the sector.
“Subsequent to this, it is important to determine what to do with the oil find, whether to trade oil in crude form exclusively or opt for a mix which includes value-addition on-shore,” the President posited.
In this regard, President Kufuor disclosed that government has already initiated action towards the creation of adjoining land banks in the Western Region to support investors in the petro-chemical sector.
According to President Kufuor, the success of stabilizing the macro-economy has led to a dramatic expansion in the financial sector, providing diversified products in banking and insurance.
“The International Financial Services Center or Offshore Banking that has already been launched should be developed further. This will link Ghana with international financial world and, as has happened in the case of Mauritius, help accelerate Ghana's development,” President Kufuor suggested.
He further called on the new administration to carry on with the exploitation of the integrated bauxite aluminium industry, which comprises bauxite mining, an infrastructural rail link, development of alumina refinery, a dedicated energy source, and full utilization and possible expansion of the VALCO smelter.
These developments, the President noted, will give a major boost to the Ghanaian economy and help to realize the dream of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for industrialization that inspired the construction of the Akosombo Dam.
Other important programmes of the NPP administration which President thought should be sustained are the social sector including the upgrading of teacher training institutions emphasizing science, mathematics and ICT; and the National Health Insurance Scheme.
President Kufuor further disclosed that an amount of US$90 million has been secured as seed money for the railway system whose expansion should be pursued vigorously.
By Awudu Mahama, Sheilla Sackey & Emelia Ennin Abbey
Source: Daily Guide
