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Ignore Akufo-Addo, he's just making noise – Dr Tony Aidoo

By myjoyonline
Politics Ignore Akufo-Addo, he's just making noise – Dr Tony Aidoo
SEP 1, 2011 LISTEN

The Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency, Dr Tony Aidoo has rubbished the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag-bearer's political treatise delivered Wednesday evening, as cacophonous noises.

He said Nana Akufo-Addo “obviously is noise-making to let the nation know that he is in the race for the presidency.”

The elections 2012 NPP flag-bearer was speaking at the maiden edition of the Liberty Lectures in Accra last night organized by the Danquah Institute.

Presenting what appears to be the crux of the NPP's 2012 manifesto, Nana Akufo-Addo pledged to support the private sector should he become President.

He, also, amongst others, raised issues with the level of borrowing in the country.

“There appears to be a mad rush for billions of dollars of loans. And we mention billions as if we are still in the era of the old billion cedis. Perhaps we need to remind the current custodians of the national purse that somewhere in-between-their time in opposition; four serials were knocked off their local currency.

“At the end of 2008, Ghana's domestic debt stood at 4.8billion cedis equivalent to $3.3 billion. According to the Bank of Ghana at the end of June 2011, Ghana's total domestic debt was 10.8 billion cedis showing an increase of 30 per cent over the previous six months alone and this was before the recent bond issue of 300 million cedis at 14 per cent interest rate,” he noted.

But Dr Tony Aidoo, speaking to Joy News' Israel Laryea, said the flag-bearer of the NPP whose party and government presided over an historical record of mismanagement of the country's economy and cannot be talking about borrowing responsibly.

In any case most of the loans contracted by the government, he explained, had amortisation period of five years which means the nation will only start to pay the loans after that period.

He argued the loan agreements passed by parliament could not be added to arrive at the nation's total debt, stressing until the funds were accessed and utilized, they could not add to the debt stock of Ghana.

“The fact will remain - and nothing can rub it out – that behind the cacophony of noises about Enko yie, this government is not doing well, Ekom di yen, graduate unemployment etc, stands the fact…that for the eight years of the NPP, that government reaped in revenue far greater than any government in the 54 year old history of this country,” he stated.

Dr Aidoo did not take it kindly to attempts by the news anchor to moderate the interview.

“This is the type of interview you conduct that I do not like; you pose me a question and I'm answering the question to the precise point and then you come in again; if you want to argue with me, let us argue somewhere else; if you are interviewing me, an interview is a question and answer. Don't stop me halfway when I'm building up my case and then you throw in another. Are we doing an interview or are we debating?” he asked, to which Israel Laryea responded, “Dr Tony Aidoo, we are doing an interview except that we do not have too much time to go through all the [issues].”



Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

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