The Communications Director at the Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, has debunked the allegation that the government took over 300 people to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
Speaking at the Presidential Press Briefing on Thursday, Mr Arhin said the government instead took 24 persons, who included the President, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Energy, Minister for Lands and Forest and Natural Resources, Minister for Environment and Science, and officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.
He said most people cited in the alleged 300 delegations mainly were from the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media.
On the issue of corruption in the government, which the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference was purported to have said, Mr Arhin said even though the government was “extremely tolerant of divergent views and welcomes criticisms of its work, it believes that these criticisms should be well-founded and well-grounded in fact.”
That, the Communications Director said, was the only way that “an honest conversation, devoid of malice, and propaganda can be held.”
At the plenary session of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Wa on Monday, Most Rev Naameh said corruption was having a toll on the country’s economy, which in a way had increased Ghana’s poverty situation.
He accused President Akufo-Addo of defaulting in honouring his promise to protect the public purse.
But Mr Arhin disagreed with Most Rev Naameh description. He said even though the President appreciated that times were hard, primarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government was committed to transforming the economy with Ghana’s Cares Obaatampa programme, which will be detailed in the 2022 Budget.
He said most countries, including advanced countries such as the US, witnessed challenging times with their economies due to Covid. For example, the inflation rate in the US has surged to 6.2 per cent, the most in 30 years.
“The President took the oath of office in 7th January 2017, and again on 7th January 2021, and both occasions, he pledged to protect the public purse, and that’s exactly what he has done and continues to do,” Mr Arhin stated.
The Director of Communications said, “indeed, the transformation is taking place in all aspects of National Life, pointing to an economy that has been well managed and the benefits are showing.”
He asked if the President had not protected the public purse, how could over 400,000 students gain access to senior high school through the Free SHS Policy and the over 1.5 million farmers enjoy subsidised inputs, fertilisers, seeds, insecticides under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme?
The country, Mr Arhin said, no longer imports food from neighbouring countries but rather a net exporter of food within the ECOWAS community.
He added: “Now, today, through the prudent use of public resources, 104 factories through government’s 1D1F initiative have been completed and are providing jobs for thousands of unemployed Ghanaians.”
The effective and efficient roll-out of the national identification card, Mr Arhin indicated, which had since registered and issued GhanaCard to some 15.6 million, would not have been possible if the President had not protected the public purse.
He announced that President Akufo-Addo would lead a Ghanaian delegation to attend the UNESCO 75th Anniversary ceremony in Paris, France. The President will deliver a statement on the 16th November 2021.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
