President of IMANI-Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has slammed President Akufo-Addo for touting himself for setting Ghana’s economy on the path of recovery.
The IMANI boss says the President shouldn’t tout himself for putting in any feasible measures to attain that feat rather than robbing Ghanaians of their investments to do so.
According to Mr. Cudjoe, the President only “bought time” to postpone paying external creditors by instituting its debt restructuring to give haircut on people’s investments.
During the presentation of credentials to nine newly appointed diplomats at the Jubilee House Monday, June 24, 2024, President Akufo-Addo said his assurance of reviving the economy at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic was true, as Ghana is now recovering from the economic turmoil it went through.
“If you will recollect, I did say, at the height of the pandemic, that we knew how to bring the economy back to life, but did not know how to bring people back to life,” President Akufo-Addo reminded the audience.
“This remark was made to justify the extraordinary expenditures that Government was forced to make during the pandemic to afford relief and protection to the population. I believe, in all humility, that the nation is today appreciative of the validity of my statement, as our economic recovery is strongly on course,” the President indicated.
But Franklin Cudjoe said the government has literally stolen from Ghanaians so the President shouldn’t request for a tap on his shoulder.
“Yes, but for how long and at what cost? You literally forcibly pick-pocketed our savings after promising not to do so just so you could bùy time from external creditors to postpone paying the humongous debts yoù contracted for mostly vanity projects until 2026 when you are no longer in power,” he stated.
The IMANI boss continued that, “no other Ghanaian leader and African leader in recent times ever invaded citizens’ savings as a result of supervising wretched macroeconomic governance and ecological suicide through Galamsey. Certainly, not condemning nearly a million of its own citizens, mothers, fathers and children into deeper poverty. Not even President Ruto of Kenya whose country spends a third of their GDP in debt servicing but still facing turmoil over taxes ever did this.”
He continued that Ghana will rush back to the IMF if care is not taken.