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North America branch of CPP/PNC
crusade against GT sale
Accra, July 22, Ghanadot/GNA - The People's National
Convention (PNC) and the North American branch of the
Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday added their
voices to the chorus rejecting the sale of 70 per cent of
state shares in the Ghana Telecom to British telecom,
Vodacom.
In separate protest letters to Parliament signed by Dr
Edward Nasigrie Mahama, PNC flag bearer for Election 2008
and Mr Kwasi Budu, General Secretary CPP North America and
copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra, they urged Ghanaians
to abhor government's continuous disposal of hard fought for
strategic national assets.
"This practice is a stain on the face of Ghana. Government
must immediately cease the disposal of the nation's assets,
whether they are strategic or otherwise for the sake of the
future generations of Ghana," Mr Badu stated.
He said: "It is no secret that every year, since the
overthrow of the administration of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, our
nation's leaders have embarked on a systematic dismantling
of the industrial assets of Ghana, the very foundation upon
which the nation was to build and develop its economic
future."
Mr Badu explained that for more than a decade, tens of
Ghanaian industries built by the CPP administration of Dr
Nkrumah had been sold under the guise of Structural
Adjustment Program, or a disguised Highly Indebted Poor
Country scheme devised by the enemies of African development
to swindle us from ownership of these assets.
He said, “despite the protests of the Ghanaian community,
the Ghana government had turned a deaf ear to requests that
the government immediately ceased this disposal of the
nation's assets to international and neo-colonial asset
raiders, all in their attempt to cripple our development and
force us to be continually dependent on their economy, not
ours.
"We strongly urge our government to immediately halt the
sale of all national assets, and protect them in our country
under the open supervision of the Ghana government to enable
us to decide wisely what will be the best and most effective
ways to regenerate these assets to the benefit of the future
generation."
Mr Badu said to the CPP, the sale of these national assets
were tantamount to the sale and expatriation of Africans
centuries ago that led eventually to the economic demise and
exploitation of Ghana and Africa by colonialists who came
smiling yet with the sword behind their backs.
Dr Mahama, who is currently on two-week tour of America,
urged the legislators to protect national assets and reject
the sale as it would not be in the interest of the country.
He also expressed concern about the way the government was
attempting to rush the whole process through while details
of the contract were also shrouded in secrecy.
The PNC flag bearer commended Parliamentarians whose
vigilance helped "to expose the hiccups in the original
contract document".
"We congratulate ...Members of Parliament and all
dignitaries who stood firm in opposition to the sale of
Ghana Telecom to Vodafone; we are not in the least satisfied
with the way and manner in which this transaction was
clouded in secrecy," he said.
GNA
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