Former Finance Minister Kwesi Botchway has said he was advised by some people close to him against criticising the Akufo-Addo government or risk incurring their vindictiveness.
Speaking at the 65th Independence Day Lecture held at the Economics Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Monday, March 7, 2022. Prof Botchwey said he juxtaposed the warning against President Nana Akufo-Addo’s ‘Be citizens and not spectators’ charge and wondered if his advisors were lost on that.
“'These people are vindictive and they’ll come after you if you criticise them’, they said”, Prof Botchwey told his audience, adding: “I was quite dismayed and wondered if this was truly reflective of the public sentiment in our time”.
“Or whether these friends had, perhaps, missed His Excellency the President’s exaltation to us in his inaugural address in 2017 to be citizens, not spectators, which exaltation I was sure he meant in earnest,” he noted.
Touching on the economy, Prof Botchwey said: “We are no longer seen as creditworthy. Our policies are no longer seen as credible in the face of the investor community”.
According to him, “the exchange rate at the forex bureaus is nearing GHS8 to the dollar. Fuel prices at the filling stations have crossed the GHS8 per litre bar. Inflation is back in double-digits nearing about 15 per cent.”
Source: classfmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Papa, I get you don't comment on Ghana's economy EVER! You are one person who DID a great disservice to Ghana! You were a finance minister during the PNDC where NOBODY challenged or opposed (like your wicked NDC is doing now) you policies. You couldn't do anything good for the future of Ghana. Please, let us nurse our woods!
Talking of vindictiveness, who was more vindictive than you and your Rawlings' PNDC? Under PNDC, people lost businesses and most died out of frustration. You should have been in jail long ago, and rather than thanking your stars, you are sitting here saying what? Have we not just read in the news that Rawlings sent people to go and kill Bishop Parlmer-Buckle? Were you not in that regime? Give us a break!
NDC, THEY ARE LIKE THAT WHEN YOU BLOW THEIR COVER THEY START DENYING IT YET THEY WILL SPEAK ABOUT OTHERS JUST LIKE THEY BRUSHING THEIR TEETH WITH CHOPSTICKSSS. THEY PEOPLE WHO NEVER SPEAK THE TRUTH WHEN IS COUGHT RED HANDED THEY SAID IS GREEN INSTEAD OF RED. PURE PROPAGANDALISTSSSSS PARTY CAN NEVER BE TRUUUUSTED ANY DAY OR WEEK, MONTH, YEAR RAIN OR SHINE, JUST CHECK SINCE DR. NKRUMAH ALL THE COUP IN GHANA FROM KOTOKA, ANKRAH, TO RAWLINGS IS DONE BY NDC SO THERE IS A REASON WHY THEY CHANPION COUPS, IMF. THEY HAVE SENT GHANA TO IMF MORE THAN ANY OTHER PARTY EVER AND CONTINUE TO TRUMPET THAT TONE. GHANA WILL NOT BE STRUGGLING TODAY BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO SHIP ANYTHING TO TOGO IT DOESN'T NEED TO GO TO EUROPE BEFORE IT COMES TO TOGO. ALL THOSE BLACKSTAR LINES SHIPS COULD HAVE BEEN REFURBISHED IN GHANA OR SINGAPORE AND RETROFIT WITH NEW ENGINES AND FABRICATED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WITH LESS COST AND GHANA WILL BE USING IT TODAY. RAWLINGS WENT AHEAD SOLD NSAWAM CANARY TO HIS WIFE NO WODER JOHN MAHAMA DECIDED TO GIVE GHANA BAUXITE TO HIS BROTHER, GHANA 30 MILLION POPULLATION WEALTH TO ONE PERSON. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOUR FATHER DECIDE TO GIVE THE MATRIMONY HOME TO HIS BROTHER HOW WILL FEEL AND AGAIN HE IS STILL NOT SATISFY AND WANT TO COME BACK AS LEADER HOW GREEDY ONE COULD BE LIKE JOHN MAHAMA. I TELL GHANAIANS TODAY YOU SHOULD BE WISE OF THE STEALER AT NIGHT, DAY DON'T FALL ASLEEP. WHO PREACH IMF MORE THAN NDC PARTY SINCE MILITARY TAKE OVER EVER SINCE DR. NKRUMAH.THOSE FPSO AT JUBILEE ARE ALL OLD SHIPS THAT WA REFURBIHED SO IT DOABLE. THE SAME WAY 110 RAIL COACHES WAS SOLD AS SCRAP WHICH COULD HAVE REFURBISH BY SWAME IN KUMASI FOR 50,000 DOLLARS WJILES NEW IS 500,000 DOLLARS BY MAHAMA GOVERMENT WHICH THIS GOVERNMENT HAVE REFURBISH 10 COACHES WITH SWAME FOR 50,000 DOLLARS A PIECE THEREBY CREATING JOBS. 💕
Kwesi Botchway, Dr, you were touted as astute Finance Minister because during the PNDC era there was no one, including free press and social media, to criticize you and punch holes in your policies. Come constitutional rule when you were criticized and even subtly by Rawlings (he praised Tsatsu before Clinton and the whole world), you couldn't take it and resigned from government. Ken Ofori-Atta is the longest-serving finance minister under constitutional rule in GH and would succeed in spite of the challenges. Above all, you morals--you remember the High Commissioner? Please, you are irrelevant now!!
You think we have forgotten the ills and hardships you bestowed on us? Sometimes, it’s better to keep quiet.