General News of Monday, 17 July 2017
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2017-07-17
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo will, Tuesday, engage selected journalists and media practitioners across the country in what will be his first media interaction since assuming office in January.
Information Minister Mustapha Hamid says the media interaction will be to account for his six months stewardship in government.
“The president will make a few remarks, as a way of accounting to the people and open himself up for questions from the journalists,” Hamid told Joy News’ presidential correspondent Elton John Brobbey.
He was quick to add, the interaction will not be a platform for self-aggrandizement by the president.
The president is not going to “set exams questions, mark and grade himself,” he said.
The president’s interaction will be a continuation of a culture that was started by President John Kufuor when he won the 2000 election.
It was continued by the late President John Mills and ex-president John Mahama.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s interaction will be no different, except the issues that will be discussed during the interaction.
With some six months in office, Ghanaians must begin to see at least the seeds planted by 110 ministers appointed by the president, even if those seeds are yet to germinate into seedlings and bear fruits.
The president must justify why he still needs 110 of those ministers.
He would also have to explain how he is fighting corruption when former government officials accused of engaging in corrupt practices are still not being prosecuted.
There are key issues about the one village one dam, one district one factory and the one constituency, one million dollars promises the president has to defend and give assurances about his government’s preparedness to fulfill.
On the economy, the $2.25 billion bond issue, the Chinese loan are certain to pop up in tomorrow’s dialogue.
Mustapha Hamid said the president is ready and composed to host the journalists at the Flagstaff House tomorrow.
“This press conference by the president is in line with his pledge when he took over office to be accountable, open and accessible to the Ghanaian people.
“He thinks this accountability and interaction with the Ghanaian people is a democratic requirement that as a democratic president, once a while you come back to the people and tell them what it you are doing with the mandate,” Mr. Hamid said.
He said the interaction is also to take ideas from the people to fashion out policies that will be beneficial to all.
