In what can best pass for a direct shade at former President John Mahama following his questioning of the current administration's decision to purchase drones for the health sector, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he will rather spend on that intriguing and transformational idea of drones flying medicines to citizens than to invest in guinea fowls farming.
The Former president, addressing supporters and other National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithfuls at the International Trade Fair Center in Accra after filing his nomination Monday, criticised the Akufo-Addo government for its decision to use drones to deliver medical essentials, especially to remote areas in the country.
Not A Priority
He said the sector needs more urgent interventions than the Drone Delivery Service that the current administration is busying itself with introducing.
“…instead of prioritizing the needs of the health sector, the NPP government chose to acquire drones to fly blood....Government should get its priorities right by spending the limited resources on more essential interventions other than copying innovations blindly without relevance to the realities of Ghana’s current needs,” Mr Mahama said.
But in a sharp riposte, President Akufo Addo, addressing journalists at the seat of government in his yearly presidential encounter with the media said; “I prefer drones flying to deliver essential medicines to our people that an investment in guinea fowls that allegedly fly to Burkina Faso any trace.”
SADA's Guinea Fowl
In 2009, the then NDC government launched the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA); a programme meant to accelerate development in some of Ghana’s poor Regions.
Through the programme, government promised to put GH¢200 million as seed money to develop the aforementioned areas and also to put infrastructures in place to attract investors.
But later, Joy News investigations by Manasseh Azure in 2014, revealed massive rot at the Authority which had become a vehicle for severe mismanagement.
Further investigations by the Auditor-General confirmed that government wasted GH¢48 million into a Guinea Fowl rearing and Tree Planting projects.
There are no Guinea fowls to show for the investment and there was no value for money for the tree planting project.
Drones Backlash
The President's comment comes on the back of government’s $12.5 million agreement between US-based firm Zipline International Inc. and government of Ghana for the latter to distribute essential medical suppliers with the use of drones across the country.
The decision has been greeted with some protest from the Minority in Parliament and some Ghanaians who questioned the amount involved and source of funding the project.
Some critics were not happy the contract was sole-sourced when drone technology abounds in the world. Others were of the view that the project is ill-timed because the health sector us fraught with litany of issues that ought to be dealt with first.
Nonetheless, Parliament through Majority vote approved the contract, giving government the go ahead to execute same.
The president answered questions on the progress of his administration’s flagship programmes as well as queries on the current state of the economy.
This is the third time a similar event has taken place at the Jubilee House within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
A similar exercise was conducted in July 2017, and January 2018 where Nana Akufo-Addo promised to meet the journalists in the country every six months in the entire duration of his tenure as President.
'Not On Public Budget'
President Akufo-Addo further stated that the initiative will not be borne by the taxpayer.
“This programme is NOT going to be run on the public budget. Corporate Social Responsibility contributions from private sector players will pay for the service. I prefer drones flying to deliver essential medicines to our people than an investment in guinea fowls that allegedly fly off to Burkina Faso without any trace,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He added that “the drone delivery service will save lives, decrease wastage in the system, guarantee healthcare access for more than 14 million people nationwide, and employ over two hundred (200) Ghanaians.”
Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash
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Go and get those who supervised the guinea fowls project and mess it up, you are in power now, and stop the comedy. If your security guard goes intoxicated and you are shot, the state will prosecute him for negligence, so if our Guinea fowls are in Burkina someone who supervised their runaway must be held responsible. No time for those pettiness any more. Barwumia was singing, teachers are suffering, doctors are suffering, policemen are suffering, fishermen are suffering and farmers are suffering etc but now he is no where to be found as far as economics is concerned. He is now technology specialist. A bunch of crooks. Barwumia is even worse than the short fat akyem man.
Yes, the Visionary President's answer on the drones was just apt. How true is the saying that :answer a fuuuulllll according to his fuuullly lest he considers himself a wise person".
Tens of thousands of passengers have been disrupted by drones flying over one of the UK's busiest airports. Gatwick's runway has been shut since Wednesday night, when two devices were seen flying over the perimeter fence. The airport said at about 12:00 GMT on Thursday a drone had been spotted "in the last hour" and the runway would not open "until it was safe to do so". About 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to fly on Thursday. Disruption could last "several days". Those due to travel have been told to check the status of their flight, while Easyjet told its passengers not to go to Gatwick if their flights have been cancelled.
THIS MAN CALLED AKUFFO ADDO IS A DISGRACE TO THE AKYEMS. THEY ARE INDEED BOWING THEIR HEAD IN SHAME.
I now know why our 'so-called' journalists can be described as daft. The president said so many things for close to 40 minutes. But our journalists could only dwell on 'drones v. guinea fowl' comment for serious discussions. I feel sad for this country. No wonder parliament is dragging its feet on the RTI Bill. Journalists, be serious for once. Somebody whispered to my ears that, they are politicians not journalists. Maybe it is true.
Well said Mr. President
Aabah, nana addo, you need to get serious and deal with issues with intelligence and stop this immature comparisons.
the person who brought sugar cane into the house brought the flies. as a former president who is seeking another chance to rule after been defeated for on his first term must becarefull of whatever he says, because he has being on the throne before and therefore whatever he says he will get a befitting reply. to those who are vilifying the president a word of advice for as you are advising the cat so must you advise the mouse too.
The mistake of a president. He can best be described as the opposition leader than a president because he is clueless of every thing happening
So Nana Addo knows Guinea fowls has traveled to Burkina yet he has no prosecuted anyone. He is jx a disappointment to us.