<<Print>>

Deputy Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fred Agbenyo has responded to NPP flagbearer, Nana Addo's assertion that Ghana imports plantain from Cote d’Ivoire.

Nana Addo, addressing an NPP branch meeting in Paris on Saturday, May 28, disclosed that the once buoyant country - Ghana - particularly in the agricultural sector is sharply declining as it imports plantain from Cote d’Ivoire.

"When Kufour was leaving office in 2008, the food import bill for our country was $600 million. Mills and Mahama criticized Kufour for his performance and they promised to reduce it. Last year, the food import bill of our country was $1.5 billion. We are now importing plantain into Ghana! Agriculture, which in Kufour’s last year was growing at 7.4%; this last year was 0.04%. These are the facts about Ghana, they are not my inventions. You look at the official and budget statistics, you’ll find it there,” he said.

But the NDC Deputy Communications Director has punched holes in Nana Addo's remarks about the economy, claiming that statistics from the World Bank prove that Ghana's economy is greater than that of Cote d’Ivoire.

Fred Agbenyo noted on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' that Nana Addo seems to be enthused in making arguments and comparisons of Ghana to other neighbouring countries and leaders.

He cited Nana Addo for comparing President John Mahama's leadership to Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

But to Fred Agbenyo, the NPP flagbearer is missing g the plot because Ghana's economy is doing well under the Mahama administration.

He however wished that Nana Addo could be given a 30-minute opportunity to rule the nation and see if he could remedy the economy, claiming that Nana Addo thinks when he becomes the President; "you can fix everything. You can do it. You have the solution to Ghana’s problems."

“Ghana’s economy is far greater than Cote D’Ivoire’s economy today. It is true…in every area. Even electricity penetration alone, the whole of Cote D’Ivoire; (people who have) they are under national grid and have electricity is about 30% whereas Ghana, we are talking close to about almost 84%. In terms of economy, Ghana is next to Nigeria," he further added as evidence to the good governance system of President John Mahama.