By Frank Amponsah
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that public discourse on the cedi must focus on some of the structural problems involved in the currency of the country in order for concrete solutions.
He averred that the currency is currently seeing a downward trend and hopes that the downward trend will continue and it will get further down so that the recent upsurge will be wiped out.
He said there some structural problems that are not been articulated loudly enough saying that “We live in a country where we are overly dependent on the importation of things for our daily sustenance. Things that we can produce, we continue to import them, and at the same time, we don’t generate enough exports. This is the real origin of the fragility of our currency.”
He said this when the leadership of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), together with the National Council of the Bar called on him to take a critical look at the emerging culture of impunity that is gradually growing in the Ghanaian body politics.
Drawing the attention to energy and cedi exchange rate in the country, the national leader of the Bar said that it is their hope that efficient measures will be put in place for the country to enjoy what it used to enjoy a couple of months under the Presidency of Akufo Addo.
The Bar Leadership encouraged the President, not to be deterred by any challenges but rather strive to achieve the results that informed the decision of the Ghanaian people who elected him as President.
President Akufo Addo noted that the energy situation in the country is under control and that the worst of what has been experienced in recent times is behind us and the country should be seeing a much more even, stable and regular supply of energy in the country.
On vigilantism, the Bar President said the President has taken a bold step just like he did in the “galamsey” issue. “It is my prayer that in the round up to the 2020 elections, we should start conscientising people on the need for peace during the electioneering campaign and afterwards. So we will encourage you, Mr President, to continue in that trajectory to hold firm the issue of peace,” Mr. Forson said.
President Akufo Addo, on the issue of vigilantism said there is still considerable unemployment for the youth of the country which made it relatively easy to “corrupt young people into all kinds of dangerous activities.” The President assured the Bar Council that whatever steps need to take to deal with vigilantism, his administration will do same to safeguard the rule of law.”
President Akufo Addo said the call upon the Executive to be alive to its responsibilities is an important civic responsibility they had discharged and he was not only sensitive to it but accepts the challenge of what needs to be done to ensure that the society is not one that condones the culture of impunity.
