The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa, Mr Suleman Braimah, has stated that President Akuffo Addo did not touch on the ‘real problems’ the country is facing during his address to the nation on Sunday October 30, 2022.

According to him, he was surprised the President did not address the problems we are facing even though he touched on so many things during the address.

“In fact, I think what happened was that the President touched on so many things except the real problems that we face.

“To talk about importation and exportation, he didn’t mention anything about that. I remember when he was in opposition, he kept on referring to our economy as the ‘Guggisberg economy’ that needed to be addressed.’’
Mr Braimah

Speaking on the “AM SHOW” Today, October 31, Mr Braimah indicated that the President has no reason to tell Ghanaians why the economy is at its current state, after being in power for six (6) years.

“We shouldn’t have a situation where after six years in power, you now tell us why the economy is like this.

“That is why people voted for you, to come to power and put in measures that will help improve our economy.”
Mr Braimah

He further added that, he did not expect President Akuffo Addo to tell Ghanaians what they already knew, which includes promises he couldn’t fulfil during his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaign.

“I didn’t expect that the President will come and tell us what we already know. The usual flowering language and promises and all of that and now telling us how soon they are going to get the IMF deal’’
Mr Braimah

The Real Problems

Mr Braimah made mention of some problems he expected President Akuffo Addo to address during his speech to the nation, which includes measures to curb corruption in the country especially within his government.

He emphasized that the government has borrowed so much and there is so little to show for the amount borrowed.

“We have borrowed so much and there is so little to show for the amount of money we borrowed. And this is because there are leakages; people are stealing, people are pilfering, people are looting from the state.”
Mr Braimah

The Executive Director suggested that the President should find out the properties of all his appointees after they assumed office.

According to him, one of the problems which has caused the current economic crisis is the mismanagement of taxes and money borrowed by the Finance Minister, Hon Ken Ofori Atta.

“The little taxes that are being paid, and the so much money that has been borrowed has been mismanaged by Ken Ofori Atta. And that is another significant problem the President refused to talk about.’’

“We have a situation where the manager of the economy has a company, and anytime we borrow, part of it goes to his company.”
Mr Braimah

Mr Braimah stated that one of the major problems the President didn’t address is the size of his government.

“The President again didnt touch on that. The number of appointees, the number of ministers and all of that, the President stayed away from that.”
Mr Braimah

Mr Braimah urged the government to address the above mentioned ‘real problems’, as Ghanaians are in crises and are looking forward to short term decisions which will help solve the challenge.