The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called for God’s wisdom to amicably resolve the ongoing conflict in Bawku.
According to the President, just like the success chalked in Dagbon, his government is committed to bringing lasting peace to Bawku as well.
Addressing the 2023 National Workers Day parade in Bolgatanga, President Akufo-Addo indicated that of all the security priorities of the government, none surpasses that of Bawku.
“Nothing will give me greater pleasure in the concluding days of my presidency than to help bring lasting peace to Bawku. May God grant me the wisdom to achieve that outcome,” he prayed.
The president was responding to an appeal by the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to intensify efforts at bringing peace to Bawku.
Stating the measures put in place, President Akufo-Addo remarked that the security situation was being enhanced, and geared towards promoting the rule of law as well as holding accountable all who violate law and order in the area.
COUP
In a related development, President Akufo-Addo spoke against coup plotters, saying they do so for their personal interests.He opined that those characters seek to exploit the situation in order to jeopardise the hard-won reputation of the country as a beacon of democracy and stability for self-gratification.
Recalling the long years of the 4th Republic, he urged citizens who are committed to democratic values and democratic institutions to continue to resist the claims of these “Adventurers.”
Akufo-Addo also took a swipe at a concern raised by the Secretary General of the TUC that some Chinese nationals at Bui Power Authority had been thwarting the efforts of workers to form a union.
He alleged that when the workers mustered the courage to elect people to lead them as a union, the chairman and the secretary were fired, a development the TUC said it would fight against.
While speaking about security and respect for fundamental human rights, President Akufo-Addo stressed that that right included “to join trades unions, and so long as I am President, we will continue to uphold that right.”
WELFARE
The President recalled the collaboration that has existed between the Labour Unions and the government.He mentioned some of the successes under his presidency, particularly the second term.
He said, “You would also recall that this year begun with government and organised labour concluding negotiations on the 2023 base pay and pay point relativity for public sector workers in January 2023.”
President Akufo-Addo, speaking on the economy, commended workers, particularly those who have stood with the government through the domestic debt exchange program.
Referring to the theme for this year’s May Day, “Protecting Incomes and Pensions In An Era Of Economic Crisis: Our Responsibility,” President Akufo-Addo indicated that Pensioners who are yet to receive their money, especially in 2020, would smile at the bank this year.
He said the government was on track to revive the economy but solicited for support.
Though he was not oblivious of peoples’ taste for foreign goods, President Akufo-Addo urged Ghanaians to patronise made-in-Ghana products to boost local businesses.
Meanwhile, the TUC believes the current economic crisis is self-inflicted.
Its Secretary General, Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, therefore, called for a lasting solution to the economic problems, saying that the IMF was not the solution.
He backed his claim with the fact that almost every three years, the government of Ghana runs to the IMF, but the problem persists.
Further, the TUC wants the government to convert the national Cathedral into a hospital project, arguing that the hospital would better serve Ghanaians than the Cathedral.
