Poverty is taking our heads - Dr Addo-Kuffour
Accra (Greater Accra), 22 February 2000
The prevalence of psychiatric related illnesses is on the rise due to the harsh economic situation in the country, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufour, the Minority spokesman on Health, said on Tuesday.
He said statistics show that about one-fourth of Ghanaians have mental problems, citing Kumasi, as having 27 per cent of its population being in need of psychiatric attention.
The member, who was contributing to the debate on the 2000 budget proposals, called for more realistic solutions to the nations economic problems to save people from losing their heads.
He took the government to task for making the country a foreign-aid dependent nation.
" A country that depends on the goodwill of others can not plan with confidence."
He said the usual slogan "government alone can not do it, cannot do that" should give way to the acceptance of responsibility of failure and the will to perform better.
Dr Addo-Kufour proposed the scrapping of ghost names from pay vouchers, return of the new Presidential Jet to its owners and the use of the money that would be saved from these actions to fund education.
Mr. J. E. Afful, NDC-Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, said government has already started deleting ghost names from the pay vouchers of the Ghana Education Service.
He said the NDC government was a pragmatic one that is dedicated to the growth of the private sector hence its divestiture programme and other private sector oriented programmes.
On point of order, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, NPP-Akim Oda, said the Minority is not against the government divestiture programme per se, but abhors the way the money accrued from those sales were used.
Mr. C. O. Nyanor, NPP-Upper Denkyira, said passing of the buck to external factors anytime there is an economic problem makes one wonder who is really in charge of governance.
He said the rate of poverty is too high in the country and yet someone wants the people to believe that there is prosperity.
Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, Brong Ahafo Deputy Regional Minister, said the people of Ghana have hope in the budget proposals and would not be deceived by what its detractors say.
"This is because the government, out of nothing brought honour and hope back to the country."
Alhaji Adam prescribed intensive education and the supply of free condoms to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.
He said if the AIDS menace is not checked the nation's human resource base would be seriously jeopardised in the near future.
Mr. Anthony Boakye-Yiadom, NPP-Amansie West, said the country would be spending as much as 245 trillion cedis on debt servicing this year.
He said the figure that represents 25 per cent of the budget would create serious problems for the nation's economy.
GRi