Catholic Bishops’ criticism of gov’t not grounded in fact – Eugene Arhin

The presidency has refuted claims by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference that the Akufo-Addo administration has not adequately protected the public purse.

At a press briefing, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, questioned the credibility of the criticism from the Catholic Bishops Conference.

The Catholic Bishops Conference, at a plenary assembly of the association in Wa on Monday, suggested that the government had lost touch with Ghanaians and had reneged on its promise of protecting the public purse.

It also questioned what it said was a lack of empathy from the government towards Ghanaians.

But Mr. Arhin said, “these criticisms should be well-grounded in fact, as this is the only way an honest conversation devoid of malice and propaganda can be held.”

The presidency contends that the evidence on the ground points to healthy economic conditions.

“The transformation that is taking place in all aspects of national life point to an economy that has been well managed, a public purse that is being well protected,” Mr. Arhin said.

“If Akufo-Addo had superintended over the wanton dissipation of public funds, firstly the Ghanaian people would not have reposed their confidence in him barely 10 months ago,” he argued further.

Mr. Arhin also said the government’s ability to employ new teachers, health workers and implement the Nation Builders Corps policy, among others, was evidence of good governance.

In addition, he reminded Ghanaians of the government’s welfare interventions in 2020 following the coronavirus pandemic.

“Human memory can be short, but it cannot be so short that we have forgotten the free food, free electricity, or free water that were provided en masse by the government to the most vulnerable in society during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic?”

The New Patriotic Party also responded to the Catholic Bishops Conference earlier in the week, criticising it for a lack of clarity in its concerns about the Akufo-Addo administration’s handling of the public purse.

Its Director of Communications, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, said the conference should have been more specific in its criticism.

“Where are the specifics on that? Some level of clarity at that level is important. It is not about enabling the NDC to come in and spout,” he said.

Source: Citinewsroom