Akufo-Addo Admits Lying About The Phantom Cape Coast Harbour

President Akufo Addo has finally come clean on his flip-flopping statements around an alleged harbour planned for Cape Coast, as contained in the 2020 manifesto of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

President Akufo-Addo was granted a one-on-one interview with Kwame Sefa Kayi on Peace FM. During the interview, Akufo Addo who had, at a point, claimed his government never promised a habour for Cape Coast, after he and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia trumpeted it as planned projects for Cape Coast, said, he made a “mistake”.

“Let me confess, I made a mistake on the Cape Coast matter. Even with the mistake, we have to have a rethink. We cannot have a harbor at Takoradi and Elmina and have another one at Cape Coast. But I have to apologise to the people of Cape Coast. Presidents are humans and they can make mistakes,” Akufo Addo said.

Even though the promise was captured on page 66 of the party’s manifesto and trumpeted by Vice President Bawumia, President Akufo-Addo had earlier denied the existence of a promise to build a harbour for Cape Coast.

“The commitment was never to a harbour; it was to a landing site,” Akufo Addo said on Cape Coast-based Eagle FM on Monday, in what had further dealt a blow to his much-touted credibility that had faltered massively during his Presidency.

Meanwhile, in the same interview on Peace FM, a clearly frustrated President rudely told the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti, to “complete” the abandoned E-block community day senior high school in his area if he is tired of waiting for the government to do the needful and complete the school block.

 “Then he should go and complete it himself,” he said in Twi after Sefa Kayi had told him that the Chief had given the Education Ministry up himself if he is frustrated about the delay.

On Wednesday, October 20, Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V gave the government a four-month ultimatum to finish the building for use by February.

He had given the ultimatum in a complaint after members of the Minority NDC on the Education Committee of Parliament visited to inspect the project which has since been taken over by weeds after the Mahama government bequeathed it to Akufo-Addo in 2016.

“After senior high school education, the next degree that my people have to do is to go to border and go and do kayayo, no school. Should we beg for education?” Torgbui Fiti asked exasperatedly.

It cost Ghc9million to put up the 200 classroom facility, with modern fitments including a science block and laboratory. However, the Mahama government lost power in 2016 before the facility would be completed. 

When Kwame Sefa Kayi reported it to the President, Mr. Akufo-Addoi asked sarcastically, “he is giving the Education Minister ultimatum?” before adding that the chief can go and suit himself if he is frustrated.