News / National
Mugabe jibe, Ex-Ghana President responds
08 Dec 2014 at 15:03hrs | Views
FORMER President John Kufuor has dispelled Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe's claims that Ghana is "as poor as it was in the 1960s."
He described President Mugabe's comments as his own "opinion."
But Kufour disagreed in an interview on Starr FM and said "Ghana has made some fantastic improvement since the 1960s."
"The population now is near 30 million. At the time in the early 1960s, Ghana was just about 10 million and that is a lot of difference. In terms of physical development, I believe our country has moved on quite a lot," he added.
Zimbabwe's President over the weekend is reported to have mocked Ghana rate of development describing it as a poor, undeveloped nation.
"I have been to Ghana 1958 to 1960 and when you look at them now and compare their present situation to that which existed in the 1960s, no change. There might be more people yes, there may be one road from the airport which has been well done," he said.
The Zimbabwean's first wife, Sally, was a Ghanaian.
Offending people is Mugabe's custom. He has previously irked Nigerians, Jamaicans and the Jews before.
Meanwhile, Kufuor has counselled Ghanaians to be critical of governments. This, he said, is the only way through which governments will take citizens and the development of the nation seriously.
He pointed out that Ghana is a democracy which has allowed people to freely express themselves. He thus urged Ghanaians to be thankful because the "high handedness that used to be the case in earlier times is not here."
According to him, despite the increasing freedom of speech, the general public must endeavour to be critical of government.
"Let us know that it is through our voting that government is made and through the voting we can unmake government," he remarked.
He described President Mugabe's comments as his own "opinion."
But Kufour disagreed in an interview on Starr FM and said "Ghana has made some fantastic improvement since the 1960s."
"The population now is near 30 million. At the time in the early 1960s, Ghana was just about 10 million and that is a lot of difference. In terms of physical development, I believe our country has moved on quite a lot," he added.
Zimbabwe's President over the weekend is reported to have mocked Ghana rate of development describing it as a poor, undeveloped nation.
"I have been to Ghana 1958 to 1960 and when you look at them now and compare their present situation to that which existed in the 1960s, no change. There might be more people yes, there may be one road from the airport which has been well done," he said.
The Zimbabwean's first wife, Sally, was a Ghanaian.
Offending people is Mugabe's custom. He has previously irked Nigerians, Jamaicans and the Jews before.
Meanwhile, Kufuor has counselled Ghanaians to be critical of governments. This, he said, is the only way through which governments will take citizens and the development of the nation seriously.
He pointed out that Ghana is a democracy which has allowed people to freely express themselves. He thus urged Ghanaians to be thankful because the "high handedness that used to be the case in earlier times is not here."
According to him, despite the increasing freedom of speech, the general public must endeavour to be critical of government.
"Let us know that it is through our voting that government is made and through the voting we can unmake government," he remarked.
Source - Citfmonline
