Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has acknowledged that the NPP failed to complete and operationalise the Afari Military Hospital in the Ashanti Region during its eight years in government.
Speaking to journalists after donating a pickup truck and 15 motorcycles to the Ghana Police Service at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters on Tuesday, June 16, the former Assin Central MP said the issue should not be viewed through a partisan lens but rather from the perspective of national development.
Mr. Agyapong admitted that the NPP had the opportunity to complete the project but failed to do so.
“This hospital was started by President John Agyekum Kufuor. The locations and all those things. NDC came to start it, and when we came, I am NPP, and I am telling you the gospel truth. I was the chairman for Defence and Interior, and we didn’t do anything,” he stated.
According to him, while the project’s foundation was laid during the Kufuor administration and significant construction work was undertaken under a subsequent National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, the NPP was unable to bring the facility into operation despite being in office for eight years.
Mr. Agyapong criticised attempts to place sole responsibility for the delays on the current NDC administration, arguing that the NPP also had ample time to complete the project.
“We were there for eight years, and we didn’t do it. NDC started it. Why didn’t you complete it? You were there for eight years and didn’t complete it. When somebody comes for 15 months, then you have a problem,” he said.
The former MP further revealed that efforts by the Defence and Interior Committee to inspect the hospital during his tenure as chairman were unsuccessful.
“When we decided to go and inspect Afari, they stopped us. I heard somebody saying the Afari Hospital has been there for 15 months, but we were there for eight years and didn’t do it,” he added.
Mr. Agyapong called on political leaders to be honest about their shortcomings and place the country’s interests above partisan considerations.
“We should criticise NPP and NDC. That’s the only way to go. We should love our nation and stop playing politics with everything,” he stressed.
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