I�ve No Regrets - Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor says he has no regrets after serving Ghana for two terms. The ex-president, who is a recipient of the prestigious 2011 World Food Prize, said there is not a single development that took place during his eight-year leadership that regrets. He told Kwame Sefa Kayi, host of the �Kookrokoo� morning show on Peace Fm in Accra, �I am not boasting that I was a perfect man during my rein, but I can confidently say that I have no regrets whatsoever about the decisions I took as President of the country,� The former President explained that this is because every decision he took and implemented during his tenure benefitted the nation enormously. According to him, when he assumed the mantle of leadership on January 7, 2001, all facets of national development were in tatters and that required him to make bold but pragmatic decisions to repair the existing damages. Mr. Kufuor noted that the very first courageous decision that his government took which he will forever be proud of is the declaration of Ghana as a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC). He said though he received severe criticisms from his political opponents for making this move, it laid the foundation for the country�s economy to take off on a better footing. He added that the immense benefits derived from the HIPC initiative enhanced efforts at restoring Ghana�s economy which would otherwise have been a mirage. Another initiative that the former president is proud of is the introduction of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) system which ensured that people could get better and quicker access to transportation. The massive transformational exercise which took place in the early days of his administration at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is a worthy legacy the former President says will linger in his mind forever. He noted that when his administration took charge of the country�s affairs, the nation�s premier teaching hospital was on the verge of collapse but through prudent measures, it bounced back to discharge its duties as expected. Realizing that the health of the nation was paramount for proper development, Mr. Kufuor indicated that his administration introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Stressing that the policy will forever remain one of his cherished policies, the astute legal practitioner stated that his heart is always filled with joy at the thought of people getting free medical care. He is especially happy with the free pre/post natal care and delivery offered to pregnant women throughout the country. Other good policies the former President Kufuor talked about on the show include the educational review which saw 15 out of the 38 teacher training colleges in the country being made mathematics, science and ICT centers. He noted that the policy made sure that qualified teachers were produced to teach mathematics, science and ICT which are prerequisites for national development. Ex-President Kufuor also mentioned the massive increment in the salaries of teachers and their improved conditions of service which were witnessed during his tenure as some of his unforgettable legacies. The former President talked about the massive road infrastructure he facilitated throughout the entire country and vast improvement in agriculture which saw the nation producing 1 million tones of cocoa. Commenting on his future plans, he said his national development foundation christened �John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation� had taken off adding that it had already commenced the construction of a library and a museum at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. Set up to specialize in political leadership and good governance, the library and museum will contain books about Kufuor�s presidency as well as other internationally recognized books and scholarly writings on good political leadership. He disclosed that the University of Ghana has also allocated some land to the foundation where a center for leadership will be constructed.