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Former president says he does not miss being head of state

Read why former President Kufour says he doesn't miss being president

Former President John Agyekum Kufour has said that he does not miss the presidency after he handed power to the late J.E.A Mills in 2009. Speaking to TV presenter Nana Aba Anamoah in an interview on her current affairs show; State Of Affairs, he said that serving Ghana for almost 50 years is enough for him.

“I believe I left office feeling quite fulfilled; I had a very long period in public office,” the former President said “I started in my 20’s and ended exactly on my 70th birthday, and if I’m not satisfied with that, then nothing will satisfy me. I think I’m alright.”

The former President also bemoaned the fallen state of the National Health Insurance after he left office in 2008. According to him the current government has failed to sustain the scheme to the benefit of Ghanaians.

“Before 2001, the policy in the country with regards to health care was called the ‘cash and carry’. It [the name] nearly portrayed the very smart mentality that Ghanaians have got sometimes wicked sense of humor – ‘Cash and Carry’ for health care? Meaning if you do not have money you die? That’s what it was. So we introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme.

“I know there’s a lot of debate, people wanting to deny us the credit of doing it. Before we launched it, I believe it was the Catholic Church that had something in Nkoranza and somewhere around Damango.

He continued “It was just a community service but they were [running] it successfully so our government got inspired by that and then we sent out some experts to other countries that seemed to be doing it in East Africa and there was a measure of it in Zimbabwe or so. We sent people to go and study and then come and advise. It was from that we formulated the policy and implemented it at an affordable premium.”

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He said the NDC government didn’t share in the vision of the scheme hence the empty promises they gave to voters in 2008 about offering a one-time premium.

“Towards 2008, a party [NDC] suggested they [Ghanaians] will pay just one premium for life. How would you run an insurance policy on just a premium?” he questioned

President John Agyekum Kufour was president of Ghana from 2001 -2008 after he won the presidency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party after a run-off in the year 2000 and won himself another term in 2004. He is married to Mrs. Theresa Kufour, a retired nurse with whom they have 5 children and several grandchildren.

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