Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Monday, May 09, 2016
New
Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has observed
that the mismanagement of the economy has reached a point where rent is even
less expensive than electricity tariffs.
“Can
you believe that today in Ghana, for the ordinary Ghanaian, the cost of
electricity is more than the cost of their rent? So forget even ‘dumsor,’ it is
now ‘yɛnnsor,’ because you can’t afford
to pay. That is where we are,” he lamented.
Speaking
at the inauguration of the South African branch of the NPP on Saturday at
Illovo in Johannesburg, the NPP leader, who was awarded a honourary Doctor of
Law Degree by the University of Fort Hare, Alice, Eastern Cape in South Africa
last week, said the economic situation continues to worsen under the Mahama-led
National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
“Ghanaians
are now undergoing a self-imposed load shedding programme as a result of the
unbearable utility tariffs imposed by the Mahama government, caused by eight
years of economic mismanagement,” he articulated.
Ghana Declining
Nana
Akufo-Addo said that Ghana has been on the decline since the NPP administration,
headed by President John Agyekum Kufuor, left office in January 2009, citing
the country’s growth rates then and now as evidence.
He
said at the end of President Kufuor’s tenure, Ghana was growing at a rate of
8.4%, without the benefit of oil. However, with oil revenues coming on stream,
the Mahama government is making Ghana grow at a rate of 3.9%.
Stark Facts
“These
are the stark facts; they are not inventions of Akufo-Addo or NPP. They are the
official statistics of our country. If you want any indication of how bad the
decline has been, these two statistics will tell you all you need to know.
“Businesses
are collapsing; unemployment is at the highest ever in our history; the NHIS
has collapsed and the educational sector having great difficulties. Especially
for those of us in political office or any prominent office, you have to run
away from your house. The number of people who come to your house asking for
school fees is mind-boggling because it is no longer possible for ordinary
people to bear the educational costs of their children. You just feel like
crying that our country has gotten to this situation. That is how bad things
have become,” Nana bemoaned.
Ghana And Cote d’Ivoire
The
NPP standard bearer said that in a sharp contrast, Ghana’s neighbour, Cote
d’Ivoire, which suffered civil war in time past, has been witnessing economic
boom, even though the two countries are almost identical in terms of geography,
pointing out that though compared to Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire is smaller in land
size and population.
“President
Alassane Ouattara’s leadership has been such that Cote d’Ivoire has been
growing at 8% to 9% over the last five years. Whilst we have been going like
this (declining), they are going like that (experiencing a boom),” he said.
Time For Change
Nana
Addo said, “It can’t continue like this for us in Ghana because we have the
resources - both human and material - to do so much better for our country than
what is going on now. And I, for one, and the overwhelming majority of
Ghanaians, are saying enough is enough. It is time for a change in Ghana.”
Age Factor
Nana
Akufo-Addo, 72, shot down his opponent’s claim that he is too old to be president,
saying that competence and the proven ability to deliver must be the watchwords
for the Ghanaian electorate.
“Alassane
Ouattara, who I am talking to you about, is two years older than me. Muhammadu
Buhari is three years older than me, and you see what he is doing in Nigeria.
The so-called young man that we have is plunging our country into a ditch.
Let’s elect the so-called old man to come and take our country out of the
ditch,” he said, much to the approval of the hundreds of NPP supporters
gathered at the Wanderer’s Club, the venue for the inauguration, which was
themed, “To rid Ghana of incompetence and corruption.”
He
called on the electorate to do well to support the NPP to overturn the fortunes
of the country for a better future.
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