Akufo-Addo government clueless and callous – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has described the Akufo-Addo-led government as clueless and callous.

According to Mr Mahama, the government has failed on the many promises it made to the people of Ghana.

He said in six years, Ghanaians have been made to suffer due to the inefficiencies of the government.

Speaking at the launch of his campaign in the Volta region on Thursday, 2 March 2023, the former Ghanaian leader who is seeking to become NDC flagbearer said “six years ago, despite our best efforts, the people of Ghana entrusted the management and administration of this country into the hands of the NPP.

“They did so in the hope that the many mouth-watering promises made to them would translate into meaningful action that would mark an improvement in their living conditions and the general wellbeing of our country.

“Six years on, those hopes have been dashed.”

Mr Mahama stated that “instead of the prosperity and progress that was promised, the last six years have been, perhaps, the most difficult and challenging period in our history.”

In his view, “this government has been clueless and, in many cases, callous.”

Mr Mahama noted that the unthinkable has happened and “our country is broken on all fronts,” adding “Ghana is bankrupt.”

He said Ghana is saddled with debt “we simply cannot pay, and we have suffered the global humiliation of defaulting on our debts and being downgraded by credit rating agencies to the lowest levels in our history.”

Bemoaning the state of the economy further, he told his audience, “Our economy is in its worst ever shape, with suffering and pain on an unprecedented scale. Hyperinflation and an ever-increasing price of basic items including food have all combined to inflict unbearable pain on millions of Ghanaian households.

“Parents are being forced to make hard choices between seeking prompt health care for their sick children and providing meals with their meagre resources for families.

“Our middle class stands the real risk of being wiped out on the back of an obnoxious debt restructuring programme. The poor who depend on the middle class for employment and sustenance are on their own and uncertain of their fate.

“Our aged pensioners have not been spared either. In the past few weeks they have been compelled to stage public manifestations in defense of their livelihoods even in their elderly state. Who would have thought that Ghana would come to a juncture where a government would mete out such shabby treatment to our senior citizens whose only crime is that they put their life savings in what is considered the safest financial instruments in the world - Government Bonds.”

Mr Mahama stressed that Ghana is at the most depressing phase in her history where the economy has been destroyed because of the systematic mismanagement, misguided and clueless policy choices, and incompetence of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Bawumia.