Ghana’s economy today is better than what NPP left - Amaliba

A member of the Legal Team of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, has rubbished assertions made by the Economic Team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the country's economy is in "tatters" saying the economic conditions prevailing currently in the country is akin “Heaven” compared to what the NPP left behind in 2008.

He stated: “if we look at the economy and what (NPP) left us, what we are faced with now is heaven”.

Accusing the NPP of dissipating the country's scarce resources, he likened the sale of the then Ghana Telecom to Vodafone by the erstwhile Kufuor Administration to a landlord who sold his rented house out because he was unable to collect rent from his tenants.

Lawyer Amaliba disagreed with the content of the NPP's statement at the press conference saying, “I have heard the talk about workers going on strike. Why? During their time, didn’t workers go on strike? I heard the talk about the fact that we have difficulties in our energy sector. Under their regime, didn’t we experience one year of sleeping in darkness”?...Non-payment of contractors; is this the first time? Was it a statement of inefficiency by their government?” he sought to find out.

He was reacting to the press conference addressed by Yaw Osafo Maafo under the auspices of the NPP’s Economic Team, claiming the country’s economy under the John Mahama-led NDC government is facing a myriad of problems including “the huge public debt; the lamentable fiscal deficit, the humongous arrears, unbridled overspending, worsening unemployment, deteriorating utility services and failing social services.”

These problems, according to Mr Osafo Maafo, are largely as “a result of the reckless expenditures of government in the 2012 election year”, now catching up with all of us, for which the ordinary Ghanaian is now having to bear the brunt of the bad expenditure behaviour of the Mahama government during the 2012 elections.

Contributing to a panel discussion on CitiFM’s “Big Issues” programme, the NDC Legal Team member expressed delight at the fact that the NPP is now contributing to the running of the country by offering alternative solutions to the teething economic problems.

“…I am gratified that the NPP and its leadership have suddenly woken up from their slumber and are now contributing to the governance of this country. Hitherto, they were sleeping at the Supreme Court, thinking that everything depended on the election petition case. I’m happy that now, they can hold press conferences and offer alternative views as to how this country should be governed,” he said.

He also called on the opposition party to continue with what he calls, “responsible opposition” by organizing and igniting political discourse directed at finding solutions to the numerous problems bedeviling the country.