NPP's 2 years far better than NDC's 8 years – Obiri Boahen

Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has said the Akufo-Addo-led government has performed remarkably better in two years than the eight years of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in office.

In just 2 years, he said the NPP administration has implemented several social interventions and pro-poor programmes aimed at impacting the lives of Ghanaians positively – something, in his view, the NDC could not do in its eight years in power.

Mr. Boahen mentioned the Free Senior High School programme, the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCO), Paperless port system, among several interventions being implemented by the Akufo-Addo government to argue his case.

His comments follow assertions by Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that the NPP government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has implemented, within two years, policies and programmes designed to alleviate the hardships faced by the ordinary Ghanaian.

While acknowledging that the needs of all human beings are insatiable, Vice-President Bawumia insists that the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo has done more to mitigate the effects of any difficulties affecting Ghanaians since it assumed office 20 months ago than what its predecessor did in eight years of office.

“Although as humans, we will continuously have needs, and, thus, keep expressing concerns of greater desires and pains, what is refreshing is that today, teacher trainees are receiving their allowances, nurse trainees are receiving their allowances, BECE candidates have their registration fees paid for them, we have doubled the Capitation Grant; 100,000 unemployed graduates are now under NaBCo.

“Dumsor (rolling blackouts) is not killing people’s businesses, electricity tariffs have been reduced for us, about 17 or so taxes have either been reduced or abolished, there is no freeze on public sector employment, we have fertiliser subsidies under Planting for Food and Jobs.

“These are things that did not exist before we came into government, and if we had not addressed them, they were going to compound the hardships on all Ghanaians.

“While doing all these, we equally acknowledge the fact that we have not solved all of Ghana’s problems. A significant amount of challenges still abound that ought to be tackled with speed. But the good thing is that with what we have done, we are confident that by the Grace of God, we will surely get there.

Speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM with host Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don), Mr. Obiri Boahen said: “It is a fact that the NPP in 19 months has done far better than the NDC did in eight years.”

He added: “Free Senior High School programme, NaBCo, NHIS, paperless port system are some of the numerous programmes being implemented to affect the lives of Ghanaians.”

Meanwhile, Alhaji Sani, a former Vice Chairman of the NDC, said his party also implemented some social intervention programmes to alleviate the hardships of Ghanaians.

“We also implemented some social intervention such as the Progressively Free Education,” he told said.