Power is slipping from NPP - Asiedu Nketia

"Power is slipping from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). It cannot win the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Majority of Ghanaians are poorer now, a few Ghanaians are better off now."

The above statement is attributed to the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia in an interview he granted The Daily Dispatch.

According to him, while the ruling New Patriotic Party believes that it has done well in reducing poverty in the country, the NDC thinks most economic policies of the NPP are skewed towards the few rich and more Ghanaians have become poorer than they were six years ago.

According to Mr. Asiedu Nketia, "the NPP thinks that economic growth is equivalent to economic development. We disagree with them on this major economic issue."

Buttressing his argument, the NDC General Secretary pointed out that in the year 2000 before the government came out with its economic growth, it took into consideration how the proceeds from economic growth was to be shared amongst the population and hence the decision for greater economic prosperity for a greater number of the people in the country.

"The (NPP) now believes in the survival of the fittest, so wherever the growth is coming from, if even one percent of the population become rich it reflects as five percent economic growth and we (NDC) disagree with them."

He cited the World Bank Development Index and said the report has persistently indicated that economic growth was more equitably shared during the NDC period than in NPP administration.

"The top 20 percent of the population have grown far richer in NPP era and the bottom 50 percent have become poorer in the NPP era. When you share their riches among the population and you come out with per capita income, it turns to cover the real picture on the ground," he explained.

He argued that because the people involved in government are among the few who have gotten richer, they are unable to appreciate that majority of Ghanaians are suffering.

He said the NDC has learnt lessons in opposition and is battle ready to contest the 2008 elections on issues such as how the economy is being run now and how it needs to be run better; how corruption has invaded this country and how it could go down under an NDC administration.