Sammy Gyamfi ‘schools’ Ofori-Atta, NPP on the meaning of ‘turned the corner’

The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has slammed the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) over its claim that Ghana’s economy is out of the woods during the presentation of the 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review statement.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme, on Thursday, August 3, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, Gyamfi said that it is forgivable if the government does not understand the phrase “turned the corner” which means its officials need “free education”.

But if the government understands the phrase, it means that it (the government) has no respect for Ghanaians, he said.

“According to government, they have turned the corner and that we are out of the crisis. That is the operative or the central theme of the presentation by the finance minister. Now that statement 'turned the corner' is not the invention of the NPP, it is English language. It is an idiomatic expression. It has a meaning.

“What is the meaning of turning the corner, anybody watching me can Google it. It means to pass the critical points of a crisis and to begin to improve. It means to recover; to rebound, to recuperate to overcome," he explained.

The NDC national communication officer said that the reality does not show the claim of the government.

“What is the state of the Ghanaian economy today? … do the facts show that we have recovered? We have rebounded, we are seeing a rebound. We are recuperating, have we overcome our challenges?” he asked.

“You need free education in simple English Language. It is either you don't understand what you are saying or you just don't respect the people,” he added.

Background:

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, said that Ghana is making significant progress in its economic recovery process.

According to him, the data on Ghana’s economic variables shows that the country is recovering from the economic meltdown it suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war.

Ofori-Atta made these remarks while he was presenting the mid-year budget review for 2023 on July 31, 2023, on the floor of parliament.

“Mr. Speaker, it is no exaggeration to say we cannot find another period in our history where so many different headwinds hit our economy at the same time with unrelenting speed and scale. Thankfully, as the numbers are beginning to show and as many Hon. Members of the House have indicated to me in our engagements, we have, together as a nation, turned the corner.

“Mr. Speaker, we have avoided the unimaginable, but what could have been so easily possible under different leadership circumstances. With a lot of effort, we have managed to avoid empty shop shelves for medicines and other essentials; we have seen no shortages of food; we have been spared the frustrating spectre of long queues for fuel at our filling stations; and, we have managed, in spite of all the challenges, to keep the lights on. Indeed, as the Psalmist said (in Psalm 118:23) this is the LORD’s doing; and it is marvellous in our eyes," he said.

The minister also said that the measures put in place by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, including the implementation of the International Monetary Fund bailout, helped Ghana "turned the corner".

“This ‘turning the corner’ is underpinned by the investments and sacrifices we have collectively made during this difficult period since March, 2020,” he added.

Watch the interview below:

You've turned the corner? You need free education - Sammy Gyamfi to gov't#GoodMorningGhana #MetroTV pic.twitter.com/qEHUEsLg0K

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) August 3, 2023