Stop lying - NPP replies NDC

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday sharply responded to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) saying that it does not understand why Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Communications and other government officials continue to tell lies to Ghanaians about the glaringly hard economic situation they have created in the country.

According to the party, it was shocked by the fact that Dr Omane Boamah and the John Dramani Mahama-led administration are still spewing out lies adding that these are enough testaments that truly, “the NDC party and government are masters in lies, deception and propaganda.”

In a press statement, the NPP minced no words: “Omane Boamah, the current Minister for Communications, is following in this NDC tradition of lies and deception.”

NDC’s Docket Of Lies

Recalling the numerous lies propounded by the incumbent government, the NPP said the NDC lied to the IMF/World Bank in 1999 which made Ghana pay a penalty of $32 million.

“ln the 2008 campaign season, their lies reached their peak. They published bank accounts of NPP stalwarts which turned out to be fabrications. At the parliamentary vetting in 2008, NDC nominee after nominee begged for forgiveness for these lies they had told Ghanaians in 2008,” it indicated, adding that an NDC deputy minister for Information instructed public servants to twist facts and tell lies to make the party and the government look good.”

“An NDC Minister for Communications on Joy Fm ‘News File’ warned his colleagues to refrain from being candid as this made the work of NDC communicators difficult. From 1992 up till this year, NDC was the only political party in Ghana that officially had a Propaganda Secretary.”

Corruption

Averring that the dubious nature of the NDC government is “typified by President Mahama himself,” the NPP said the president told Ghanaians in 2013 that the election petition had no effect whatsoever on the government whereas “in 2016, he tells Ghanaians that the petition caused him to lose one year!

“He told the BBC in 2016 that he had never received a bribe. It turned out that at least on one occasion, he received a bribe of a Ford four-wheel drive in 2012.”

The opposition party continued that President Mahama gave Ghanaians over a dozen dates for dumsor to be over, even prophesying in church before God. However, the challenge continued for four years making dumsor now an international word for load shedding,” the party underscored.

Inability To Produce Cost

Recalling that Dr Omane Boamah claimed Nana Akufo-Addo lied about the cost of the Kasoa interchange and the 2015 presidential diaries, the NPP yelled, “Omane Boamah should simply tell Ghanaians what value for money audit was done for the Kasoa lnterchange. “

It continued that Omane Boamah denies the costing for the 2015 presidential diaries, “but he doesn’t tell Ghanaians the cost. While claiming others are lying, neither Omane Boamah nor the NDC government up till today – over one year after the diaries have been published – told Ghanaians what the cost of the diaries are! So who is lying?”

Bloated Hospital Projects

The NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo have claimed that the cost of the Ridge Hospital expansion is bloated.

“It is indeed, strange that the 600-bed Teaching Hospital at Legon negotiated by the University of Ghana is cheaper than the 400-bed Ridge Hospital expansion. That there was bloating in the cost of the Ridge Hospital expansion is not in doubt. Omane Boamah should just publish the result of the value for money audit done by the Crown Agents Company on the Ridge Hospital expansion,” NPP charged.

Suspension

It said Dr Bawumia, in March 2015, demonstrated with documents that Ghana had been suspended by the African Development Bank for non-payment of debts.

Dr Bawumia had also insisted that government had borrowed the equivalent of $37 billion, but he was vehemently attacked by Omane Boamah.

“Dr Bawumia has shown that the practice of calculating national debt by simply using the current exchange rate is deficient and does not measure the true value of the borrowing contracted,” the party posited.

Job Creation Propaganda

The NPP noted that the NDC’s record in job creation has been criminal, explaining that the National Youth Employment Programme – a vehicle fashioned to bring relief to young job seekers – was turned into a vehicle for gargantuan corruption and stealing of the taxpayer’s monies, using it to siphon over $100 million dollars. Despite the loud mouthing, “millions of Ghanaian youth today are looking for jobs.”

Ignorance On Display

The party continued that the Communications Minister’s remark that the NPP had not offered any alternatives to Ghanaians was born out of malice.

“Just in Bawumia’s presentations alone are a wealth of solid, well thought-out alternatives that will propel Ghana to an upper middle income country in a generation,” it noted.

Corrupt Deals Versus “JM Toaso” Slogan

The NPP finally questioned the ‘JM toaso’ call on Ghanaians by Omane Boamah after the numerous shady sole-sourced contracts by the government. Among these are the Woyome Waterville, Bankswitch, GYEEDA, SADA, Smarttys, $63,000 monthly rent paid to cronies, Guantanamo terrorists, 4-year dumsor, ‘killer’ vehicle insurance, electricity and water bills, AMERI and Karpower contracts, CDB loan, STX, Brazil airlift, declining agriculture and industry, state equipment handed to the president’s brother and the collapsing NHIS, among others.

“Give the suffering Ghanaian a break, Dr Omane Boamah,” the NPP fumed.