Ho, Feb. 13, GNA- Dr Gamel Nassar Adam, Lecturer, University of Ghana, on Thursday said the popularity of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was waning due to unfulfilled campaign promises and general disillusionment of the masses.
He described the situation as "crises of economic underdevelopment, joblessness, unyielding crime wave and heightening of social tensions among the populace."
"When we thought, there would be light at the end of the tunnel, we were rather going for a headlong collision due to misadministration and disregard for rule of law", he said.
Dr Adam was addressing a public forum organised by the Democratic Movement for Social Change (DEMOCH) in Ho, under the theme, "The State of the Nation's Socio-Economic and Political Development".
It aimed at sensitising Ghanaians, particularly politicians, on the need for deepening the country's democratic culture, "through pragmatic and comprehensive development paradigm shift in the socio-economic and political endeavours."
Dr Adam told the forum that it was time government pursued an alternative national self-reliance policy, harnessing all the indigenous technological competences to create jobs and stem the over-dependency syndrome.
He said the prescriptions of the Breton Woods institutions would not take the country out of its present economic quagmire because these institutions had vested interests.
Dr Adam therefore, urged the electorate to compare the NPP administration by its own records and vote responsibly for the real positive change, in December, this year.
Dr Edward Nasiru Mahama, a leading member of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) wondered why there was "official glorification" of the achievements of HIPC benefits saying, it would create a psychological problem for the youth.
He urged government to stop its neo-colonialist policies and administration and evolve innovative policies towards moving the country ahead, adding that the national economy was suffering from "abundance of human and material resources".
Mr Kwesi Pratt, Editor and Publisher of "The Insight" also wondered why the Minister of Finance, Mr Osafo Marfo, excluded January-March in the computation of last year's rate of inflation, which was pegged at 26 percent.
"Figures do not mean anything in the pockets of the ordinary citizenry or otherwise stabilises the economy, when people are dying of hunger and could not afford three square meals a day," he said. Mr Pratt advised journalists to be vigilant and be guided by their code of ethics and refrain from skewing their reportage to suit the whims and caprices of government even in dire situations of enticements and intimidations.
Present were Mr Doe Adjaho, Minority Chief Whip and MP for Avenor, Mr Danny Ofori Atta, leader of the EGLE party, Mr Kofi Wayo, a businessman, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Special Aide to Professor J.E.A Mills, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
