Mahama and NDC have Failed Ghanaians - NPP-USA Public Survey

In October last year NPP-USA conducted a survey that sought to find what Ghanaians all over the world viewed as the most critical characteristics of their leader. The eye-opening findings were published in the local and international media, and they put to bed certain myths that political pundits had previously relied on for analysis. ( Ghanaians Prefer Intelligent and Honest Leaders –NPP-USA Study, Ghana Web October 29, 2014)

) Two months later, at the height of the holiday festivities, NPP-USA sought to find out if Ghanaians would be a little more charitable about their views on their government given the holiday spirit. But our findings were to the contrary.

In order not to box survey subjects into limited response options, we merely carried a microphone and a recorder and asked a simple open-ended question: "What do you think of the direction in which Ghana is going?" The following are some of the responses we received:

Edem – Taxi Driver – Abelemkpe, Accra: "As for this government I don't know oo. The way fuel prices are increase every week and they told us it is because prices abroad are high, now prices are down but they refuse to reduce the fuel. I don't think I can trust anything they say again. They say we owe a lot of money but everyday you hear stealing and stealing." NPP-USA: "But you seem happy and enjoying yourself." Edem: "Ah, It's Christmas so I have to enjoy myself."

Miss Oteng Apau – Teacher – Western Region: "I keep telling myself to be patient; I keep trying to give this government the benefit of the doubt that they are really trying to improve our lives. But the reality is that my life, and those around me are rather deteriorating. And it is not because we are not working. I have been teaching for almost ten years now, and what my salary used to do, that same salary (which by the way has not been increased) cannot do half of what it used to. I am really thinking about what next to do other than teaching."

Kwamina Dugan – Farmer – Central Region: "Please I am trying to enjoy my Christmas; don't spoil my mood with this government business. I was very hard on Kufuor. But now it seems those were the good old days. I can't believe how much Mahama and his NDC government has failed us. He came here with a sad face mourning President Mills' death and we all were deceived into thinking he would continue his good work but hmm... This has been a complete disaster."

Kofi Martey – Dee Jay – Accra North: " Let me just say one thing; for the first time in my life I am yearning for a coup d'etat."NPP-USA: "Oohh trust me. You don't want a coup d'etat. How old are you?" Martey: "I'm 29 years old." NPP-USA: "That's why. You haven't really lived under a military dictatorship – or you were too young to know what was going on." Martey: "I don't care; anything is better than this government."

Azuma – Farm hand – Bechem – Brong Ahafo Region: "You see this cutlass? The next person that comes to me next year to vote for this people again I will face him with this cutlass." NPP-USA: "Which people?" Azuma: "Those people who come here and tell us not to vote for Akan people because they don't respect us. My master is Akan; he respects me. Every time I ask him for something he gives it to me. But those people, after you vote for them you don't see them again. And prices are always going up. Mahama has disgraced all of us the Northerners."

Yaw Barima – Tailor – Kwadaso, Kumasi: "Go and tell Mahama to sack all the corrupt officials, recover our money from Woyome and all those other thieves, keep his promises or don't make them at all, finish the Sofoline project that Kufuor started, reduce fuel prices, and end the dumsor dumsor. After that you come back and I will tell you how Ghana is going."

The evaluation was not much better among the middle class.

Mathew Dey – "Engineer" with an Accra-based firm: "You know politics has been too polarized so I try not to delve into it. But you appear very professional. And if you would quote me word for word, then I would only tell you that I am not the least bit impressed with this government. We the professionals don't say much but we stay abreast with what is going on. And I can tell you that this country is very sick. Our debts will cripple us all."

Bernard Adjei – Financial Advisor for an Investment Firm in Accra: "As a finance guy, I look critically at the numbers. And when you do, you can't help but wonder what is really going on. Oh This government claims to be doing a lot of projects. But all of them are used as a camouflage to steal money. Do you know why they can't tell us how much the Tamale airport they are building will cost? Because they haven't yet put a finger on how much they intend to steal around it. $29 million to install landing lights at Kumasi Airport, and $150 million to renovate Kotoka? I really hope somehow, someone holds these people accountable. It's our money!"

Dora Agbesi – Entrepreneur – Ho, Volta Region: "Oh wait... (she frantically searches her bag for a brief moment) here is my NPP membership card. I just obtained this. I am going to tell every living soul in this their so-called world bank about what a group of deceivers they are. Mark this on the wall; many people I know in this part of the country will either not vote at all – or hold their nose and vote for NPP. I don't want to live in their kind of country anymore. How can you get us to hate other people with the promise that you will develop our region and this is by far the least developed region in the country? Kufuor even did better for us here in Volta than Mills and Mahama combined."

It is noteworthy that we had to exclude some respondents who made very valid points and gave good reasons why they think Ghana has failed. But we could not use their recorded statements because they contained unprintable language.

NPP-USA Communications Team