The Real State of the Nation Address
Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Ghanaians, let us take this opportunity to thank the almighty God for granting us another year and for granting the NPP a peaceful and successful Congress to elect our new leaders. The campaignt is now on to present a message of hope and delivery as against the current mismanagement, confusion, lack of action and direction we are experiencing under the Professor Mills and his government .
The President of the nation in his State of the Nation address has told us that the NDC won the general elections because they “promised an Agenda of Change for a better Ghana – Change that would advance the cause of democracy and renew our faith in the future of this country even as we take on a new set of development challenges”. It is based on this promise that we shall judge them. The President said “, I made a commitment to do away with the style of politics that mistook democratic transfer of power as an opportunity to wreak vengeance” and yet today everything in Ghana is seen as black and green NDC or blue and white NPP- can we say there is a more polarised society than Ghana. The NDC government has embarked on a clear agenda to destroy everything NPP and re-invent them even at the expense of causing financial loss to the state.
Last year Professor Mills promised to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness, respect and courtesy in our national discussion and debate and one year on I see exclusion, lack of respect for any thing NPP did or achieved.
In the face of 23.3% depreciation of the cedi since the NDC took over power and investment atmosphere declining steeply due to lack of trust in the government’s commitment to the private sector, the President says we have a “new diversified industry-based economy” and the “state of the nation is good”.
Fellow Ghanaians, the real state of the nation is poorer, one year on and so far so very poor. Fellow Ghanaians, why do I say that? Well all Ghanaians know that under the NPP, in 2008 GDP growth was 7.3%, however, in 2009 the Atta Mills led government, was able to record an economic growth rate of only 4.7 percent, representing a significant (thirty five percent) decline over what obtained in 2008. take this in contra distinction with their manifesto promise of “an annual growth rate of at least 8%”
In a nation where freedom of speech is a rare commodity and the press have been openly bought by the government, president Mills describes his kind of democracy as “example of African Democracy [with an atmosphere of unfettered free speech] of which all Ghanaians can be proud.” Nana Darkwah is a Ghanaian but he is not so proud her kind of democracy.
No wonder the President admits his own litany of failures and broken promises when he says “I must say that there is still a huge amount of work to be done”
Like Hitler who denied there was the holocaust, the NDC swore there was no global recession and campaigned that the NPP had created a declining economy. In government, the NDC have in a sudden twist of fortunes, realised that “no country has been immune from the world economic meltdown”. The NDC unapologetically still mentions and maintains an Economic Management Team which in 1999 was described by the late Hon.Victor Selormey as having left our “economy between the devil and the deep blue sea”Today we ask President Mills. How much is the monthly allowance of members of this Economic Management team and what sort of advice do they give?
From an economy that could raise an Eurobond of $750million, the NDC have taken us down the path of IMF structural adjustment and with the loan of $2.1billion, Ghana is now bedeviled with a structural conditionality that freezes employment for our millions of unemployed and hyper taxation which is now being visited on our roads, water and alcohols like Apketeshie. The so-called Economic Management team is now being run by outsiders by virtue of the PRGF program with the IMF and the EGPRC with the World Bank which all failed Ghana under Rawlings’ NDC from 1992-2001.
On infrastructure, the NDC have abandoned road network projects inherited from the NPP e.g. the Achimota- Ofankor and Tetteh Tuashie -Mallam junction MCA road, yet in his sessional lies to the nation, President Mills says “we will also fast-track the development of a road transport network that will meet the economic, social and environmental needs of Ghana in the years ahead”what a fantasy!!!!
Fellow Ghanaians it has been one year since the NDC’s so called "agric revolution" was launched but there isn't a blade of sorghum to show for it. What is the gestation period for any average Ghanaian staple food? And yet Mills admits for most Ghanaians today
"simply getting enough good quality food is both the highest priority and the highest cost item.” This is a sign of failure in flagship agriculture in the NDC manifesto. Having admitted in November 2009 that they had achieved 20% in rice production instead of the production target by 22.3%, President Mills in another attempt to conjure figures said his government achieved 30% in rice production. Is this the case of the President not being aware of his own figures or simply being economical with the truth?
In my father’s home town of Mumford (Juama), my fisherman uncles are not able to get pre-mix fuel for fishing at night, and along the coast of Ghana this is the tale of our fisher folks. However in the dream world of President Mills there is imaginary Beach Landing Committees formed to ensure efficient and transparent distribution of pre-mix fuel to fishermen.
One year in government and with a manifesto promises of job creation and human resources management, President mills is yet to create a single new job. after decimating the NYEP and sacking people willy-nilly, he says he has now directed all sectors to mainstream job-creation into their programmes and ministers are required by the middle of the year to produce sector blueprints for the creation of jobs. granting even that this clear lie becomes a reality ,this would be one and a half years too late. instead of job creation, the NDC has re-trained our youth in vandalism, militarism, barbarism macho posturing and anti NPP feistiness. to mills this however this means “potent educational tool to drive the programme of nation building.” On his campaign trail Professor Mills promised money in the pocket of Ghanaians and now he says he never promised any such thing.
In another shocking revelation, the NDC is planning number of other programmes in Education will begin this year. These include the provision of free education for disabled children; the refurbishing of science resource centres; the provision of infrastructural facilities in Senior High Schools, the removal of Schools under Trees and the elimination of the school shift system.
The real state of the nation in education is as follows
? On page 314 item 907 of the 2010 budget statement government states, “government in the medium term will provide permanent accommodation to every single school currently under trees. The government plans to build 165 in 2010”. The figure 165 does not match the reality on the ground because in Ghana there are currently 5,227 schools under trees. Only a crawling government can boast of 165 structures in a year as removal of schools under trees achievement
? The 20% incentive to teachers in deprived schools in rural areas, and professional duty and incentive allowances to science and mathematics teachers in 2009 also became a mirage .Today our graduate teachers are on strike. Thanks to deception, failed promises and a lack of respect for teachers.
? By reducing the 4 year programme to 3 years by mere popular acclamation, rather than by law, 75% of SHS leavers who hope for a better education and a better future through the 4 year reform programme have, once again been dislodged.
? The 1.6 million Ghanaian school children promised free school uniforms in 2009 never materialized as at December of the same year.
? The 10 free exercise books per pupil for 5 million pupils for 2009 became a deception.
? The Getfund and the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) which provide funding base for most educational activities suffered serious shortages. The Getfund suffered a deficit of 25 million Ghana Cedis and the DACF a deficit of 10 million Ghana Cedis by August 2009 and all by 15% by the end of the year.
And why, we may ask is Mills’ administration so fond of re-inventing the wheel to put “Made by NDC” on it all with the aim of causing financial loss to the nation. On health the NDC is now, according to President Mills, “submitting a revised National Health Insurance Bill to Cabinet for consideration.” Is the President now suffering from amnesia? When the bill was presented to parliament in 2005, the NDC boycotted Parliament and went on demonstrations. Five years on, and the NHIS having been rolled to 11million Ghanaians, the NDC are now going to re-introduce a bill to cabinet for consideration. Is this hypocrisy or sheer folly?
After the NDC leader have enjoyed the Greenstreet end-of service benefit, and now kicked against the Chinery Hesse report by replacing it with the Yamson report, President Mills say he is now putting “in place the Presidential Committee on Emoluments to advise on the Salaries, Allowances, Facilities and Privileges of Officials – as the Constitution requires.” What a wasteful floundering government. As if this re-invention of wheel is not enough, after the wahala and parliamentary boycott of ROPAB and the subsequent ROPAA in 2005-6 they are now going to constitute a multi-partisan group, under the guidance of the Electoral Commission, to revisit the whole issue of the registration and voting of Ghanaians abroad (ROPAA).
Having admitted that he failed in his promise to MPs in his first state of the nation address, in that he did not meet any of his targets, in his pathetic excuse of “man proposes, God disposes”, President Mills has unashamedly gone back to his 2009 notes to “plagiarise” his old promises of MP’s common fund.
The “palm oil” according to Nana Konadu Rawlings, and which drew the applause and admiration of the NDC MPs at the time President Kufuor broke the good news about oil discovery in commercial quantities to Ghanaians, has now become the Oil and Gas industrial flagship for the NDC. The real state of the nation as far as the oil and gas is concerned is that the NDC have become the rottweilers who will bark and bite every NPP element off it so as to hand it over to Tastsu’s GNPC cabal. Hence the employment of Duke Amaniampong for £25,000 a month to dig dirt and on EO and Kosmos, the real heroes of NDC’s new found oil wealth. We know the “smoking gun” they looked for has not been found and yet the NDC is hell bent on demonizing the EO group and Kosmos
Today the real state of our nation is that:
? The NDC rule Ghanaians – with clear regard to political allegiance.
? They have polarised our nation with clear party colours.
? They are not transparent in anything they do.
? They have re-defined corruption, shielded corrupt officials and encouraged indiscretion
? They have chased and silenced whistleblowers and struck a blow against free speech
? The NDC have a track record of a catalogue of failed and broken promises and a betrayal of trust
? The nation has no clear vision or a blurred vision lost between 2016 and 2020
We expected the President to be honest and truthful so that we could all join hands and work with him to find solutions but we were treated to another bout of soundbites and propaganda. The better Ghana that we all long to achieve has now become a bitter Ghana in all aspects of our lives; at work, in the classroom, in the lecture hall, in the factories, in the office, on the roads, in the market place, at the lorry station and above all in the state of our nation.
Hayford Atta Krufi-Chairman,NPP UK and Ireland
Nana Yaw Sarpong-Communications Officer,NPP UK and Ireland
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