At the reading of the 2011 budget, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning , Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, inadvertently did one important thing by stripping some chief propagandists of the ruling NDC naked. The NDC in power still believe in propaganda as the only political tool through which they can ensure their grip on power beyond 2012. As a result, they lie through their teeth and no matter what is done to expose them, they do not feel ashamed but the lies continue unabated.
We were in this country when we heard some pathological liars like Okudzeto Ablakwa, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Richard Quashiga, Adu Asare (NDC MP for Adenta) and Felix Ofosu Kwakye hopping from one radio station to the other in an attempt at throwing dust into the eyes of the good people of Ghana by stating that this visionless and directionless government, led by the politically ‘blind’ Atta Mills, has built more than 1000 classroom blocks to replace schools that were operating under trees since the NDC assumed office . It is quite obvious that these people who have vowed not to tell Ghanaians the truth were not the least happy and definitely felt exposed when the Finance Minister made a categorical statement that 175 classroom blocks have been built to replace those that were operating under trees and contracts for 165 have been awarded. Though I even have problems with these figures raised by the Finance Minister, it exposes the NDC as nothing but a bunch of shameless liars. My problem with the figures given by the Finance Minister is that, according to paragraph 143 of their own 2010 budget, 165 classroom blocks were promised to be built to replace schools operating under trees within the year. How could they have built 175 last year? Even the 165 meant for the year 2010 have not seen the light of the day yet because they have just been awarded on contract. We all know that the construction sector registered a negative growth in the year 2009 as stated by the Ghana Statistical Service. How could they have built 175 in a year where the NDC had just assumed office but target 165 in 2010?
Do the NDC not recognize that they are now in power and the electorate expects actual results from them and not phantom projects? This is really dents the image (if there is an image at all) of the NDC. I even wonder if they know what ‘SHAME’is!
In the 29th July, 2009 edition of The Ghanaian Times, Mrs. Benyiwa Doe was reported as saying that the NDC government had built 212 classroom blocks to replace schools under trees within the Central Region in 2009. Mrs. Benyiwa Doe, where are the classroom blocks within the region? If 175 have been built for the entire country, how could Central Region alone get more than the number for the entire country? Is Central Region a region outside Ghana? No matter what they say, the figures just do not tally.
Did someone hear the Finance Minister talk about the ‘Okudzeto 1.6 million jobs’ created as one of the government’s achievements? If indeed these are existing jobs and not ghost ones, then how could such a ‘remarkable’ achievement escape the Finance Minister though the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare could not substantiate it in parliament? Even America’s Obama has not been able to create 1.6 million jobs in a year and how could Ghana’s ‘slow but sure, konongo kaya’ Atta Mills?
When are Ghanaians going to enjoy the one-time premium payment for health insurance? Can this be done in the face of the imminent collapse that awaits the NHIS if nothing radical is done? The Finance Minister should have told us something about this promise.
It is pretty obvious that, that association of ‘greedy bastards’ called NDC thrives on only lies. But they should get it into their heads that some of us are wide awake to let the whole world know the sort of stuff they are made of. It takes only a party and a government that feels threatened to adopt such lies to prop up its sinking image and cover up its incompetence.
RICHARD TAKYI-MENSAH
nanabaamoako@yahoo.com
