President Nana Akufo Addo with his vice, Mahamudu Bawumia
Rules are not necessarily sacred; principles are. Honest people can change their opinions, but they stick to their principles. They can change their leaves, but they keep intact their roots. In the world of honest people, ethics, equity, and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar. Honest people obey their principles without making excuses.
In the lead-up to the 2016 general elections, Ghanaians witnessed one of the most formidable yet deceitful political campaigns since 1992. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and their candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, together with his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, seized every opportunity to convince the electorate that they were the better alternative. They attacked all the actions, policies, programs, and decisions of the then-government of John Dramani Mahama.
They were consistent and diligent in their attacks and message. The message was simple: Ghana was headed in the wrong direction, and they had the answer to the problem. They denigrated, vilified, maligned, and eviscerated former President John Mahama with all sorts of disparaging adjectives. They called him corrupt and incompetent. They promised to better manage the affairs of the country and the economy. They promised a lower exchange rate, lower debt to GDP, lower inflation, and a lower cost of living.
Candidate Akufo-Addo stated emphatically that he would transform the country within eighteen months. As a matter of principle, he said he would resign if he failed to fulfill these promises and improve the lives of Ghanaians with all the macroeconomic indicators such as inflation, exchange rate, and debt to GDP among others.
In a post on February 22, 2016, the president wrote, “This year, try me too. Give me the chance to show you what I can do. Four years is not so far away. If I come and I don’t succeed, kick me out.” The message resonated with the electorate, and candidate Akufo-Addo was eventually voted in based on these promises and assurances to deliver them.
At the time he took over, 1 United States Dollar (USD) was equal to GHC 4.1, and 1 Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP) was equal to GHC 5.90. The country’s Debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 54 percent, and the national debt stock had reached GHC 122.6 billion. The year-on-year inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 15.4 percent in December 2016, down by 0.1 percentage point from the 15.5 percent recorded in November 2016. The government was still able to service its external debt without any default.
Almost eight years after winning the election, all the macroeconomic variables have worsened. USD 1 is equal to GHC 15.5, while 1 GBP is equal to GHC 18.13 (this is despite the fact that the government has suspended servicing its external debts; the situation would have been worse than it is now). Inflation is at 24 percent, and debt to GDP is 104 percent. The country’s debt stock is currently close to GHC 700 billion.
Six months into his presidency, the new president promised to fight illegal mining and even put his presidency on the line. “I have said it in the Cabinet, and perhaps this is the first time I am making this public, that I am prepared to put my Presidency on the line on this matter,” he said.
Today, the illegal mining menace has become so rampant that the president has avoided making any pronouncement on the issue while he still clings to power. Mr. President, where are your principles?
The government has borrowed more than any other government in the history of the country, despite the introduction of numerous taxes, including the most ludicrous tax ever, the E-Levy, which directly takes money from people’s pockets. Pensioners are still denied the monthly stipends that sustain them due to the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP), caused by unprecedented economic mismanagement.
Despite all this mess, the government is bent on continuing beyond 2024. If they had principles, they would not even contemplate contesting in the upcoming elections. Yes, it is politics, and politics is about power; however, there are politicians who have principles and will bow out if they think they have failed to deliver.
Former UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, resigned after realizing it was unable to implement her vision of a low-tax and small government state. She was in office for only 49 days. This is a person of principles and honesty.
The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government promised to right the wrongs of the Mahama government, but they ended up wronging all the rights of the Mahama government. If they had principles and integrity, they would not even contemplate contesting the 2024 elections.
They are contesting this election because they lack principles; they do not care about their integrity and dignity. To them, the most important thing is power, not how to change and transform lives with power.
