My attention was drawn to an article which appeared on Saturday June 7 on Ghanaweb in which the Vice Presidential Candidate of the P/NDC Mr. John Mahama was lamenting on the sharp economic divide of the North and South regions of our dear nation. Mr. Mahama was quoted as saying at Tumu that Ghana cannot afford to remain half poor and half rich in the midst of plenty because the resources could not be applied to the benefit of all. He said “one People One Nation” would remain a mirage if the gap between the southern and northern parts of the country continued to grow wider.
These statements are sad indeed but represent the facts we face in our country. I will like to draw the attention of all Ghanaians to the causes and effects of this economic phenomenon. Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Mahama, I will like to draw his attention to the fact that first it was his own political party P/NDC that caused and supervised this economic divide. Second Mr. Mahama should have by now known that P/NDC and NPP have for the past 30 years toyed with the people of the north, sought their help in times of elections and yet neglected them when it came to sharing the national cake equitably. The NPP came to power on the backdrop of Rawlings fatigue, chose Aliu Mahama who is from the North as their vice Presidential Candidate just to draw votes and favour from our brothers and sisters from the North. And tell me how much of the national cake found its way up north proportionately? What did NPP do with the capacity and abilities of Aliu in the last 7.5 years? Virtually Aliu has been sidelined in all dealings. To ice the cake, his boss, President Kuffour did not even have the trust and respect and confidence to endorse him as the next person to succeed him. Mr. President openly threw his support out for someone else. What does this tell you? Does it mean that Kuffour did not value the abilities of Aliu and yet chose him as his number two? Now the P/NDC is about to do the same thing to you, Mr. Mahama. They will use and discard you when out of use. Mr. Mahama, as smart as you are known to be, you need not be told about this disconcerting political ploy of NPP and the P/NDC. Be vigilant my dear brothers and sisters in the north and note that none of the political parties apart from the CPP has the welfare of the people of the north on their economic radar.
At this juncture let me dig deeper to explain why I believe P/NDC must not be taken seriously in terms of commitment to the people of the north. P/NDC unconstitutionally and later constitutionally ruled Ghana for 20 good years amounting to 240 month or almost a thousand weeks. In economic sense, seven plus years span is considered long-term and results of any long-term economic development plan ought to be seen thereafter. Did P/NDC have any short term economic plan for the northern regions? NO. Did the P/NDC have or implement any long term development plan for the good people of the North? Absolutely no! For the benefit of those who were young or might have forgotten what prompted the protagonist, father, architect and owner of the P/NDC to take arms and cause a treasonable offense by overthrowing a legitimate government voted into power by the people of Ghana. His reasons were that there was rampant corruption (kalabule): few people were taking bank loans (50,000 cedis): some people had two or more houses, cars. People had hoarded provisions (milk, sugar, rice, sardine, and corned beef). As repugnant, childish and callous as his excuses were, one cannot overlook the serious effect of this diabolical coup which has derailed Ghana for over 50 years. The P/NDC had no aim or direction as to where to take the nation thus they resulted to try and error micro and macro economics. Notable amongst them was to accept and implement a very bitter economic pill, the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) deviously prescribed by the World Bank/IMF who’s motive was to cripple our economy so as to force us accept their loans thereby have control of our resources. I Have a dossier of the consequences of the SAP and at the appropriate time I will make it available to any government if such government so seriously desire to learn from the past, have a grasp of what has seriously gone wrong and how the implementation of the 7-year development plan could be the antidote to the economic mess we find our country in.
Ghana's manufacturing and industrialisation leap were privatised to cronies and foreigners to compromise the economic independence of our nation. P/NDC supervised a neo-colonialist economic agenda perpetrated by the World Bank/IMF.
The privatisation of many of Ghana's State Owned Enterprises under IMF/World Bank STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT program by P/NDC weakened Ghana's leverage with foreign manufactures. Whilst the World/IMF were everywhere with their lies hailing Ghana as success story of their untested economic prescription, Ghanaians were seriously suffering economic hardships and bleak economic futures. The Structural Adjustment Program impoverished Ghanaians with its focus on DEBT SERVICING, but huge benefits for US Financial Capitalists. Mr. Mahama, please ask your leader, the owner of P/NDC, where these factories/Corporations are:
GNTC; STATE FISHING CORP; STATE CONSTRUCTION CORP; OSA (AKA CITY EXPRESS); NSAWAM CANNERY; BLACK STAR LINE; GHANA AIRWAYS; GIHOC; GHANA FOOD DISTRIBUTION to mention but a few. As someone commented on Ghanaweb, that “all the above were stolen in the name of DIVESTITURE by the P/NDC owner and his cronies”. Mr. Mahama, couldn’t these have provided job opportunities for the very people you are crying for?
Now let me tell you the reason why Ghana was/has derailed for over 50 years. Education is the key to every development in every country on the surface of the earth. And you cannot defend the obliteration of Ghana’s educational system by the P/NDC. The irony of this destruction is whilst your party owner blatantly destroys our educational system; he airlifts his children to Ireland to educate them whilst the rest of Ghanaian children learn under trees and dilapidated school buildings without books and resources. Mr. Mahama, please take a trip to Wa campus of the University of Development Studies and see for yourself whether you can find a single text book in their library. I have been there and I can tell you it is deplorable and I find it objectionable. Students and lecturers have no books and how do you expect them to graduate and compete in the global market/economy? And these are the students who should graduate and take charge of our developments.
Mr. Mahama again said if steps were not taken to bridge the gap, the country could not achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
My dear Friend Mahama, thank you for your honest assessment. The Millennium Development Goals can NEVER be achieved as long as your party and recently the NPP continue to fool the people every four years with false information and bribes to buy votes. The money you give them lasts only for a couple of days and doesn’t solve their short and long-term problems. P/NDC, note that you cannot fool all the people all the time, Ghanaians are becoming politically savvy and the Red Cockerel is crowing.
God safe our motherland.
Forward Ever Backward Never!!
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