It really does not matter to Ghanaians whether President Mills got first class, third class or tenth class at university. His university qualifications will not put food on the table or provide jobs for thousands of unemployed Ghanaians.
Thousands of Ghanaians under his leadership are suffering from high rent increases, unemployment, lack of pipe borne water and hundreds of failed promises. The question is what sort of legacy is this president leaving for Ghanaians?
On a London radio station in May, we were told by Mr Koku Anyi doho , his head of communications and propaganda that the first intake of students for the Brong Ahafo University will be done in September, 2011 .We were also told of other promises by President Mills that he will fulfil before the end of his first term, the one time premium national health insurance scheme, a completed and refurbished cape coast sports stadium for the people of central region and creation of 1million jobs as espoused by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa ,Deputy Minister of information. Ghanaians have still not seen anything of merit regarding these numerous promises by the President and his cacophonous ministers. We have conflicting figures on schools under trees, while the governments figure as at the last budget was 175,ministers go around claiming 1000 schools have been built. Which is the truth President Mills?
Our roads are still in the labour ward , waiting to be delivered from the alter of failure and propaganda. Our National Health Insurance scheme has been consigned to the dustbin, with hospitals now demanding cash payments for treatment . Our President goes on endless tours and excursions around the country yet our streets are still suffocating in filth and our gutters are choked. The Eco Brigade has become a mirage, with youths recruited under the scheme of cleaning our environment and beaches, now idling about playing draughts and ludo. Most of them have not been paid at all since this scheme started. Teachers and Nurses have gone for months without being paid their salary arrears. The recent floods in our capital Accra exposed President Mills for not continuing the previous governments Accra drainage project . Our President has failed to be honest on the 5 aircrafts he intends to purchase for the military, we still do not know how much he intends to spend on these aircrafts. Our public debt is almost 20 billion , due to the huge number of loans he has contracted.
The President seems not to have a policy on education. Despite being a former teacher himself, he has not made any policy speech on where he sees the future of Ghana’s education system and how our children can compete in the information age. Under his leadership over 50% of our children scored 0% in the BECE exams plunging our basic education structure into crisis. He has increased taxes for businesses and increased costs for manufacturers, He calls himself a man of peace yet his ministers and government communcators have gone on the rampage insulting and threatening judges, christians, muslims, policemen, teachers, nurses, calling doctors murderers, students and opposition politicians. He talks about protecting our cultural values yet he would not allow libation to be poured at independence day functions . Under his leadership public lorry parks and public toilets have been forcibly seized by party foot soldiers. Traders, especially in Accra have been chased around with whips ,their wares seized and destroyed, with some having their ears slashed by violent metropolitan assembly guards. His government has detained political opponents in the north of the country without trial namely Yahuza Yakubu, Imoro Gundanaa,Majeed Alhassan,Mohamed Habib and Sayibu Alhassan. He has used state security to fire teargas on fishermen and teachers. He has increased students school fees by 50% without any form of relief, yet ministers and government officials pay has been increased by 25% year on year since 2009.
Our President has failed on his promise to provide social housing for Ghanaians and in particular the security services. He has listened to the advice from the likes of Dr Tony Aidoo and has refused to complete previous affordable housing projects started by the previous regime. These empty uncompleted houses, which could have provided relief for Ghanaians sleeping on our streets have become dens for wee smokers, armed robbers and drug dealers. The STX Housing Project has become a subject the President would even not bring himself to talk about. President Mills, please where are the 30,000 houses you promised to build for the security services?
President Mills leadership of Ghana is like a ship without a captain, a classroom without a teacher, a football pitch without a referee and a bus without a driver. He may call himself all the accolades he wants, prince of peace, Lucifer son of the morning, Jesus Christ superstar and whatnots. I strongly believe Ghanaians must vote him out next year if they want to see a transformational change in their circumstances.
Nana Yaw Sarpong,
London UK
07983302369
