NPP failed before COVID and Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The blame game has taken over; the NPP holds COVID-19 responsible for the economic downturn despite the fact that it generated a lot of revenue for Ghana's economy to brag about.

One of their justifications, which has been promoted as if it were 'Russia- Ghana war', is the Russia-Ukraine war. Even if we blindly accept the NPP's claim about the impacts of the pandemic on the economy, the NPP still had a record of abject failure prior to these two events.   Agriculture saw growth of 6.1% in 2016–17, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service using 2013 as a base year, whereas the highest increase during the NPP administration prior to the events was 4.8% in 2017 to 2018.

The NPP decreased the crop growth, which was reported at 7.2%, to 5.8% in 2017–18 as it’s highest rate ever. The highest cocoa purchases since the fourth Republic were made under the NDC era. A total of 1,012,839 metric tons of cocoa were purchased in the annual crop season of 2010–2011 but only 69,510 metric tons were purchased in the annual crop season of 2016–17 (source: www.cocobod.gh).   John Mahama installed 874 megawatts additional power within 18 months, NPP made no energy investment in 2017 to 2018. Citizens who were drinking clean water in Ghana, in 2008 were 58%. At the time of John Mahama, those drinking clean water in Ghana increased to 76% of our population. In lieu of the NPP to add up, they rather reduced it drastically by mining in our water bodies which has denied many of those in the rural areas clean drinking water. 

NDC increased the number of pupils benefitting from the School Feeding Program (SFP) from 430,000 in 2008 to 1.7 million in 2014. The NPP assumed office and within the first two years pupil started crying out of hunger.   At the time of John Mahama, Ghanaians were living longer per the Human Development Report of an average of 63 years life expectancy in Ghana. On this composite index we were second only to cape Verde in West Africa and far ahead of other countries in the same sub region. The NPP reduced it to 55 years in their first two years.   Cocoa grew 9.2% under NDC in 2016 to 2017, but was reduced to 5.4% under NPP in 2018 to 2019. NDC achieved 5.7% livestock growth in 2016/17, whereas NPP achieved 5.4% in 2018/19. NDC reported 8.5% growth in fishing in 2014/15, whereas NPP reported only 1.7% growth in 2018/19 (source: www.statsghana.gov.gh).

Looking across industries, the overall highest performance was in 2016-17, when it grew by 15.7%, while the NPP reduced the growth by 10.6% in 2017- 18.   Manufacturing recorded 9.5% growth in 2016/17 but 6.3% was recorded in 2018/19. While electricity expansion grew 19.4% in 2016/17, the expansion recorded in 2018/19 was just 6.0 %. The water supply in Ghana grew by 13.9% in 2014/15, which was reduced to -4.4% in 2018/19. In construction, 2014/15 recorded a growth of 9.5%, while 2018/19 recorded a growth of -4.4%.  In the financial and insurance sectors, 2013/14 recorded the highest in Ghana's history of 21.4% as compared to 1.6% in 2018/19.

The data indicated that Ghana's GDP at basic prices recorded 8.4% growth in 2016/17 as compared to 6.5% in 2018/1. Ghana had the highest per capita GDP of US$2,434 as compared to US$2,212 in 2019 (source: www.statsghana.gov.gh).   Under John Mahama's era, infrastructures such as hospitals were built, more than 1,600 CHP were built. He also built the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, International Maritime Hospital, Bank of Ghana Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical Hospital. The Ridge Hospital as well was rehabilitated. Many others include the following were constructed;

Upper East Regional Hospital, Bolga

Upper West Regional Hospital, Wa

Abetifi District Hospital

Kumawu District Hospital

Ofankor District Hospital

Ashanti Regional Hospital, Sewua

Fomena District Hospital

Kumasi Military Hospital, Afare

Tepa District Hospital

Shai Osudoku District Hospital

Bekwai District Hospital

Takoradi European Hospital

Tamale Teaching Hospital Expansion   John Dramani Mahama constructed other infrastructures including Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport, 3 local airports, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and the Kasoa Main Interchange were completed.

Besides, numerous E-Blocks school buildings, housing projects, water projects, factories sand fiber network investments with small deficit while the NPP has nothing to show for the huge amount they borrowed within their first term.   There is no question that John Mahama has created the greatest infrastructure project in a brief period of time since Ghana's independence, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

The unfortunate aspect is that NDC built universities while NPP held office, but to our surprise, they are changing the names of the universities they did not build them to names they can not even mention.

Before you criticise this article, kindly remove the political lens then compare the amount of revenue accrued by each government. Also compare the amount of money borrowed by each government. Compare the state of the economic indicators and infrastructures.