President John Mahama
It is nothing but an impertinent boldness that can drive an elected president to chastise his subordinates for expressing their grievances over the harsh socio-economic standards of living.
This periodical thus seeks to deconstruct how President Mahama and his NDC government flagrantly dishonoured social contracts they entered with Ghanaians prior to 2008 and 2012 general elections.
The fact of the matter is that President Mahama and his NDC Party beseeched the electorates to give them the electoral mandate, and in return, they guaranteed everyone protection of life, property, provision of social amenities, better socio-economic standards of living and to a certain extent liberty.
Subsequently, President Mahama and his NDC Party gave a slew of Manifesto promises, including ‘making dumsor a thing of the past, putting money in Ghanaians pocket, creating more jobs for the jobless, stabilising the economy, protecting Ghanaians from the menaces of galamsey and Fulani herdsmen, bringing an end to dubious judgement debt payments, fighting the rampant sleaze and corruption, working with ‘lean’ government, getting rid of the filth in Accra within 100 days, introducing free SHS, implementing one-time NHIS premium etc.
Apparently, the good people of Ghana bought into NDC Party’s Manifesto promises and then gave them the needed electoral mandate in the 2008 and 2012 general elections. It was then left with President Mahama and his government to honour their part of the social contract by implementing their Manifesto promises.
It is important to note that social contract is an important aspect in human existence. Social contract theorist, Thomas Hobbes, for example, observed: “Man has a natural desire for security and order”. “In order to secure self-protection and self-preservation, and to avoid misery and pain, man entered into a contract.
“This idea of self-preservation and self-protection are inherent in man’s nature and in order to achieve this, they voluntarily surrendered their rights and freedoms to some authority by this contract, who must command obedience.
“As a result of this contract, the mightiest authority is to protect and preserve their lives and property”.
Although President Mahama and his NDC Party promised prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections that they were going to put money in Ghanaians pockets, they turned their back on the electorates after clasping the ultimate power.
All the same, the impoverished Ghanaians rightly queried President Mahama over his failed promise. President Mahama then bizarrely turns round and replies: ‘there is no president on this planet (earth) that will physically put cash in people’s pockets’ (See: ‘No president will put money in your pocket’-Mahama; atinkaonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 13/10/2016).
Dear reader, tell me, if this does not amount to dishonesty, what is it then? Since when did President Mahama and his NDC government realise that it’s not the government that will put money in people’s pockets?
Again, President Mahama and his government failed abysmally to provide the youth of Ghana the jobs they promised in their Manifesto. The youth wondered why. His Excellency President Mahama shockingly retorts: ‘where are your employable skills and qualifications? So don’t you lots know that you lack the requisite employable skills and qualifications?
If you may also recall, the NDC Party promised not to pay any dubious judgement debt. However, they went ahead and paid dubious judgement debt in a tune of over GH850million to people who had no entitlement, including the dubious payment to Wayome.
As a matter of fact, the mass degradation of our rural areas by the recalcitrant illegal miners is outrageous, so it was a welcome news when President Mahama and his NDC Party promised to thwart the activities of the illegal miners. Nevertheless, President Mahama failed to honour his promise once again.
Apparently, President Mahama is wholly unaware of the seriousness of the destruction in our rural areas, hence his inexorable refusal to circumscribe the activities of the unscrupulous illegal miners.
Besides, President Mahama and his NDC government promised strongly that they were going to get rid of the filthy conditions in the streets of Accra within 100 days. They failed to do so. Ghanaians complained and they lividly retorted: stop being a nation of whiners. Filth has been in existence since Adam’s era. It cannot be cleared in just 100 days.
Interestingly, NDC Party pledged wholeheartedly to make ‘dumsor’ a thing of the past if voted into power. Ironically, however, the dumsor got worse as compared to former President Kufuor’s era.
The good people of Ghana rightly demanded answers as to why President Mahama has failed to bring the dumsor under control.
President Mahama then rapped: you whiners, why don’t you put a stop to your useless complaints. “I have said time and time again that am not going to manage the dumsor as done by my short-sighted predecessors, but am actually going to fix it”.
Ironically, however, President Mahama is yet to fix the dumsor. The dumsor continues to cripple hundreds of businesses. The dumsor has indeed contributed to Ghana’s economic downslide.
Even though President Mahama and his NDC government pledged to implement one-time NHIS premium, they shockingly reneged on their promise.
The good people of Ghana then rightly sought explanations. President Mahama and his NDC apparatchiks retorted impertinently: one-time NHIS premium is not done anywhere on this planet of ours. How bizarre?
Bizarrely, after succeeding to shoot down Nana Akufo Addo and his NPP’s campaign promise of free SHS, President Mahama and his NDC Party hastily turned round and promised to implement free SHS policy. Unsurprisingly, though, they failed once again to fully implement the tentatively thought-through policy.
Ghanaians rightly sought answers from President Mahama. President Mahama and his strident communicators then replied Ghanaians rudely: ‘Is half a loaf not better than none?
In fact, President Mahama and his NDC Party were all over the place with their numerous campaign promises. Unsurprisingly, however, they entered into ‘Fulani herdsmen politics.
Consequently, they promised the good people of Asante Akyem Agogo District that if voted into power in the 2012 general election they were going to do everything in their power to stop the menace of the Fulani herdsmen.
Nevertheless, President Mahama and his government reneged on their promise. The good people of Agogo demanded answers. President Mahama and his NDC apparatchiks then cheekily responded: we are all the same in the eyes of God, so let’s tolerate each other.
It would also be recalled that the NDC Party told Ghanaians back in 2008 that the NPP government under President Kufuor had sunk the economy into the mire, so Ghanaians should give the NDC Party the opportunity to put the economy back on track.
Unfortunately, however, the available evidence shows that the NDC government under President Mahama has actually managed to worsen the socio-economic standards of living.
Yes, there is an unobjectionable evidence of irreversible incompetence on the part of President Mahama and his NDC government. For example, according to Dr Bawumiah, in the last seven and half years alone under this NDC government, Ghana’s total debt has ballooned from GH¢9.5 billion to a projected GH¢110 billion by the end of September 2016.
This means that 90% (i.e. GHC99.5 billion) of Ghana’s total debt since independence has been accumulated under this NDC government from 2009-2015 i.e. the last seven and half years.
All the same, when the good people of Ghana decide to express their grievances over the never ending harsh economic conditions, President Mahama and his vociferous communicators would go berserk: aren’t we transforming lives by building roads, hospitals, schools, toilets, water facilities and many other social infrastructural projects?
Regrettably, however, most of the projects aren’t up to the required standards, albeit they are often overpriced. The Minister for Local Governments, Collins Dauda would attest to such assertion. He has previously complained over the NDC’s poorly constructed projects.
Amazingly, however, when ordinary people complained about the poorly constructed roads in Kumasi, President Mahama would angrily respond: ‘You ungrateful lots, you would never even be appreciative if I constructed your roads with gold’.
The fact of the matter is that President Mahama and his non-performing appointees are refusing to appreciate that exemplary governance is not all about putting up numerous infrastructural projects.
Apparently, superlative governance goes beyond the provision of social infrastructural and amenities. As a matter of fact, praiseworthy governance also involves continuous improvement of socio-economic standards of living.
Nevertheless, the good people of Ghana are experiencing economic hardships. President Mahama has failed abysmally to improve upon Ghana’s economic fortunes.
As a matter of fact, President Mahama and his NDC government have irrevocably collapsed the hitherto thriving economy.
K. Badu, UK.
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