The insipid social democratic badge

The government of the day peacocks itself as a dyed-in-the-wool social democrat with respect to its political ideology. That is, they are for, by and with the masses in a selfless bid to promote the bien-etre of the hoi polloi of the land. That, in fact, for my money is true on paper.

However, can they (the President and his appointees) beat their overblown chest truthfully to convince the majority of the poor who voted for them that they have introduced a thriving social intervention policy that is ameliorating their deplorable plight? None that I know of; if I am wrong they should prove otherwise.

Mostly, what desperate government communicators and the President himself propagandise without failure in the media and other international platforms to justify their social democratic credentials are the distribution of free school uniforms, exercise books, pens, pencils and erasers. In plain truth, this act in my estimation is tantamount to mediocrity and a mundane gesture every government must demonstrate.

Even the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) which began with the noblest of intentions to bridge the North and South economic disparity has turned into a conduit for corrupt individuals within and without officialdom to fleece the nation of its scarce revenue. And the government of the day seems to treat its own corrupt officials and appointees embroiled in this saga with kid's gloves.

GYEEDA is now synonymous with crass corruption and the siphoning of state funds for the aggrandizement of nation wreckers. What has been the fruit of GYEEDA that inures to the benefit of the poor and vulnerable in the society? What successful module established so far under GYEEDA can be a testament to the positives inherent in this social intervention introduced by the NPP and rendered senile under the watch of the NDC?

Poor Abuga Pele, the scapegoat with garlands around his neck ready to be offered to cleanse the sins of the demigods who have for now narrowly escaped the bias and twisted arms of justice because of a self-styled unassuming tin god who wields executive power without formidable discretion. Mark my words; this legal battle will not yield the expected results let alone the retrieval of the huge funds squandered, which, when proper managed could have mitigated the soaring cost of living.

If the NDC and for that matter the government would want Ghanaians to consider them seriously as true social democrats, then it must place a tight rein on its reckless capital expenditure in order to retain the needed capital to accelerate sustainable economic strides. The country’s budget deficit for 2012 is a colossal 8.7 billion cedis totalling 12.1% of the country’s GDP. And this, in fact, is the highest ever in the country’s history (Source: Ghana’s economy on unsustainable path; budget deficit highest in history-Bawumia: www. myjoyonline.com)

The crux of the matter is, is there any palpable proof in terms of physical infrastructure to equal the huge deficit incurred? Government perhaps will do Ghanaians a great service if it publishes in detail how the 8.7 billion cedis deficit was disbursed to accelerate a holistic national growth.

If President Mahama and his governing council have any modicum of socialism left in them, then, they should evolve a concrete plan to deal with the ‘kayayei’ menace. Nana Akufo Addo suggested the building of hostels to accommodate them as most of them made the open air their homes when voted into office. Was it not the Mahama led administration and the NDC that rubbished Akufo Addo’s intention as only a mere political gimmick?

Beyond that, what have they done for the ‘kayayeis’? What is Nana Oye lithur proffering to mitigate the troubled lives of our brothers and sisters who find themselves in this dehumanising phenomenon? As expected, these kayayeis are multiplying in birth and migration. If government does not address this phenomenon swiftly, who knows the social cankers that will befall the country as a result of the influx of unskilled labour from the North to the South?

Nobody should misread my submission as hatred or what I have christened as ‘Kayaphobia’. These Kayayeis are Ghanaians in search of a better life. Nevertheless, economic conditions prevailing in the country are deplorable to the extent the few laborious low paying jobs are being chased by a teeming energetic unemployed youth.

Therefore, the nose dive sorry state of SADA and GYEEDA is a great source of worry. SADA and GYEEDA are now saddled with crass corruption, misapplication of funds and ill-planned projects. It appears SADA was a political key to unlock political fortunes for the NDC just like the one-time NHIS premium which is now an appendage of Ghana’s political history of unfulfilled promises.

In this regard, our economic revival remains a mirage if Anita Desooso and her ilk ignorantly but amply attribute the poor performance of the cedi against major currencies to the machinations of dwarfs and juju men. And by the same token, it will be politically immature for government to constantly blame the erstwhile NPP government for the current economic debacle.

Political propaganda does not build a nation; it only breeds deception and false sense of hope. Ghana’s economic woes will worsen if government does not detach itself from wishful thoughts and lofty cliches without committing itself to putting joy on the faces of the poor whom they claim to represent their interests. Ghanaians are to a large extent not lazy mentally and physically. We are malleable and very considerate.

The only missing link here is government’s apparent inability to create the enabling environment for the poor majority to realise their dreams. Due to high interests on loans (which is between 28% and 30%), securing a loan in Ghana now in order to start or cushion an infant industry or business is tantamount to offering one’s profits over to creditors for a long time.

I can only wish the ruling government well but the economy is not generating the much needed revenue to support President Mahama’s dream of constructing the over one hundred day Senior High Schools from this year. Fiscal discipline is needed to tighten the loose ends of the economy, which of course, must be done in tandem with other measures such as progressive industrialisation drive, widening the tax brackets and consolidating or improving on our modest gains in the agricultural sector to minimise the importation of rice, sugar and cooking oil.

Ghanaians deserve the best and the NDC government must step up its social interventions and policies to ameliorate the living standards of the poor they claim to have at heart. Enough of the rhetoric; more positive actions are needed.

SOURCE: OKOFO DARTEY SAMUEL

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