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This NDC Government Must be Fired

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 Source: Sefah, Prince Ofosu

for Putting Selfish Interests above the Nation's & for the Being the Worst Government Ever

So, it came to pass that the President was not well after all. Even the Founder of the NDC himself confirmed that the President could barely work on his presidency for 3 hours per day! Whoa! I cannot seem to survive my workload in my relatively easy job by working less than 10 hours on average per day. There were also rumors regarding the poor state of the president’s eye sight and hearing. Contrary to the nonsense about undue criticism of the former president by the opposition, it is really the NDC leadership which should be ashamed for lying about the President’s health, knowing well that it severely impacted his ability to discharge his duties for the sake of the people of Ghana and even trying to put him up for another 4 years. So, what motivated the NDC leadership to perpertrate this scheme?

There is little doubt that this NDC government is the worst government ever and that the Better Ghana Agenda is truly the Bitter Ghana Agenda. But, led by Caretaker President John Mahama, the NDC government is trying to use the death of President Mills to magically turn this government into some kind of a high performing one. They have so politicized the former President’s death, sidelining President Mills’ mentor – President Rawlings, ignoring the Leader of the main opposition NPP – Nana Akufo-Addo and even sideling the dead President’s son’s at crucial points of his burial ceremony that Ghanaians will be appalled by these actions. This approach definitely is not going to win them any sympathy votes, as the dust settles. The NDC wishes but cannot change the facts of their non-performance with sympathies for the dead president.

The fact remains that this is the worst borrower as a government ever. In about three years, they took about $10 billion in total national debt as inherited from all previous governments hitherto and ballooned the debt stock to nearly $30 billion, with little substantive projects to show for it. They tripled or quadrupled the cost of some routine government projects such as the cost of primary school construction within one term. Some of the stuff that have happened during this regime such as the Woyome scandal will result in the impeachment/resignation of the president in virtually any advanced democracy and a virtual certainty that the government will lose power as soon as possible. The precipitous devaluation of the cedi is unacceptably bad for inflation and investments in the country. The failure to chalk any major initiative is also a bad mark on this government. The failed and ill-conceived and rushed STX project is a clear example, coincidentally led by our Caretaker President, John Mahama. The inability to fulfill the many campaign promises such as to charge one-time premiums for NHIS only serve to remind the people of the abject failure of this government.

Anyhow, how perhaps could we expect any Better Ghana Agenda with a President who was unfortunately dealing with such physical ailments? The NDC leadership knew the president’s health challenges and its impact on him and therefore in the discharge of his duties but for selfish and expediency reasons lied from the beginning to the end of the President’s quest to seek the presidency again in 2008 and through his death. It is unconscionable that the NDC leaders will endorse the president for a second term when they knew his current challenges to discharge his duties. Fortunately, these liars could not continue when nature finally called them to account on July 24th and called the President to eternal peace. Now, this same group of people will be going before the people to ask for their trust to run this country some more. I say to that, let the people not reward lying and renew their trust in such national deceivers come December 7th.

Finally, comes the worst parts. Why did the NDC lie to the people to this extent? To this question, I offer 3 reasons. 1. They felt that the President, running for re-election gave them their best shot at winning in 2012. Of course, most of them knew that chances were overwhelming that the President could not continue for long in his second term but heck, as long as they win, they could care less how deceptive they were in presenting a man who will likely give up the seat to which the people elect him soon after winning it, if he does win. Damn even the President’s own health, in the pursuit of power. 2. Many of the appointees of the President feared losing their own positions if the President resigned. 3. Worst of all, I believe that many appointees were able to do whatever they literally wanted while the President was unwell. I always wondered why the President allowed so many to do whatever they wished without punishment. Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that the President’s health may have made it highly risky for him to fire people in the know who could go public and do real damage to the regime by telling the sad truth.

The people of Ghana need to fire the NDC government on December 7th; for their leaders putting their selfish interests above that of the nation, in how they lied to the people and fabricated schemes to deceive the people while the President was unwell and could not fully discharge his duties and for the resultant worst governmental performance in Ghana’s history.

Prince Ofosu Sefah. Toronto.

Columnist: Sefah, Prince Ofosu