There is a certain fact and it’s this; The NDC has never cared about Ghanaians and never will. Why?? because they made so many promises, and have so far, failed to deliver. Of course it isn't the end of 4 years but their stumbling and bumbling governance makes it very unlikely.
They are also not listening. They aren't listening to you and they aren't listening to me. They think Ghanaians talk too much and moan about everything. But if you don't have a need, will you moan?? And if you do have a need, won't you like to know how and when the government will address it??
This is the same NDC that hiked up difficult economic conditions that it became very unbearable for Ghanaians in the years leading up to 2000. Let us not forget they had been in government for 19 years with their stagnated growth of 3.7% or thereabouts.
They left the economy in tatters and with a 41% inflation rate. When Dr. Tony Aidoo, a leading government official and passionate NDC man was asked about this, his response was, yes, when we came, we met 140% and if we brought it down to 41% or thereabouts, that has to be an achievement. He made this claim on TV3 or Metro TV ( Can’t quite remember which ) leading up to the 2008 elections. I cringed at that claim. And there was a reason why. That mess, was created by the AFRC and PNDC de facto governments put together. Under the so-called civilian NDC, they twisted in the knife. This same NDC is back! And guess what?? They will almost certainly leave us a mark. Dare I say, a very negative one.
First it told the country that the Kufuor government had sold all the gold at the Bank of Ghana. Later, it transpired that they had lied. They will not admit it openly except for Honourable Fiifi Kwettey to tell Ghanaians that they made a mistake. However, they have not apologised for that lie. We have been asking them to apologise. They have not. They have however put a spin on this, saying they got it wrong because they lifted the publication from somewhere. They also add that just as the CNN or any news channel that can get it wrong, they did as well. No listening to any Ghanaian and no apologising.
Next, they told Ghanaians they will be tough on corruption. Within months, Honourable Muntaka, until recently a Sports Minister in 2009, was found to have done misused state property and funds. He was eventually asked to step aside as a minister. Is that being tough on corruption?? Of course the issue is still before CHRAJ but we all know what will happen, if they had their way and "cleansed the judiciary" as it were. Please bear in mind that His Lordship Emile Short is of a Court of Appeal Judge rank.
Again, they told us that all ministers will declare their assets within 6 months. Unless time is frozen, this is 20 months and we are still waiting.
Then they vehemently opposed the purchase of 1 plane and accused His Excellency Ex-President Kufuor of being greedy and insensitive. Fact is, President Kufuor wasn't even waiting for the plane to use. He was thinking far ahead, a visionary who wanted what was best for Ghana and Ghanaians.
On the 7th October 2010, amidst all the suffering, strikes and general discontent in Ghana, the Vice President, expected to be telling Ghanaians that something will be done about their suffering told Ghanaians that not only will they not do anything about them, because Ghanaians moan too much, they will buy 8 planes between now and 2011 (http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2010/10/08/ghana-government-to-buy-eight-new-planes-by-2011/). In fact, he continues, "there's another one coming in from Brazil, the Embaya". Oh, so instead of 1, we can now buy 8?? Hhmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!
Are you the same person, who while the running mate to the then Presidential Candidate Mills made this statement in 2008;
" the $60 million that has been spent on the project so far, just for executive comfort, could have been used to provide water, electricity and roads for the ordinary Ghanaian."
Questions: Have these issues been resolved?? Are they not even worse under this NDC government?? So how come we are buying 8 when it’s worse, but 1 when it’s good?? And how come you can oppose and resort to name calling when it’s just 1 as opposed to 8? Does that mean, you will start calling yourselves (NDC) names just as you called His Excellency Ex-President Kufuor??
Is this a government that listens and cares??
Again they told Ghanaians that the Presidential palace was a waste of money. Today I dread to think where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have been housed temporarily when it lost its building through fire. Indeed, it’s a known fact that the President uses the Golden Jubilee House for ceremonial presidential activities. Hmmmmmmmmm!!!
This same government told us that it had created 1.6 million jobs for Ghanaians and yet their own foot soldiers were agitating for jobs. By their electoral share of the vote, that would have made it almost half of their members and "footsoldiers" had jobs!!! But they were agitating and fighting over toilets, buses and parks.
1.6 million jobs indeed!
I hope I have given you enough to ponder. The NDC doesn't care about Ghanaians and refuses to listen.
The truth is, we have a government in power that while in opposition, shouted the loudest but now in government, does nothing for the citizens. Utility prices are stuck high up but the government does nothing about it. Fuel prices are inching up and the government is doing nothing about it. There is a shortage of gas and the government had failed to anticipate this will happen. Then there is also the debacle of the new entrants to SHS and where to accommodate them and again, this government, failed to anticipate that too. There are serious social issues and the government is doing nothing about it.
It[NDC] moaned about the frequent travels of the previous president ( His Excellency Ex-President Kufuor) and now it is finding that travelling is necessary after all and that to get their $13 or so billion, the President needed to show his face! This is reality check and all that ignorant talk has sort of fizzled into nothingness.
In all their ignorance of governance, I expected them to eat humble pie and to apologise to Ghanaians, that indeed, they made a mistake. They have not!
A pride of your country means you had certain assets that befitted your country's status. So the presidential palace means Ghana is coming of age and needs its own rather than the slave castle by the seaside, bits of which may soon be overcome by the sea as the sea levels begin to rise. Psychologically, it continues to have an effect on us, that "slave" mentality. The NDC opposed this and called His Excellency Ex-President Kufuor greedy and selfish.
When His Excellency Ex-President Kufuor went for a plane, the country was stabler; it had the National Health Insurance Scheme that the NDC opposed and walked out of Parliament on, it had the School feeding program which was doing wonders to schools and both parent and pupil loved it, it had free maternal care for pregnant women which ensured that our pregnant mothers, sisters and daughters were given proper care from pregnancy to birth, it had the National Youth Employment scheme which gave employment to our youth and it had an economy that was doing very well and had expanded more than four-fold.
They were a start. In the early part of the Kufuor Administration, the country went HIPC and then implemented a robust Growth and Poverty strategy. By the end of 2004, Ghana was beginning to wean itself off of IMF loans.
Japan refused us financial assistance for going HIPC, but we were doing okay and our debt stock was appreciably very low.
However, what Ghanaians voted in [in 2008], has and still continues to have a very very turbulent journey. After all, they[NDC] left the economy in a mess in January 2001. In case we have all forgotten, it was Honourable Kwabena Duffour, the current Minister of Finance who was in charge of the Bank of Ghana. During his tenure, a lady walked away with $1.5million dollars, the Cedi went into free fall, the economy despaired and Ghanaians suffered. It was also on his clock that inflation rocketed.
We fixed it beginning in 2001, getting straight down to business, our people and Ghanaians patiently working and waiting with us to get things in a better shape and I am glad to say, we did it!
It all started going downhill when the NDC started making all these horrible noises shortly after they took power in 2009. Confidence began to weaken, prompting the Finance minister, Kwabena Duffour to warn that the economy hated noise or something to that effect.
Today, the NDC said it has stabilised the economy and things are better. However, prices are still very high and commodities unaffordable. People haven't been paid for 20 or more months and everything seems to be in a mess. Their own Dr. Tony Aidoo has warned them that single digit inflation is nothing to boast about if they can’t get the others right. For the first time, I agree with him. It is useless propaganda that the NDC is doing and they will do well to heed Dr. Tony Aidoo and by that extension, all Ghanaians.
Rather than governing and sorting the issues that bedevil our country, it thinks it is still in opposition and continues to use the same banter, that this squandered this, or that or the other. It forms groups like the Media Publicity Group, to rain invectives on honourable men of our society. It then goes ahead and forms AFRO, whose first salvo is to attack His Excellency Ex-President Kufuor. It pursues useless rumours and hearsays.
It then organises Press Conferences and accuses our Judges of dishonesty, when it is itself a very dishonest government, promising and failing to deliver??
In the absence of some tangible delivery, they have resorted to lies and threats. They have threatened to cleanse the judiciary and if anyone accuses them of interfering with the judiciary, they will take them on. What can be more treasonous than this?? Why on earth would an executive arm of a government want to interfere with the Judiciary except it wants to subvert the course of justice?? It is treasonous, but then the Attorney General thinks there is nothing wrong with it and dismisses the case. Very interesting. I am sure we live in interesting times.
They have also decided that they will borrow heavily against the new found wealth that we've acquired. Their intention is to repeat what they left us in 2001; more and more debt. This is just the beginning. Stabilising rates or reducing inflation is just some gimmick they have resorted to. As this is happening in the beginning, I don't have high hopes. I have seen it all before and would like to see the end.
At the end of their term, they will be leaving us some serious debt, no doubt and history, would have unpalatably, repeated itself again. The STX deal started it, then the Chinese loans. GOD knows what will happen next.
There is a neglect of schools, University lecturers and workers in general. A total abandon by the NDC government. There are strikes all over. Nurses are striking, Teachers are, students are and many workers are. This is the mark of a government that is in tatters. And Deputy Ministers like JS Annan and Rojo Mettle think all these strikers are not to be regarded.
They have taken indiscipline to a new level and regard. In fact, you earn a place in government by the level of your insults. The more derogatory they are, the higher you ascend.
In fact Rojo doesn't even realise he called some "stupid" for striking. These are Deputy Ministers who should be running a country rather than their mouths??
Are you a witness to all that is happening?? Would you trust the NDC again with country’s reins??
If they promised a little and failed to deliver, how can we trust them for the big things they have promised??
This is why we Ghanaians have to get serious and change our attitudes. "Liars" and threateners must not over stay their welcome, no they must not.
They must be shown the door and never be allowed near government until they have learnt to tell the truth and behaved. If in any doubt, here is a summary of what the NDC has given Ghana and they all border on the negative side of the divide and detrimental to our democracy;
1. locking up NHIS offices and exhibiting very threatening behaviour to staff
2. Seizing Cars at the port and distributing to cronies
3. Seizing Cars of former government officials with the pretext that
they belong to the state.
4. Sacking the so-called Kufuor Police and introducing Atta Police.
5. Beating up District Chief Executives
6. Increasing Water cost by 40% and Electricity by over 80%
7. Chasing regional minister in Kumasi
8. Buying pampers and sending girlfriends on state sponsored trips
9. Still doing propaganda by insulting eminent personalities
10. Threatening the Judiciary with "cleanising", "kill the cat", "interfere" and "take them on" comments.
11. Loosing cases at the courts because of an incompetent AG Dept.
12. Sacking of board members and heads of MDAs
13. No Gas!!
14. Presiding over general strikes by nurses, Lawyers, Lecturers and tutors
15. Shambolic accommodation requirements for new SHS students
16. Insulting Nurses and striking workers.
17. Creating phantom 1.6 million jobs
18. Seizing so-called Kufuor buses
19. Presiding over motor traffic accidents
20. Disrespecting the police service by refusing police invitation
21. Instituting dangerous factionalism within the NDC, a condition very dangerous for Ghana's democracy
22. Polarizing Ghana with tribal comments from people like Kakra Essamuah and co.
23. Clamping down on Press Freedom.
24. Clandestinely and nocturnally renaming national monuments and then disowning they did in daylight.
25. Creating constitutional crisis/power vacuum with the absences of both the President and Vice from Ghana all at once.
Having their record of 20 months governance to compare with is very good and now we can compare the difference between Kufuor and Mills. His Excellency President Mills, while a nice person presides over the most shambolic, ineffective and almost lame government Ghana has ever had. It is time for Ghanaians to say enough is enough and to "boot them out", to borrow His Excellency Ex-President Rawlings' words.
The NDC government is a Deaf one. It refuses to listen to its own people, the people who gave it the mandate. Now is the time. Our future as Ghanaians will not be sacrificed on the altar of political deafness and incapability.
NDC must go...! NDC must go...!! NDC will go!!!
Kwaku Nkansah, Member of NPP Communications Committee ( Kwaku Nkansah was the CPP Parliamentary candidate for Offinso North in the 2008 elections and has been a member of the NPP since mid 2009. He can be reached on kwakunkansahnpp@yahoo.com or 0248 706 143. The opinions expressed above are mine and should not be mistaken for party position)
