By Kwadwo Poku
For the past couple of weeks, columnists as well as commentators who are
grammatically dexterous than yours truly have waxed eloquent on the cataclysmic
announcement of the recent fuel price hikes by the Mills led administration. They've
theorized and have brought to bear the sufferings of our love ones back home by our
unscrupulous politicians, so there will be no need for a redundant piece on the
subject. But to illuminate by way of an addendum to the subject, is to point out the
real motive behind the price hikes. Kufuor's administration was equally guilty in
this regard. They also used the same previous administration's left behind debt
excuse. I quite remember after hiking fuel price by nearly 100% in 2003, one of
Kufuor's ministers urged clergymen to educate their flocks by likening taxes to
tithes. But, you see that was then. In the advent of the oil rich nation status that
God has favored us with, how do you justify this 30% price hike?
In his recent press conference, Mills came out with a tosh excuse when asked about
the price hikes. He said the NPP should apologize to the nation for leaving a debt
of 1.5 billion dollars, which as a result precipitated the price hikes. Mills,
please save this balderdash for your unborn grandchildren. Three weeks after the
commencement of productions at jubilee fields and a couple of days before the first
production was to be exported for sale, a hike on fuel price? What do you take us
for? Let us assume his reason for the price hike is plausible, but then the question
is begged to be asked why wait two years after assuming office to come out with this
cock and bull story. The BBC recently announced that Jubilee Fields is to net a
revenue of one billion dollars per annum for the nation. So where is the
justification for this painful act on the impoverished Ghanaian? But you see, like I
alluded earlier, there is a motive for this dastardly act. This is a tendentious
move on the part of the NDC to fool the nation, and I'm sorry to say this stratagem
may work.
About a year to six months prior to the 2012 elections, Mills will tell the nation
he's been able to pay off the deficit left by the NPP, and will reduce fuel prices
by 35-40%, but the sordid and morbid reality is that because political illiteracy
abounds in the nation, the gullible Ghanaian will buy this fiddle-de-dee and vote
the NDC back to power. They will be oblivious to the placation of the Mills
administration by their ignorance of government, and as a result will dance to the
ballot box for Mills. Let's not forget, Mills who wastes no time in letting the
world know how righteous and incorruptible he is, lied through his teeth when he
promised to reduce fuel prices during the presidential campaign. He portrayed
himself as one who identified and related to the sufferings of Ghanaians by
presenting NPP and Akufo Addo as being disconnected from the vicissitudes of the
nation.
Mills has proven to be a tax and spend President who's devoid of scruples for the
nation. After entrusting the entire nation in the hands of this self righteous man,
who from day one has been 'eyephonecating' for the Mo Ibrahim Presidential Award,
Ghanaians have become expendable to the NDC party, and are struggling whiles they
continue to live in uncertainty. Regardless of how one slices or dices it, Ghana
remains a poor nation, so a tax and spend style of governance will not work. In a
recent statistics released by Stanbic Bank, it was reported over 80% of the
population don't even have bank accounts, they live from hand to mouth. The economy
is over heated and it's become so expensive to survive. Today, you can not purchase
a decent house in Accra for a $100,000. A friend returned recently and lamented on
how costly things are and wondered how the average Ghanaian survives. This is
happening as the Mills led NDC, mortgages our oil money in the guise of building our
infrastructure. The loquacious Kwesi Pratt's comments were to the apropos when he
succinctly questioned whether we are to starve to death before the so called
infrastructure comes to fruition.
What ails no end is the fact that the price hikes are fastidiously geared towards
the 2012 elections. It is politically motivated to make Mills and the NDC look
good when prices drops before the next elections. But it's my utmost cry that
Ghanaians acknowledge the insensitivities on the part of this detached
administration. What a 'crude' awakening.
Kwadwo Poku N Y
