Ghanaians still prefer NPP over NDC – UG research

Majority of Ghanaians are satisfied with President Akufo-Addo’s first year in office, a research conducted by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana has revealed.

According to the research, the government’s Free SHS policy received the highest ratings followed by the fight against illegal mining [galamsey], the restoration of teachers and nurses’ trainees allowance among others.

“We can see that once government is working and getting things done citizens also appreciate. But of all these… the most popularly policy has to do with the Free Senior High School,” said Dr. Bossman Asare, Head Political Science Department, University of Ghana.

“Many voters indicated that they thought it was a very…very good thing and really identified with it,” he added.

On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Asare continued, “Although the NHIS for example is not so perfect we heard the voters making very clear that they thought that it has seen some revival.”

As a result, he said, “The government’s popularity is almost 62.1 percent [and] what this actually means that the government’s popularity is ok but can be better than that. So this should tell you that maybe there are still some issues Ghanaians want the government should address.

Gov’t has been faithful – Hamid

In a separate development, the Minister of Information Mustapha Hamid said the Akufo-Addo-led administration has performed creditably.

Speaking on Morning Starr, Wednesday, 10 January 2018, Mr. Hamid noted the New Patriotic Party (NPP) while in opposition made campaign promises and has delivered to the satisfaction of Ghanaians in general.

“We’ve been faithful to our manifesto promises and I’m proud,” Mr. Hamid told host Francis Abban.

According to him, the first year out of four of Akufo-Addo’s first term was used to lay the right foundation for a grand take off in 2018.

“We’ve done the reconstruction very well. It was a year of rebuilding our foundation. Many Ghanaians appreciate what we have done and we have made certain interventions which are touching lives,” the Information Minister stated.

He cited government’s flagship Free SHS education programme, the fight against galamsey and the school feeding programme among others as examples to buttress the achievements of the one year-old government.

“We have brought relief to many people with the Free SHS policy. We have cleared about Gh¢1.2bn of NHIS debt and school feeding caterers have been paid, and monies that were owed soldiers over $17m in peacekeeping matters have been cleared, we have retooled the Ghana Police Service if you like, and these are all issues that touched on the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian,” Mr. Hamid stressed.

On his part, a former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Dr Michael Kpessa Whyte, said he expects the government to do more judging from its promises while in opposition.

He advised the government to “do more of listening rather than being defensive. The good work of the government speaks for itself. It doesn’t need to be shoved down people’s throats.

Dr. Whyte condemned government’s “lame duck attitude” in dealing with the numerous instances of vigilantism in the country.

“The vigilantism is a scar on our democracy 25 years down the line with our growth,” he emphasised.