With half of Ghana’s workforce illiterate and millions of capable workers unemployed, millions homeless, and a housing deficit of 1,000,000 and growing by 100,000 each year.
Economic growth has been jobless and uneven and has benefitted only a handful of people and companies. Inequality has grown in our country and diminishing economic opportunity has led to an unprecedented increase in crime with robberies in particular up 224% since 2000.
Child mortality has worsened with the number of children who die before their first birthday has risen over the last 10 years. The number of women who die in childbirth has increased from 186 per every 100,000 live births in 2004 to 244 per 100,000 live births in 2007 – this means that 200 more women die each year in childbirth that in 2004.
Our quality of life has declined as life expectancy has fallen from 63.1 years in 1999 to 58.5 in 2006. Prospects and a future for over 1000,000 of our thirteen year olds have been ended prematurely as they have been thrown out of our education system after failing the BECE.
These are the important issues confronting most Ghanaians and our beloved country and thus many are puzzled by the relentless pace at which foreign governments continue to thank President Kufuor for this failure.
Many Ghanaians are beginning to ask a number of questions:
• Should foreign governments judge the performance of Ghana Governments and Presidents?
• Should endorsement by Foreign Governments guide Ghanaian governments.
• Do foreign governments have the welfare of ordinary Ghanaians at heart?
• Why are these foreign governments seeking to interfere and influence the Ghanaian elections?
The Queen of England, the Queen of the Netherlands, President Bush, The German Chancellor, the French also got in on the act, some universities and off course President Kufuor has awarded himself the highest honour of the land.
Our view on these matters is that foreign governments should stop meddling in our affairs and in our elections.
The CPP position has also always been that – “ We shall measure our progress by the improvement in the health of our people; by the number of children in school, and electricity in our towns and villages and by the happiness which our people take in being able to manage their own affairs. The welfare of our people is our chief pride, and it is this that...” we will ask to be judged.
We believe therefore that the welfare of Ghanaians should be the greatest honour for any Ghanaian President and not the endorsements by foreign governments.
For more on the CPP’s New Vision for Ghana visit www.conventionpeoplesparty.com
Forward Ever Communications Directorate – www.cppuk.org cppyouth@gmail.com
