Kufuor’s NPP - So So Lies

Kufuor's government is not capable of speaking the Truth. This is the groundswell of opinion making the rounds all over the country today. Ask any hundred Ghanaians today if they believe what they hear from Mr. Kufuor and his associates- the overwhelming majority will tell you that they have no faith whatsoever in the veracity of the Kufuor led government. The people of Accra have summed this opinion up in the Ga words- Amaleeeee sooooonnnng, meaning, Lies all over.

This emerging characterization of the Kufuor regime has come about as a result of a persistent pattern of official lies that have been continuously peddled since the regime was inaugurated in January 2001.

Even though, many discerning Ghanaians had a fair idea of the lying capacity of the Kufuor group because of the obviously false promises they made while in opposition, there were still very many who would not believe that any group of politicians could so perfect the act of political deception.

For these, the first awakening came, when within a week of his inauguration, Mr. Kufuor who had earlier been vociferous about the illegality of military coups went over to Togo to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the coming into power of one of the world's most brutal and bloody dictators. When, shocked Ghanaians, questioned the raison d'etre of that action, the regime immediately put out the blatant lie that the President was not aware that the visit was going to coincide with the bloody anniversary.

Another rude shock came when expectant Ghanaians were plainly told not to expect the NPP to fulfil all the promises made during the electioneering campaign but only those promises that were specified in the party's manifesto. It would be recalled that throughout the run up to the 2000 elections, the party at no point ever disassociated itself from the myriads of promises that were being made by all including its candidate Mr. Kufuor and running mate Aliu Mahama. For instance, Aliu Mahama was on record to have stated emphatically the following: "The first thing that the NPP will do is to abolish the cash and carry system", emphasis ours- source: Daily Graphic, October 12th 2000. We are now only some 5 months to the end of Kufuor's term but still the cash and carry is still here. Never mind the recent desperate electoral gimmicks about scrapping the system.

When the people of Ghana demanded the fulfillment of the cash and carry promise, the regime quickly retorted that what they promised was not an immediate scrapping but an eventual one. And Aliu Mahama was quiet through all this. He did not have the minimum moral courage to own up to the deceit he perpetrated on the people of Ghana. And he today is championing the campaign for discipline in the country; how very intriguing- but then that is Kufuor's NPP for you.

No single day has passed since the NPP came to power that the Ghanaian people were not treated to one copious lie or another. The regime from its leader through the party officials have so continuously lied that space will not permit to treat all that in this one piece. The Lens will therefore very soon start serializing a detailed catalogue of these blatant lies for the benefit of its numerous readers so that everyone can fully understand why the Kufuor regime is being rightly referred to as- SO SO LIES- in almost every nook and cranny of the nation.

The recent blatant lies about Ghana being no longer a HIPC country, and that the NPP regime has not increased the rate of the VAT are only the latest confirmation that Mr. Kufuor and his team cannot stop lying. Having lied their way to power they are absolutely convinced that they can continue to Con Ghanaians with their coq and bull pack of lies. But it is obvious that this time round, Ghanaians have seen through the ruse and subterfuge and they will point this out to them in due course.