Government's 47% performance threat to opposition party-ACEP

Executive Director at Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) Mohammed Amin Adams said opposition parties in the country must sit up since government’s 47% could be a threat to their chances in the 2016 election

Mr Amin Adams said no party in government can achieve a 100 percent score and if the NDC is able to achieve at least 70 percent at the end of the year that will be a remarkable performance for President John Mahama

The John Mahama administration scored 47% for its overall performance over the past two and a half years, according to an IMANI Ghana assessment report.

According to the policy think tank, the score is a “satisfactory” performance but there is more room for improvement before the four-year term ends.

IMANI Ghana came to the 47% conclusion after assessing the 2012 manifesto of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) as against the actual work on the ground.

IMANI Ghana evaluated the rate of execution of the programmes and projects stated in the manifesto and identified the gaps that need to be bridged over the next year and a half before the 2016 election.

Government in a statement welcomed IMANI assessment report on its performance, but believes the approach and methodology were “flawed.”

The statement which was signed by the deputy minister of communication Felix Kwakye Ofosu said: “It is obvious from the presentation that there was inadequate engagement between IMANI and Government agencies such as to allow for them to access all the information and data required to do a comprehensive and thorough assessment of progress on our manifesto commitments.”

However Mr Amin Adams said the 47% in two and half years is pretty good and if the NDC is able to achieve 70% by the end of next year then the other political parties will be in danger

“Even at 47% assuming NDC doesn’t make any further achievement President Mahama could still be a truly competitive candidate in the next election, so for me the other parties should sit up if they really want to have a competitive election” he admonished.

He said micro economic issues and the energy crisis may not provide the foundation for the other parties to compete effectively because infrastructure is ongoing in rural areas and social services education going on the rural areas and more of the voter population is in the rural communities

“If the energy sector is addressed somehow you will see the NDC becoming very strong in the next election and so for the NPP in particular I think that this should be a clarion call on them to put their infighting behind them and to unite to make the next election very competitive otherwise it will be a dream for them” he said.

Mr Amin Adams said he is optimistic that the energy crisis will end at the end of the year adding that “they (NDC) have outlined an energy programme to end the crisis and if they religiously implement it the energy problem will be solved”.