This world, my brethren, is not fair, is it?

Ideally, in a fairly stable democracy such as ours, governments pop in and out, and given the political dynamics in Ghana, it is a trend we can expect to continue for a very long time.

The crucial question discerning Ghanaians should be asking then is: should we repose trust in every political party to form a government with an excuse of steering the nation to the right direction?

You may agree to disagree, dearest reader, but the fact remains that the vast majority of unhappy Ghanaians voted against the NDC and Ex-President Mahama in the 2016 election largely due to the unresolved business crippling dumsor, the much-publicised incompetence and the alleged sleazes and corruption which brought untold miseries upon Ghanaians.

Take, for example, the late Mills left a sound economic growth of 14% and Mahama reversed it to 3.4%; the late Mills left the agricultural growth of 7.4% and Mahama dragged it to 2.5%; the late Mills single-digit inflation was reversed to 15.4%; GDP of $47 billion shrunk to $40 billion by Mahama.

Delightfully, however, the stunted economic growth and the business crippling dumsor under the erstwhile Mahama administration have since been brought under control by the NPP government under the able leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Indeed, discerning Ghanaians were extremely concerned when out of unpardonable dereliction of duty and unbridled corruption, Ghana’s debt ballooned dramatically from GH9.5 billion in 2009 to an incredible GH122.4 billion as of December 2016 with a little to show for.

But in spite of the seemingly insuperable odds, since assuming power, the Akufo-Addo’s government has taken commendable strides to improve the social mobility gap through implementation of poverty reduction policies such as free SHS, one district one factory, one million dollars per constituency, tax reductions, a dam per village in the northern part of Ghana, among others.

It would appear that some politicians do not care about the plight of the masses; they only scramble for power in order to pursue their vested interests.

I have always insisted that governance is a serious business and as such it requires a forward-thinking, serious and committed group of people to bring about the needed advancement.

Nevertheless, it has not always been the case in Ghana’s democratic ambience. The emergence of multi-party democracy has given birth to both purposeful and playful political parties. As a result, we have over the years been electing dreadful economic managers who cannot see their backsides from their elbows.

Unfortunately, we have cunning politicians in our midst whose preoccupation is to manipulate their way into power regardless.

Yes, some of our politicians are cunning lots who are ever so desperate to secure power for their own vested interests. Suffice it to stress that they would do everything to win power and then turned their back on almost all their promises.

Dearest reader, if you may remember, former President Mahama and his NDC government failed to end the dumsor, failed to implement the one-time NHIS premium, jobs were not readily available for the jobless, the economy sunk deeper and deeper into the mire, they reneged on their promise to keep ‘lean’ government, Ghanaians became poorer and poorer, sleazes and corruption escalated to immeasurable proportions, endless borrowings amongst others.

Somewhat unfairly, the brassbound NDC faithful who are currently enjoying uninterrupted electricity, reductions in electricity tariffs, low inflation, tax reductions, favourable economic growth, gargantuan savings on free SHS, amongst others would have the temerity to censure the NPP administration for doing everything possible to fix the mess left by the erstwhile NDC administration.

Take my word for it, dearest reader, Ghana under the erstwhile NDC administration, so to speak, went into economic meltdown which regrettably brought to pass harsh socio-economic standards of living.

In all these, it would be somewhat unreasonable and unfair for anybody to suggest that to err is human, and therefore former President Mahama and NDC must be given another chance at the presidency.

In fact, the NDC loyalists cannot convince some of us into accepting that they can manage our scarce resources better when they carelessly paid a purported GH800 million dubious judgment debt, including the GH51.2 million to Woyome, $30 million to the Waterville and $325,000 to Isofoton which resulted in the drastic reduction of capital expenditure and as a consequence, most contractors were not paid by the erstwhile NDC administration.

Where is the fairness when former President Mahama’s brother, Ibrahim Mahama, nearly evaded import taxes to the tune of GH12 million?

How can the NDC operatives boast of excellence in economic management when they wilfully misapplied $175 million loan facility secured in 2012 which was meant to provide seven district hospitals?

Let us admit, NDC cannot boast of excellence in financial management when over GH200 million SADA funds invested on trees burnt down and guinea fowls mysteriously flew to the nearby Burkina Faso without a trace.

In any case, dearest reader, the future is indeed looking bright under President Akufo-Addo, who against all odds, has managed to safeguard Ghana’s bauxite which Mahama’s administration shockingly decided to give away 58% to family and friends just about a week before exiting power.

Indeed, this world is not fair, my brethren. For if that was not the case, how can the same people who wilfully mess-up the economy through unbridled corruption and irreversible incompetence turn around and vow to move heaven and earth to return to power?

K. Badu, UK.

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