Justification for Fix It if broken, Different from FixTheCountry

I have heard many agitators and some political personalities making the argument that President Akufo-Addo must also FixTheCountry as they believe the economic situation has become harder for Ghanaians, simply because,

when he, Nana Akufo-Addo was the leader of the biggest opposition party in 2009, challenged President Mills to "Fix it" if he claimed the economy he inherited from President Kufour was broken.

I must put it on record that, I personally have no issues whatsoever to see some colleague Ghanaians calling on govt to Fix some presumed broken parts of The Country. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

However, some concerns I have, which a lot of people have also expressed are that, why is it that some known voices appear to have now found a ground in this call of FixTheCountry, to rather exhibit their real frustration, anger and disappointment for losing the 2020 general glections? This, in my view, doesn’t make the FixTheCountry call genuine!

Now let's find out, what are the issues being raised in the call to FixTheCountry agitation? I think, we need to understand the issues raised clearly, interrogate them fairly and analyse them holistically by every open-minded and peace-loving Ghanaian to see Ghana Fixed beyond aid.

Therefore, it is expected that, reasonable arguments & conscientious debates should be made, focusing on the realities and facts, not the current disposition of the purported neutrals, fronting the agitation with their arguments engulfed in hatred and extreme aversion, bearing the remembrance of propaganda and dishonesty.

It is a fact that, Nana Akufo-Addo, once upon a time, justifiably challenge his opponent, President Mills to fix the economy if he claims the economy inherited was a broken one. However, re-echoing the 'Fix It' comment must consider the suitability and the essence.

If readers can recall, in 2009 when Prof Mills assumed the Presidency, he consistently and purposely played some serious unreasonable politics/propaganda with the state of Ghana's economy, by vehemently claiming that he inherited a broken economy from President Kufour. That ardent claim did not sit well in the minds of many economic experts and political pundits, and here's why.

When President Kufour took over the governance of the economy in 2001, the annual GDP growth was 3.7%, as reported by World Bank. Then the team put together by President Kufour consistently grew the size of Ghana's economy to admiration of the world, and handed over an annual GDP growth of 9.1% in 2008, to President Mills (from 3.7% to 9.1% in eight years). How could such a buoyant economy be described as a broken one?

Wherefore, there was no way anyone without malicious intentions could reasonably and justifiably claim to have inherited a broken economy which was growing at a rate of 9.1% annually. That did not make any economic sense!

From this backdrop of a healthy economy being described as broken one, drove Nana Akufo-Addo to ask President Mills to FIX IT, if he insistently claim to have inherited a broken economy. That, was a perfect answer by Nana Akufo-Addo at that time, considering the economic situation been turned into propaganda.

Now, juxtaposing the GDP growth rate of 9.1% in 2008 to the growth rate of 3.4% handed over by President John Mahama in 2016, isn't President Akufo-Addo, who should have been in a better position to complain that he inherited a broken economy in 2017? He didn't lament, he rather set in motion to grow the economy from 3.4% to 6.5% in 2019, before Covid-19 pandemic struck. Splendid performance.

Now, let's fast forward the 2009 economic situation to that of Covid-19 pandemic economic situation in 2020, which has manifestly caused every healthy economy in the world to plummeted, causing Ghana's GDP growth to crash, thus from 6 5% growth down to 1.1% in 2020. Can President Akufo-Addo's administration be blamed for this natural catastrophe?

This is the reality of the situation, a very serious economic situation that no serious country is playing politics or propaganda with theirs, in this tragic global economic meltdown. It will take the genius ones to be able bring the economy back to substantially normal level in shortest possible time.

Now, assuming John Mahama had won 2020 elections, after Covid-19 effect with Ghana's GDP growth of 1.1% in 2020, how would he have described the situation, thus if Prof Mills was able describe a GDP growth rate of 9.1% as a broken economy?

This is a real economic issue which every reasonable Ghanaian should be worried about, not just cacophonic noise to FixTheCountry. This situation, isn't the doing of President Akufo-Addo or Dr Bawumia or Ken Ofori-Atta, but natural catastrophe - Covid-19 pandemic effect. This shall also pass.

Respectfully, I think those who seems to take the liberty to describe this dire-economic situation as "Culture of Silence" should rather make good analysis of the issues, and tell us the alternative solution so that we can all openly interrogate it.

I am highly confident in NPP govt, and I believe the President's comment still resonate very well today that, “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life.”

Let's FixTheCountry together!!

Ing. Peter Antwi Boasiako.

London, UK.