Discover Akufo Addo's Accomplishments And Decide If It Is Worth Spending Public Funds To Celebrate Ghana's Independence This Year

On March 6, 1957, after Ghana gained its independence from Britain, Nkrumah said in part of his speech, "Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent." Unexpectedly, decades after Ghana's independence, the country is still crawling like a baby.

The serious political and economic crises Ghana is currently experiencing are reflections of Nkrumah's remark since the country's independence seems pointless because Ghana is still unable to support itself, despite all the rich resources, including gold, diamond, oil discovery, and its agricultural products.

Many Ghanaians claim that it was fruitless to fight for freedom because the country hasn't made any meaningful progress decades after winning its independence, making the question of whether it was worth our leaders' time to fight for independence at all.

Through divisive strategies like tribalism, jealousy, hate, and hypocrisy, a section of Ghanaians has buried one of Africa's great leader's efforts. We must look deeply at what Kwame Nkrumah accomplished after independence or before his overthrow.

If Nkrumah was right when he claimed that Ghana's independence has no significance unless it is connected to the complete freedom of Africa, then the celebration of our independence has no significance either because Ghana has failed as a country under the NPP administration.

Education Sector
Senior High Schools:
Under the Ghana Education Trust policy, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah built several Senior Secondary (High) Schools including Mfantsiman Girls’ Secondary School, Ghana National College of Cape Coast, Ofori Panyin Secondary School, Techiman Secondary School, Winneba Secondary School, Swedru Secondary School, Apam Secondary School, Dormaa Secondary School, Tema Secondary School, Oda Secondary School, and the Labone Secondary School.

Colleges of Education:
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah also built Colleges of Education including Kwadaso College of Education, Atebubu Training College, Berekum Training College, Fosu Training College, and the Enchi Training College.

Universities and Technical Institutes:
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, during his presidency, made the University of Ghana (then University College of Gold Coast affiliated to the University of London) a full-fledged university to award its degrees and became its first chancellor.

He also built the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Institute of African Studies, Kwame Nkrumah Institute of Economics and Political Science (now the south campus of UEW), Ajumako School of Languages (now under UEW), Kumasi Technical Institute (now a University) and Accra Polytechnic (now Accra Technical University).

Health Sector

• Dr. Kwame Nkrumah built the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (previously Kumasi central hospital).
• He made Korle Bu a teaching hospital and expanded its capacity by constructing the Medical, Maternity, Surgical, and Child Health blocks.
• He established the Ghana Medical School.
• He made Medical care free to all citizens.
• He established GIHOC pharmaceuticals.
• He also built several hospitals and clinics.

Factories and Industries
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah built the following factories and industries. Most of them are no more in operation.

• Abosso Glass Factory
• Zuarungu Meat Factory
• Wenchi Tomato Factory
• Kade Match Factory
• Akosombo Textiles Limited
• Kumasi Shoe Factory
• Pwalugu Tomato Factory
• Asutuare Sugar Factory
• Komenda Sugar Factory
• Kumasi Jute Factory
• Nsawam Cannery, Brick and Tile Factory
• Tarkwa Bonsa Tyre Factory
• Bolgatanga Meat Processing Factory
• Bolgatanga Rice Mill Factory
• GIHOC Fibre Products Company, etc.

State-Owned Enterprises and Companies

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah built the following state companies. Some of them are no more in operation.

• Ghana Black Star Line with almost 15 ships
• Bank of Ghana (BoG)
• Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB)
• Agricultural Development Bank (ADB)
• National Investment Bank (NIB)
• State Insurance Company (SIC)
• Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)
• Ghana Oil Company (GOIL)
• Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA)
• Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)
• The National Management and Productivity Institute
• Ghana Film Industries, Accra
• Ghana Airways Corporation
• Ghana National Trading Corporation
• Cocoa Marketing Board (COCOBOD)
• Tema Steel Works
• VALCO

State Housing and Hotel Projects
Most of the hotels are now owned by private organizations.

• Accra: Labone Estate, Kanda Estates, Osu Ringway Estates, Airport Residential Area.
• Kumasi: Patasi Estate, Kwadaso Estate, Buokrom Estates, North and South Suntreso.
• Tema Township (Communities)
• State Hotels: Star, Meridian, Ambassador, Continental now Golden Tulip Accra, Atlantic, City Hotel Catering Rest Houses now Golden Tulip Kumasi, Peduase Lodge.

Other key projects

• Ghana Museums
• Ghana Film Corporation
• Ghana News Agency
• Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
• Atomic Reactor Station
• Akosombo Dam
• Restructured the British Military base into Accra (now Kotoka) International Airport.
• Tema Motorway
• Tema Harbour
• Adomi Bridge
• State Farms and Institutes

Source: kuulpeeps.com
Ghana underwent both military and democratic governments after Nkrumah was overthrown, but I won't focus on the accomplishments of earlier leaders rather than the controversies involving the NDC government under former Ghanaian president John Mahama and the current president, Nana Akufo Addo, the head of the NPP.

The same tribalism that Nkrumah experienced is there today, and it has allowed dishonest, inept politicians to assert that they have outperformed Nkrumah. A serious writer like myself will always unearth the truth, even if the NPP government appoints judges and sponsors media to further bogus agendas and present immorality as moral behavior.

Even though there is corruption in every Ghanaian government, we need to highlight John Mahama's accomplishments during his four years as vice-president and president, after succeeding the late John Atta-Mills, who was the most sincere politician Ghana has ever had.

1. He deployed emergency plants and speed up the completion of ongoing plants resulting in the addition of more than 800 megawatts (MW) of power within 18 months.

2. In addition to the Energy Sector Levy and ongoing works to restructure the legacy debt of the power utilities, which helped to stabilize the power situation.

Water and sanitation
On the water, President Mahama increased investments in the provision of clean drinking water and cited the provision of boreholes, small-town water systems, and major urban water treatment projects as some initiatives that had significantly increased access to clean drinking water.

3. The Teshie desalination plant,
4. The Kpong water expansion project
5. The ATMA project has expanded access to urban water supply in the capital, Accra.

6. The Wa water supply project
7. The 3Ks project, covering Kumawu, Konongo, and Kwahu,

Roads and transport
John Mahama’s tenure of office had some of the most massive investments in the road sector in the history of the country. Some of the road projects include;

8. Achimota-Ofankor
9. Awoshie-Pokuase
10. Sofoline
11. Tetteh Quarshie-Adenta.
Other projects include;
12. The Kwame Nkrumah Interchange,
13. The Kasoa overhead bridge
14. The Airport Hills/Burma Camp network of roads,

15 The 37-El Wak-Trade Fair road.
16. The NDC government invested more resources in continuing the Eastern corridor roads

17. Asphalt overlay of roads in regional and district capitals

18. Cocoa roads across the country
Other ongoing projects before leaving office include;

19. The Tema Motorway Roundabout decongestion project.

20. New bridge from Flower Pot Roundabout on the Spintex Road over the Accra-Tema Motorway to East Legon.

Projects ready to commence, such as
21. The Obetsebi-Lamptey interchange
22. The Pokuase Interchange
23. The Motorway expansion project.
Tarkwa- Bogoso- Anyanfuri road
24. Some Projects include;
Expansion of the Takoradi and Tema Harbours
Construction of Terminal(T3) of Kotoka International Airport

25. John Mahama’s government inherited an economy that was running a high deficit, with increasing inflation and interest rates characterized by a rapidly depreciating currency.

He recalled the forum at Senchi and said it was an attempt to forge a consensus for a home-grown fiscal consolidation program, noting that the outcome eventually became the basis for the International Monitory Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF) program that the country was implementing.

Health
26. During his tenure in office, a large number of health professionals trained under his administration to improve the healthcare delivery system of the country.

Health Projects
27. District Hospitals each with a capacity of 120 beds at Dodowa, Fomena, Kumawu, and Abetifi among others. 6-District Hospitals each with a 60-bed capacity at Tepa, Nsawkaw, Konongo, Salaga, Twifo Praso and the 100-bed Madina hospital, 120-bed Bekwai Hospital

28. The expansion in the utilization of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). In 2015, the out-patient utilization of NHIS stood at 29 million, up from nine million in 2008.

The NHIS on the whole had also been improved under his administration to ensure that people, including the vulnerable, had access to quality healthcare.

29. Teaching Hospitals: 617-bed University of Ghana Teaching Hospital

The second phase of the Tamale Teaching Hospital Expansion Project

30. Regional Hospitals: 420-bed Ridge Hospital Expansion Project, Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, 250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua-Kumasi

160-bed Upper West Regional Hospital
31. Institutional Hospitals:
• 500-bed Military Hospital Project in Kumasi

• 104-bed Police Hospital Project, Accra

• 130-bed Maritime Hospital, Tema
32. Polyclinics
Five polyclinics (Phase III) in the Brong Ahafo Region at Nkrankwanta, Wamfie, Kwatire, Techimantia, and Bomaa.

Ten polyclinics to be located at Besease, Gomoa Dawurampong, Biriwa, Etsii Sunkwa, Esikuma Gyamera, Agona Duakwa, Bimpong Akunfude, Ekumfi Naakwa, Twifo Atimokwa, and Gomoa Postin, all in the Central Region.

Five 30-bed polyclinics are to be sited at Adentan, Ashiaman, Bortianor, Od,uman, and Sege all in the Greater Accra Region.

33. Health Centres
18 Health Centres have been completed at Amasaman, Doffor, Pokukrom, New Jejeti, Paakro, Gwollu, Funsi, Sang, Northern Buipe, Manso Nkwanta, Abuakwa, Mase Sosekpe, Kedzie, Adamso, Kayoro, Timonde, Bonsu Nkwanta, and Dadieso.

34. CHPS Compounds
Out of 2,948 functional CHPS zones, 1,260 have been constructed.

35. Eye Care Centre at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

36. National Medical Equipment Replacement Programme: This US$264 million initiative has ensured the provision of critical diagnostic and treatment equipment for over 150 hospitals nationwide. These include all Teaching Hospitals in Ghana (Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital), all Regional Hospitals, 125 District Hospitals, 14 Health Centres, and 8 mobile clinics.

Social protection
37. His administration helped cushioned the poor and vulnerable, and many social protection programs were introduced.

38. The number of people benefitting from schemes such as the School Feeding Programme, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), and the Eban card, had been expanded to cover the majority of the poor and vulnerable population in the country.

Education.
39. The John Mahama government continued to support the provision of free textbooks and uniforms to pupils in public schools, and it has restructured and enlarged the school feeding program.

40. The provision of 10,000 free sandals to eligible pupils. This was his initiative to follow through on raising the quality and inclusiveness of education for everyone in Ghana.

41. The school shift system, through which pupils run shifts due to a lack of adequate classrooms, has now been eliminated in many of our communities. In Wa, Sunyani, Tarkwa, Dansoman, Krachi Nchumuru in the Oti Region and many other areas, school children can no longer skip school to play truant in the name of the school shift system.

42. In the area of Accelerated ICT Education, his administration improve upon ICT at the basic level, 81,000 basic school teachers were trained to enable them to acquire the requisite skills in the use of ICT in teaching and learning.

A total of 54,500 laptops were procured and distributed to basic school teachers and 60,000 laptop computers were distributed to public schools across the country.

43. A bill passed in his administration which includes Technical University Act, Act, 2016 (Act 992). This made some of the polytechnics change to Technical Universities.

University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD),

The Chartered Institute of Taxation Act, 2016,

The National Commission for Tertiary Education Bill,

National Accreditation and Qualification Authority Bills, 2015,

Ghana Book Development Council Bill and The Chartered Institute of Bankers Bill, 2015.

44. To facilitate the management of education delivery the Mahama-led administration procured and distributed 500 vehicles to educational institutions-senior high schools, universities, colleges of education, and, polytechnics.

45. In terms of School Infrastructure – A total of 1,856 out of 2,578 basic school projects have been completed under the Schools Under Trees program. The remaining was due for completion. Several teacher's bungalows, education offices, sanitation blocks, and 203 out of 232 classroom blocks including the SHS E block have been completed.

Under the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), the Mahama-led administration rehabilitated 345 KG classrooms, constructed 1,347 KG blocks, and provisioned 1,875 KG tables and chairs.

Agriculture
Job creation must also be supported by the expansion of opportunities in the agricultural sector. There is a need to secure sufficient supplies of food at affordable prices. Following our strong commitment to the modernization of agriculture;

46. The government of Mahama increased the number of rice maize and yam harvesters. Additional emphasis has been put on grain storage facilities and the creation of boreholes for agricultural purposes.

47. Agricultural mechanization service centers were established.

48. His achievements include reviving cotton farming in northern Ghana.

49. Between 2009 and 2011, the government also rehabilitated several irrigation dams in the Greater Accra, Volta, Ashanti, and, Brong Ahafo Regions.

50. Ghana produced more than 1m tonnes of cocoa in 2011, a significant increase over the output in 2008, which stood at about 680,000 tonnes.

Sports
In line with Government’s determination to develop sports infrastructure,

51. The 15,000 seater capacity Cape Coast Stadium.

52. Progressive prominence of Ghanaian sportswomen and men at the African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana in 2014, the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China in 2014, the Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, Samoa in 2015, and the All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo in 2015.

Housing
Housing: Mahama government continues to invest heavily in the area of housing in a bid to bridge the housing deficit. An aggressive affordable housing program has been rolled out to provide more Ghanaian families in the lower to the middle-income bracket with decent homes. The programs being undertaken in this regard are –

53. The Affordable Housing Project at Saglemi in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.

54. “Nyame dua” Estates Under a PPP arrangement, Messrs Sethi Realty Limited has been allocated 95 acres of land at Kpone for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units, branded “Nyame Dua” Estates.

55. Security Services Housing Scheme Phases 1 and 2 Government’s commitment to providing decent housing for the security services has been given meaning through the completion of 168 housing units with related infrastructure in Tema.

56. Keta Sea Defence Resettlement Housing Scheme.

57. Adenta Regeneration Project (SHC Gardens) The Adenta Regeneration Project Works on the Regeneration projects at Lartebiokorshie, Kaneshie, Kan, da, and North Effiakuma.

58. New Labadi Villas Housing Project
The Ghana Armed Forces housing project
59. Police Housing Project Government, through a Public-Private Partnership, at Cantonments in Accra.

60. Affordable Housing units started in 2006 at six sites in five regions namely, Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Upper West, and Eastern.

How important and effective is Ghanaian media in spreading accurate information? I had to ask you this. I believe the entire Ghanaian population relies on journalists who graduate from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, to produce accurate and effective news. Sadly, they have allowed the state-sponsored media to undermine them by spreading false information that has misled the entire country. Since they are likely afraid to refute the false information being spread by Paul Adom-Octhere, Omanhene, Kwame Sefa Kayi, and others, I will fight to have the truth established.

These are the achievements of Nana Akufo Addo, with the largest number of ministers in Ghana’s political history.

1. The NPP government's free education initiative got off to a strong start, but major corruption in the administration has complicated things and turned it into a nightmare rather than a good thing.

• Akufo Addo appointed his relative, Ken Ofori-Atta, to make corruption easier for him. Together, they embezzled and siphoned money from the national coffers, causing the nation to go bankrupt, and have a high crime rate, high unemployment, and a devastated economy.

• The NPP government authorized the Bank of Ghana, on two separate occasions, to issue new currencies without the approval of parliament to bridge the gap left by the gaping hole caused by corruption.

• The Bank of Ghana chooses to halt several banks in the nation from operating, but the NPP administration spent far more money to bring the banks to their knees than what was necessary to save those banks. Eight banks in total were destroyed.

• The hospital that served the La-Teshie-Nungua communities were completely demolished by the president with the promise that a new, modern hospital would be built in its place, but more than three years have passed and the hospital hasn't been replaced.

• Akufo Addo is the only political leader in Ghanaian history to have cut several sods to start a project, however, no other projects have been built. He made several commitments, including one he dubbed "Agenda 111, One Village One Dam, but none of them came to pass.

• When President Akufo Addo was campaigning for office, he pledged to lower taxes and even staged a protest against the introduction of VAT by the Rawlings administration. However, he instead introduced the E-Levy, a new tax that failed and destroyed thousands of small businesses run by low-income Ghanaians and increased VAT by 2.5%.

• Akufo Addo directly participated in several corruption scandals, such as those involving illicit mining and the ports, which had hurt domestic and foreign investments in the nation and caused great economic hardships.

• The NPP continues to be the only administration in Ghanaian political history to have run up such a large national debt without being able to explain to the people of Ghana what the funds were utilized for.

• The government criticized the NDC for turning to the International Monetary Fund for financial support, claiming that while they were not naive to act in the same way as the NDC, yet, they have now done so.

The president demolished governmental properties, including judges' bungalows, to make room for the cathedral's construction. Millions of dollars have been allocated to a project for which the groundwork has not even been started.

I'll keep you updated on the NPP's accomplishments as time goes on, but considering this dismal record and Ghana's dire financial situation, the 66th anniversary of the country's independence on March 6, 2023, will be completely pointless.