NPP over-amplified impact of Russia-Ukraine war on Ghana’s economy — Sewoekpor

The Head of Corporate Communications at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Delali Sewoekpor, has stated that the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government exaggerated the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Ghana’s economy.

The Akufo-Addo administration had cited the conflict as a major external shock that disrupted what it described as a strong post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

At the time, however, the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected that explanation, insisting that the country’s economic hardship stemmed largely from mismanagement.

Now with the NPP in opposition, the party has cautioned the current government not to blame global tensions such as the recent US and Israel strike on Iran for any potential economic downturn.

Reacting on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily show on Monday, March 2, he argued that the Russia-Ukraine war became a convenient justification for nearly every domestic challenge under the NPP administration.

“I think the position the NDC took relative to the issue about the Russia-Ukraine war was the fact that it was over-amplified by our colleagues from the NPP. It got to a point where almost every issue was being linked to the Russia-Ukraine crisis,” he said.

According to him, even internal policy lapses were attributed to the conflict.

“At a point in time, even when there were lapses with respect to policies like Free SHS and you asked what the reason was, they would quickly make reference to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. COVID and the war became the constant explanation for everything,” he added.

He stressed that even though global shocks undoubtedly impact economies, governments must take responsibility for domestic policy decisions rather than rely excessively on external factors as justification.