RI opinion poll lists NDC failures

Ghanaians have stated in an opinion poll that the three most important problems confronting them under the 2½ year rule of the Mills-Mahama National Democratic Congress administration are the rising levels of unemployment, high cost of living and poverty, in order of importance.

This was contained in an opinion poll carried out by Research International in March this year, a copy of which was made available to the New Statesman.

In a list of 14 possible choices, of which respondents were entitled to choose from, 68% of respondents stated that in the RI poll from a total of 4,600 respondents stated that rising levels of unemployment under President Mills was the most important problem confronting them. This is despite claims made by the deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, that the NDC had created some 1.6 million jobs since taking office in 2009.

It is a well documented fact that 44.8 percent of graduates from the universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions are said to be jobless coupled with an estimated quarter of a million school leavers thrown out onto the streets each year from the Junior High School System.

61% of respondents also stated that despite the much touted attainment of single digit inflation, this was not been reflected in their pockets as day-in-day-out the cost of living in Ghana keeps going up. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings came in for some severe bashing from government after she stated that Ghana was one of the most expensive countries to live in. Statistics from this survey may perhaps prove that Ghanaians indeed see the high cost of living pertaining in the country at the moment as one of the main problems.

With the World Bank estimating in half a million Ghanaians fell below the poverty line in 2012, not surprisingly, 40% of respondents stated that the incidence of rising poverty under Mills is the third most important problem affecting them.

Corruption came in fourth with 26%, crime came in 5 th with 13% and the lack of adequate housing came in last with 5% as the least important problem to Ghanaians.

In the same opinion poll, when asked “What are the most important failures of the NDC government?” respondents stated that the increase in fuel prices, unemployment and corruption were the most important failures of the NDC government.  

After riding on the wave of promising to “reduce the prices of fuel drastically” if elected President only to win power and rather increase the prices of fuel drastically, an overwhelming number of Ghanaians have stated that the sharp u-turn performed by President Mills in relation to fuel prices is the most important failure in his 2½ years in office.

In a list of 13 possible choices, of which respondents were entitled to choose from, 72% of respondents in the RI poll from a total of 4,600 respondents stated that the 85.37% increment in petrol prices since the Mills-Mahama NDC administration took office was a betrayal of the promise made to them by candidate Mills and as such stated that this was the most important failure of the Mills regime.

It is recalled in the run up to the 2008 elections, Prof Mills promised Ghanaians that he would reduce the prices of fuel drastically, and when the NPP government reduced the prices of petrol in December 2008, Mills stated again that when elected President he will “reduce the price even further”.

50% in an answer to the same question stated that rising levels of unemployment under President Mills was the second most important failure.

Corruption under the Mills-Mahama came in third with 29% of respondents stating this as the most important failure under Mills. Cases of corruption levelled against officials in government, inflated contract sums and the “craze” of sole sourcing a majority of contracts in contravention of the procurement law are examples of corrupt practices that have rocked the Mills administration.

16% of respondents stated the menace of footsoldiers, came in 5 th after road accidents which had 20%, had risen to unacceptable levels under President Mills. It is recalled that under President Mills, numerous cases of footsoldiers running riot across the length and breadth of the country have been well documented. From the seizures of public toilets, NHIS and NYEP offices, to threats of death made against some District Chief Executives, have been some of the few acts of these NDC members that have gone unpunished under Mills.

Armed robbery came in 6 th with 20% of respondents stating that Mills' promise of “making armed robbery a thing of the past” had not materialised

The handling of the Ivorian Crisis, borne out of the “Dzi Wo Fie Asem” policy of the Mills administration, also made it into the list of the NDC government's most important failures. 10% of respondents the decision by the NDC to literally back Laurent Gbagbo to perpetrate an illegality and usurp power was in bad taste.  

Rising levels of indiscipline at all levels of society polled 9%; Chieftaincy conflicts, growing sanitation problem and the Bawku conflict each polled 6%.

The Mills administration was viewed by 4% of respondents as being vindictive with 3% stating that Ghana is now seen as a transit point for cocaine.

The 4,600 respondents were drawn from across the ten regions of the country with 52.8% of respondents being male and 47.2% being female. A total of 20 people were interviewed in each of the 230 constituencies. In each constituency, five polling stations were selected, with four people being targeted in each polling station, thereby arriving at a sample size of 4,600 respondents.

 
A confidence level of 98 per cent was achieved with a margin of error of +-0.08%.

 
Research International is a full service Research Agency that handles research projects and has over 18 years of gathered presence in Ghana with rich experience in Survey design, Data collection (Computer Aided & Face to Face interviewing), Data processing, Data analysis and Reporting in both qualitative and quantitative research areas.