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16.05.2012 NDC

Bawumia Blasts NDC Over Economic Woes

16.05.2012 LISTEN
By Daily Guide

The Vice Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticized the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC)  government for pursuing wrong economic policies that have crippled the economy and created unprecedented hardship for majority of Ghanaians.

Speaking at a youth forum at Koforidua in the New Juaben Municipality on Monday, during a tour of the Eastern Region with the party's flag-bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia, who was a deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana during the NPP's regime, said the NDC government had borrowed more than any other government, yet the money had not been used prudently to create jobs and boost the economic fortunes of Ghanaians.

'The NDC government, within three years, has borrowed GH¢16 billion, almost tripling Ghana's foreign debt from GH¢9billion to GH¢25billiion,' he indicated, saying that all these unprecedented borrowing had not been properly invested, with people still crying of hardship.

According to the NPP vice presidential candidate, the NDC government had not been able to pay most local contractors who had executed various road contracts, whilst many teachers and nurses who took post about a year ago had still not been paid.

“Where are all these monies that the NDC has borrowed?” he asked, stressing that corruption had 'eaten' a chunk of the money.

'It is not surprising that everybody is complaining about hardship because there are no jobs to do, while many government employees had not been paid so there is no money to spend,' Dr Bawumia said, adding that under the NDC government, the agricultural sector which gave employment to many Ghanaians  had shrunk from 8.4% to 0.8%.

Dr Bawumia said day in and day out, prices of food and other necessities kept rising, with little money in people's pocket to spend, thereby creating huge economic hardships for the ordinary Ghanaian.

'How can one run an economy like this, creating unprecedented hardships for its citizens,' he noted, stressing that the NDC must be booted out of power for a more competent government to take over and make things better for Ghanaians.

'There is a lot of potential for Ghana's economy but the way the NDC is governing the country, we are definitely heading for doom.'

The party's flag-bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, who was also at the youth forum, said an NPP government under him would be very committed to the creation of jobs for the teeming youth.

He said apart from industrial setups, construction of pavements in most of the cities and towns, as well as afforestation programmes, could also create jobs for Ghanaians.

'When we come to power, we will expand the National Youth Employment Programme which we introduced during Kufour's regime and add more modules to absorb many of the youth,' he said, adding that the NPP government under him would not go on any witch-hunt and sack any person perceived to be sympathetic to the NDC, from their government job.

'We will create a lot of jobs for people to do so that they can improve on their standards of living,' the NPP flag-bearer noted.

The youth forum, which was put together by the regional youth wing of the party, brought together students, artisans, market women, hawkers, auto mechanics and petty traders.

The National Youth Organizer of the party, Anthony Karbo, praised the regional youth wing for initiating such a forum, and said such forums would be replicated in the other regions.

Earlier on in the day, the flag-bearer and his running mate stormed the Koforidua Juaben Serwaa market, where market women abandoned their wares to give them a rousing welcome.

They were there to interact with the market women and learn from them what the prices of commodities were.

They were mobbed while most of the traders were seen displaying NPP colours on their wares.

  From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Koforidua
 

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