Insight - Ghanaian Politics (1992-2013)

Rudolf Osei

I am not that young, but the first government I witnessed here in Ghana is the J. J. Rawlings led government which featured personalities like the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills as the vice President in the second term and H.E. John Dramani Mahama as a minister. Between 1992 and the year 2000, Ghana saw a lot of developmental projects in the country.

In 2000, the NPP wrestled power from the NDC, with former President Kufour as the leader. As politicians as they are, the Kufour led government couldn't fulfill most of its campaign promises during its first term in office, but the Metro Mass Transport system was introduced in the year 2003. Many drivers, graduates, and the citizenry as a whole, gained employment under the Metro Mass Transit Limited. The plight of the Ghanaian traveler has also been eased till date.

The NPP made a lot of noise in their quest to abolish the cash and carry system which existed in our hospitals before they came into office. True to their word, the NPP introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme in late 2003. This health plan has been a blessing to many Ghanaians, even to those who said it wouldn't be possible for the NPP to introduce such a system in Ghana.

Their claims were based on the fact that Ghana was economically handicapped. We didn't have enough money to run a health insurance scheme in the country. Up until now, the health insurance scheme has come to stay for close to ten years. In spite of the relief this scheme brings to the ordinary Ghanaian, it has also employed many Ghanaians, both the skilled and unskilled labour.

In its attempt to improve education in the country, the NPP government implemented the Free Compulsory Universal Education (FCUBE). This educational plan came along with a whole lot of benefits to pupils and teachers. I may be naive, but I believe it was part of this FCUBE that made it possible for basic school teachers to further their education through distance learning.

All teacher training colleges were upgraded to Diploma institutions with the first batch of trained Diploma bearing Teachers completing in 2007. Pupils (in basic schools) were treated to good meals under the school feeding programme. With effect from 2005, when I taught as a trained teacher, no pupil was made to pay school fees at the basic level. They enjoyed virtually everything free under the FCUBE.

The introduction of the National Youth Employment Programme was simply marvelous. A large number of the youth gained temporary employment, and a few others have been able to further their education with the money they earned.

The NPP government in its own wisdom began the construction of the Bui Dam when the electricity situation in the country worsened in 2006. Several construction projects were also undertaken by the NPP government. Some of these include the Sofoline interchange in Kumasi, the Kumasi-Kintampo highway, the N1 highway in Accra, the Tetteh Quashie interchange, the construction of two new stadia at Tamale and Esipon, and many more.

In spite of its numerous achievements, the NPP government had some short comings like the unnecessary imprisonment of 'some' ex-ministers of state, uninformed dismissal of some government officials ('the proceed on leave saga') and the arrogance of some of its party functionaries. The collapse of the Kumasi-Accra-Takoradi railway line under their regime can never be left out of their flaws. At a point in time the NPP felt it was liked by all Ghanaians and so it was going to be in power forever. This ideology of the NPP government and a few other flaws led to its defeat in the 2008 elections.

The then candidate Mills won power in the 2008 general elections on the ticket of the NDC. The NDC was declared the winner of the 2008 elections with a margin of 40,586 votes against the NPP on the 3rd of January, 2009. This made Mr. John Dramani Mahama the vice president of our country.

Like all other political parties, the NDC made a lot of campaign promises. Amongst the popular ones are; the one time premium for the National Health Insurance Scheme, the drastic reduction of the prices of petroleum products and a few others. On a more serious note, the NDC is in its second term but we haven't even witnessed just a single fulfillment of the campaign promises it made in the last four years. I am trying to be fair, but I cannot forget the gargantuan judgment debt the NDC government paid to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome and Isophoton, not to talk of the gross corruption going on at the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA). I understand the court has ruled that the monies should be refunded to the government. I and some other Ghanaians would like to know when, how and where those monies will be paid into government coffers. I mean that of Woyome and Isophoton. Have they refunded it?

Electricity is not stable in the country, yet no formal information has been communicated to the general public as to the reasons why the power situation in the country is too bad like that.

Your Excellency, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, I am not lashing the back of your government but rather outlining the good things the NPP government did so that you will challenge yourself and your government to do same or better.

The NDC government, in my eyes, is policy handicapped. By policy handicapped, I mean the NDC government has not been able to introduce just a single new policy different from that of the NPP to cushion the good citizens of Ghana. All I see is a rebranding of the existing policies the NPP introduced. A typical example is the rebranding of NYEP to GYEEDA and LESDEP. Ghanaians are still waiting for the one time premium of the Health Insurance Scheme. For us to see the government is truly in for the betterment of the citizens, come out and introduce new policies which will go a long way to create jobs so as to cushion the good citizens of Ghana.

My dear politicians put Ghana first and stop playing games with her citizens.

©Rudolf Osei ([email protected])