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30.07.2018 Feature Article

Ghana can’t make progress with this Parliament

Ghana cant make progress with this Parliament
30.07.2018 LISTEN

Let me say it loud: Our Legislature is really useless!!

Folks, everything being done by Parliament is either tainted with corruption and incompetence or tinged with mediocrity.

Having closely monitored all that it has done thus far, I have no shred of doubt in my mind that it is a major flaw in our democracy. A terribly weak link in the chain.

It can't play its fundamental role in ensuring that the checks and balances that grow democracy are adhered to. And it is the Majority wing that stands tall for condemnation as such.

In effect, it has reduced itself to a mere rubber-stamp that endorses anything pushed down its throat by the strong-arm Presidency (the Executive arm of government).

This endorsement of the fuzzy agreement is appalling. Clearly, the exact details of this agreement aren't even known; yet, the NPP Majority put behind it all reason and caution to endorse it.

The Chinese are known for their subtle ways if foraging in vulnerable economies. In our Ghanaian situation, their unfinished business with Kufuor, Mills, and Mahama is known and should have forewarned Team Akufo-Addo on how not to do things for China to exploit loopholes.

More than a year ago, this mischievous liar called Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia visited China and made ugly noise that China had agreed to give Ghana a loan of 15 billion Dollars to support it's development agenda.

Akufo-Addo's wife followed up and told us that she had secured a 2-million Dollar Chinese grant for some enterprises.

Nothing has emerged to confirm such irritating noise.

Let's recall here that under Atta Mills, similar noises suggested that China was positioned to help Ghana. Nothing came out from it all.

Let's throw it back to what happened under Kufuor when the wide-mouthed Yaw Osafo-Marfo led a government delegation on a wild goose chase to seek a huge loan from China, committing Ghana to pay 100,000 Dollars only for everything to end up in a Chinese hair-dressing salon. The madness is boundless.

And now, this one from the Akufo-Addo government? (See https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Parliament-approves-deal-to-trade-Ghana-s-bauxite-for-Chinese-funded-roads-672695?channel=A2)

Giving Ghana's refined bauxite (alumina) to China just to get roads, etc. constructed for Ghana by the Chinese?

Who is responsible for the refining of the bauxite, in the first place? (Of course, Ghana doesn't refine the bauxite). And how is the cost factored into this agreement?

We are aware of the Atiwa Forest concession, which is said to be given the Chinese and not Ibrahim Mahama.

Again, if China takes over the construction of those roads and other projects, what becomes of Ghanaian contractors, etc.? Kicked out of business?

Folks, much fear looks for Ghana under Akufo-Addo. And with the kind of Parliament that is in place to support it, there isn't any hope for the best.

Of course, Akufo-Addo had urged Ghanaians to try him, which they accepted at Election 2016. The trial-and-error tragic-comedy us assuming frightening dimensions all too soon.

I shall return…
By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor
(E-mail: [email protected] )
Sunday, July 29, 2018

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