Otchere-Darko’s Comment Was Right on Target This Time Around

Otchere-Darko

Many of the media websites and newspapers that reported the comments by Mr. Gabriel Asare Otchere-Darko, the editor-publisher of the Statesman newspaper, on the harsh state of the economy did not do an accurate reportage for the most part. One such report had the founder and former head of the Danquah Institute pleading earnestly with supporters of the Akufo-Addo-led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who felt disappointed with the country’s present socioeconomic affairs to “have faith” that things would soon shape up for the better. Another report captioned “Times Are Hard – Gabby Otchere-Darko” (MyNewsGh.com / Ghanaweb.com 9/7/18) appeared to have done a much better job. I am perfectly in agreement with those who think that the current economic situation in the country leaves much to be desired.

What I strongly beg to disagree with is the rather cynical suggestion, being largely bandied about by members of the main opposition National Democratic Congress’ minority, is that, somehow, President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made matters worse than the abjectly dismal economic conditions which were bequeathed the latter by his grossly incompetent and megalomaniacal predecessor, namely, former President John Dramani Mahama. That is simply not true! Which is not to say that the high rate of unemployment is in any way acceptable. You see, the effective ending of Dumsor, or the erratic power supply, which had virtually become the norm under the Mahama-led regime of the National Democratic Congress, which sent at least 30 percent of medium-sized and small businesses crashing off the economic prosperity radar, is presently decidedly a veritable relic of the past.

The current power-supply regime is not completely without any glitches every now and then, but it is definitely light years better than what prevailed between 2012 and 2016, when the NDC ruled the roost, as it were. At the very least, half of the businesses that collapsed when President John Dramani Mahama was Chief Resident of the erstwhile Flagstaff House, presently renamed Jubilee House, are likely to have been reignited or revived, thanks to the visionary leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo. But there is, of course, the other half of the 30 percent that have permanently gone under. The good news here, though, is that there are many others that are totally new and far greater in number that may very well have replaced the permanently lost ones.

But, of course, the very progressive and constructive decision by the present government to put a definitive end, with a remarkable degree of success, to Galamsey or illegal small-scale mining, may have equally considerably added to the high level of unemployment in the country. Even so, the long-term benefits from the cessation of the hitherto prohibitive cost of the wanton environmental devastation caused by the deleterious mechanization of Galamsey and the huge influx of foreigners allowed to participate in the thorough destruction of our forestry resources, and the criminal pollution of our hitherto potable and pristine waterbodies, which was primarily midwifed by the Rawlings-led regimes of both the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) and the National Democratic Congress, far outweigh the temporary inconvenience of a considerable spike in the level of unemployment in the country.

This may be what Mr. Otchere-Darko was reportedly alluding to, when he pleaded with both supporters and detractors of the New Patriotic Party alike to “keep faith” with the visionary leadership of President Akufo-Addo. There is no gainsaying the fact that the next two years promise to exponentially lower the rate of unemployment in the country. Already, the globally renowned economic ratings powerhouse, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has given the Akufo-Addo Administration a thumbs-up in the way in which Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta and his team of crackerjack technocrats have been working indefatigably around the clock to turn things around. But, of course, we also recognize the fact that it takes quite a while before these positive economic indicators begin to remarkably register in the wallets and pocketbooks of the ordinary man and woman in the street.

At any rate, what the most ardent critics of the present government, both internally and externally, ought to be looking at in order to get a better and more realistic sense of the performance of the government is the signal implementation of such progressive policy initiatives as the fee-free Senior High School System, which promises a viable future for all hardworking, talented and able-bodied Ghanaian youths. That is a humongous economic burden lifted off the heads and shoulders of the parents and guardians of these youths. Couple the preceding with the equally historic revival of the Kufuor-implemented National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and there is absolutely no way and/or manner in which the democratically and auspiciously ousted Mahama regime could be favorably compared to the Akufo-Addo Administration.

You see, Mahama’s understanding of a fee-free SHS policy initiative had to do with the distribution of Tampons or sanitary pads for female pupils and shoes and uniforms, that is, every accessory to education except study tools and materials. Likewise, Mahama’s understanding of funding the NHIS was to pressure the National Health Insurance Authority’s Executive-Director, Mr. Sylvester Mensah, to siphon a humongous chunk of premium funds into the 2016 Mahama Presidential Reelection Campaign. Once these matters are properly understood, it can be clearly seen that warts and all, or economic difficulties notwithstanding, the Akufo-Addo Administration is easily the best in at least the past 10 years.

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By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., PhD
English Department, SUNY-Nassau
Garden City, New York
September 22, 2018
E-mail: [email protected]