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NPP Gov't Now Replacing Campaign Promises - I Told You So

Feature Article President Akufo-Addo
FEB 6, 2019 LISTEN
President Akufo-Addo

During his campaign in Ayawasu West Wuogon by-election on 29 January 2019, President Akufo-Addo proudly showed a paper which he claimed to have contained 41 Promises they had fulfilled since assuming office. Remember, they made lots of promises which included: Free SHS, One-District-One-Factory, the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) which they promised every constituency an equivalent of $1 Million annually, One-Village-One-Dam, and restoration of nurses and teachers allowance, etc. Two years down the lane, no district has received a pesewa out of the annually promised “One-District-$1million”. Among numerous promises which poor voters bought into, only a few have been tackles, and even with poor remedies. It’s no wonder when a US comedian Groucho Marx said “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” It is exactly what President Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are up to. Unable to fulfill those promises, they have resulted to replace the Promises with anything they lay hands on. They are even going around rephrasing their Promises. They are aware Ghanaians have short memories and won’t bother to refer to their campaign promises.

As the saying goes “if you’ve got nothing to say don't say it here” Two years down the lane, NPP cannot convince electorates about the promises they gave. When you ask them, they will point to free SHS, teachers and Nurses allowance. As 2020 is approaching they have schemed a plan called “white-Wash”, that is, listing anything across as Promise fulfilment. About half of the 41 Claimed-Fulfilled Promises were/are not even in their manifestoes. Even if they were/are, putting them under scrutiny, it comes to light that, they are economical with the truth and voters should not take them serious. It remains me of what Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey said, “I was so popular that if I wore my hat over my right brow all the young men wore theirs in the same way. I did not know then that I knew nothing. From the Gold Coast I went to America, where I obtained two doctorates. Then I knew that I knew nothing”. NPP followers are so blind that they believe anything Dr. Bawumia roams down their throat. Even some of our intellectuals are acting as if they can’t read, just because of their stomach. In disputing their 41 list, I ask them to bring better ones.

ARE THESE PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO AND DR. BAWUMIA 41 PROMISES? IS NPP FOR REAL?

1. We promised Free SHS to reduce the hardship on parents, and we have delivered.

Response: Free SHS is now expensive than previous. No classrooms & boards: result is Double-Track system. Burden on parents , brought extra costs for vacation classes. Poor planning

2. We promised to restore teacher training allowances to reduce the hardship on teacher trainees, and we have delivered.

This money could build schools or create jobs

3. We promised to restore nursing training allowances to reduce the hardship on nursing trainees, and we have delivered.

Response: What's the sense of producing nurses when 1000s are sitting home without posting? Unnecessary waste of cash can build hospitals to employ nurses

4. We promised to establish a Zongo Development Fund, and we have delivered.

Response: Segregation: Zongo people are not aliens in Ghana. Hardship in Ghana is everywhere, and no tribe or group is better off. A better economic development will make everyone better.

5. We promised a renewed focus on agriculture through the Planting For Food and Jobs program, and we have delivered.

Bravo

6.We promised to issue National ID Cards, and we are delivering.

Response: National ID was initiated in 1973, again in 1987 and finalized in 1991. In 2001 JA Kufour revisited and by 2008, cards were issued. NDC continued and NPP taken over

7. We promised to implement a National Property Digital Address System, and we have delivered.

Not NPP promise: Thanks to Google, Digital Address is free and exists almost every part of the world. NPP rather let Ghanaians pay for what is already free. Just create and loot, "job for the boys" , no benefit.

8. We promised to digitise the clearance of goods at the ports through paperless ports, and we have delivered.

Not NPP promise: However, importers are worse off: Increased import duties, shooting prices up, and damaged import businesses.

9. We promised to establish three Development Authorities (Northern, Middle Belt and Coastal) and we have delivered.

Bravo.

10. We promised a One District One Factory program, and we are delivering.

President Akufo-Addo commissioning already existing companies. Even with collaboration with private sector, not a single visible factory can be pointed to.

11. We promised a One Village One Dam program, and we are delivering.

Response: Out of over 3500 villages in Ghana, how many dams are ready after 2 years?

12. We promised a One District One Warehouse program, and we are delivering.

Response: Nowhere said in your manifesto, just filling in. But what are you producing to store? GCMB has over 1000 empty Warehouses across the country. What is the need, Mr. President?

13. We promised to implement a Nation Builders Corps program to reduce the hardships on the graduate unemployed, and we have delivered

Response: Not NPP Manifesto: Just taking chances of, let’s hope to see what comes out.

14. We promised to implement a National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program to provide support and reduce hardships of entrepreneurs, and we have delivered

Businesses are collapsing, so I’m not sure Ghanaians can see this vague work.

15. We promised to rehabilitate VALCO to resume operations, and we have delivered.

Not NPP Manifesto: Valco was shut down by NPP-Gov't in 2007 and NDC re-opened it in January 2011. Mahama promised to make it one of the biggest smelters in the world.

16. We promised to leverage our natural resources to obtain a $2 billion innovative infrastructure financing arrangement with Sinohydro, and we have delivered.

Response: Gov't says the deal was a Barter. They'll build Smelting Plants at Kibi and Nyinahin, and trade the products with China. But gone for $600 mn loan and at which $150 mn used to serve the loan. Deceit, lies and no value for money.

17. We promised to establish integrated bauxite and aluminium industry, and we are delivering

Nowhere on the surface of Ghana can we see these industries. No in Sefwi Awaso, not in Kibi, and not in Nyinahin

18. We promised to implement mobile money interoperability, and we have delivered.

Not in NPP Manifesto: GhIPSS was set up in 2007, with the help of BOG they developed e-zwich, mobile money and they developed MMI. Dr. Bawumia launched and is now their promise

19. We promised to reduce electricity prices, and we have delivered.

John Mahama fought so hard to bring Dumsor down and you are playing politics with it. At the end, more borrowing is not good economics.

20. We promised to reduce the hardship in obtaining a drivers license, and we have delivered.

The fundamentals and logistics were already in place. Every regime come and does its best, nothing spectacle about this.

21. We promised to reduce the hardship in obtaining a passport, and we have delivered

Not in NPP Manifesto: Then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Hannah Tetteh, launched online passport application service in 2016. Application during is unchanged.

22. We promised to reduce the hardships in renewing the national health insurance, and we have delivered.

Response: Mention the so-called changes and because nothing new after NDC left.

23. We promised to establish an Office of the Special Prosecutor on Corruption, and we have delivered.

Response: Bravo, but we expect Martin Amidu starts prosecuting NPP corrupt officials first.

24. We promised to revive Ghana’s railways, and we are on course.

Bravo. One NPP collapsed and another NPP revives it.

25. We promised a transparent allocation of Ghana’s oil blocs, and we have delivered.

Response: Your favourites and unlicensed companies are engaged in this business.

26. We promised to reverse the trend of declining economic growth, and we have delivered.

Wow: it has not reflected in average Ghanaian pocket. People are suffering and the President has himself admitted.

27. We promised to restore discipline in the management of our public finances, and we have delivered with lower fiscal deficits.

Increased Debt: Ghana debt has gone up within 2 years. So-called fiscal discipline doesn't reflect in the economy.

28. We promised to pass a fiscal Responsibility Act, and we have delivered.

Yes: white elephant

29. We promised to establish a Fiscal Council, and we have delivered.

What is the benefit to a poor man?

30. We promised to Establish a Financial Stability Council, and we have delivered

Does all these provide food, money for people?

31. We promised to reduce inflation to single digits, and we have delivered.

Inflation high, 18%, when NDC took over. NDC left when below 15%. So do your best.

32. We promised to reduce interest rates, and we are delivering.

Good, but doesn’t trickle-down economics. Banks are collapsing and can’t borrow. .

33. We promised to keep our exchange rate relatively stable even in the midst of global volatilities, and we have delivered.

Under NDC US$1=Ghc4.20, now is US$1=Ghc4.95; under NDC £1= Ghc5.5, now £1=Ghc6.66; under NDC €1=4.8, and now €1=Ghc5.66. The Cedi that was locked and given the key to IGP is now free range.

34. We promised to reverse Ghana’s trade position with the rest of the world from deficit to surplus, and we have delivered.

Response: It is April Fool. IMF indicators points to $2.286 billion deficit rather.

35. We promised to reduce taxes, and we reduced and abolished 17 different taxes in two years. We have delivered.

It doesn't trickle-down economics. It has not resulted to creation of jobs from private sector.

36. We promised to revive the NHIS, and we have cleared the GHC1.2 billion arrears inherited under the NHIS. The NHIS is working again. We have delivered.

Government is continuum, one regime starts and another continue. NHIS has gone through many phases and don't think is anything to write home about

37. We promised to move away from a predominance of sole sourcing to tendering in procurement, and we have delivered.

Minister of Finance issued 7- & 15-year bonds to his partner company, conflict of interest. How many tenders has appeared in public newspaper? Is this a promise?

38. We promised to bring about a change from destructive galamsey activities to more regulated small-scale mining activities, and we have delivered.

Response: Rather, NPP promised continuation of galamsey and now deceiving your voters.

39. We promised to reduce the hardships of the disabled and increase the share of the DACF to persons with disabilities by 50%. We have delivered.

Response: Cripples are roaming on streets, and President is laugh of their disability.

40.We promised to double the Capitation Grant, and we have delivered.

Response: How is your grant?

41. We promised to create six new regions, and we have delivered.

A good infrastructure won't need creation of new regions. 6 new regions will need 6 more regional ministers and deputies. Building of regional administration and facilities. At whose cost?.

Deputing NPP 41 Promises they claimed to have fulfilled. We must be real, my fellow Ghanaians.

Long Live Ghana!!

“in opposition you blame party in power for doing nothing. In power, you try convincing others you’ve done better, when indeed you’ve done nothing measurable”

By

Lewis Kwame Addo

Amsterdam

[email protected]

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