Keep The Faith With This Presidency

On assuming power in January 2017, if the NPP government ever thought that it was going to be business as usual as far as promises and expectations are concerned with the electorate as well as the international community then it was sorely mistaken. Understandably, the weight of expectations on this government is quite high, not least from its own core supporters but from all Ghanaians and friends of Ghana. Not only is it expected to deliver on its promises diligently and concretely but also it is to do so expeditiously with quick/fast results since Ghanaians of all works of life desperately yearned for those bold, elegant, sensible and forward-looking developmental agenda put forward when it was in opposition.

Achievements
It’s against this backdrop that one cannot fail to notice and admire the remarkable attainments of this present NPP government over the last two years.

First major achievement was the audacious introduction and successful implementation of the Free SHS programme that has given a needed reprieve to many parents and thus allowed a lot of children, especially girls, to access secondary education. Inevitably, this free access resulted in an increased students’ numbers, and to deal with this influx of high numbers of students’ intake, the government came up with a short/medium term innovative pragmatic solution called Double Tracking System where students use the same school facilities on rotational bases, neither compromising the academic term duration nor the curriculum requirements.

Second was the timely intervention but long overdue banking sector reforms in which banks were required to substantially increase their capital requirements in order to operate in Ghana. Those operating outside their requisite banking licenses were also brought in line with their licensing statute. As a matter of consequences, the reform would force foreign banks to ensure that enough of their profits are kept in Ghana rather than repatriating them abroad as is usually the case and most importantly, perhaps it would aim at preventing owners/operators of local banks from using depositors’ money as slush fund for their selfish ends, leaving depositors dry and stranded. This obviously resulted in mergers of some local banks while some banks, both local and foreign folded up.

Third was the valiant tackling and eventual stoppage of illegal mining known as ‘Galamsey’ which was wantonly degrading the environment. The successful ending of this exercise has now made it possible for the resumption of the legal small-scale mining operations. This gallant decision has also led to the restoration of aquatic lives in many water bodies upending the land and water pollution that was being caused by this illegal activity.

To accelerate developments in every corner of the country, the government engaged in broad consultations with the aim of creating more regions after persistent requests from stakeholders. This led to the subsequent creation of six additional regions through a well-conducted, free and fair referendum. The additional regions would deepen further the much lauded decentralization process. This would also do much to counter the over-centralization of everything in Accra and maybe help push Ghana a little closer to the long overdue federal system that has eluded the country ever since independence. The federal system affords each region the opportunity to be in charge of its own destiny, allowing the regions the semi-autonomy they deserve to manage their own resources under the guidance/supervision of the central government which only comes in to give a helping hand only when needed.

Next, the government embarked on digitization of the economy which has already led to the establishment of digital and property addressing system (GhanaPostGPS), the launching of national emergency 211 number, the issuing of National Identification Card (Ghana Card), online passport application, the paperless ports, the mobile renewal and E-receipts for NHIS - to improve the scheme’s financial management as well as making it more accessible to its users, just to mention but a few benefits of the digitization process.

Furthermore, to improve the health sector delivery system and enhance the overall medical supply chain, the government introduced the use of drones to deliver blood, medical supplies and other essential health care products to hospitals and other health facilities especially in remote locations and other areas inaccessible by vehicles. On top of that, the government secured 275 ambulances to augment the fleet of ambulances in the country. These would be shared out amongst all the several constituencies in Ghana, to their huge relief, in line with the government’s pledge of one constituency one ambulance.

Also, the government’s on-going rehabilitation of Ghana’s Railway system across the country has just seen the revamping of Accra-Tema passenger train service as a first step. The development and modernization of the railway lines and network would go a long way to ease congestion on our roads and possibly reduce road accidents. This could also serve as part of Ghana’s long-term contribution in tackling global warming and in combating Climate change.

Again, the government successfully passed the Right To Information (RTI) bill in parliament after so many years of excuses by the previous governments. The eventual RTI Act will give flesh and a true meaning to ‘probity and accountability’ in Ghana in contrast to P/NDC adherents who merely paid lip service to their own hollow slogan.

Last but certainly not least, the peaceful resolution of the Dagbon conflict culminating in an enskinment of the overlord of Dagbon, Ya Naa Abukari Mahama II. This was a great testament to the goodwill of this government that eschewed playing politics with this serious national issue.

Unforced Errors
When governments in other jurisdictions are finding ways and means to serve their people better, in Ghana, instead of encouragement and constructive inputs, the same ingenuity attracts unnecessary criticisms, condemnations and total dismissal from the so-called experts and think tanks when it comes to NPP governments just for the sake of it.

Of course, there is no doubt that the NPP government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has committed some silly avoidable errors. However, these slips arguably pale into insignificance when compared to the almighty gargantuan blunders committed by the successive P/NDC governments that have plundered our resolve as a nation over the years.

Any time successive NPP governments made tremendous leap in development and advancement that benefit the average Kofi (Joe) and Ama (Jane) in Ghana, such as the NHIS under Kuffour’s NPP government, the P/NDC governments come in to either dismantle or stifle their progress that send the country 20 years back.

Let no one make that terrible mistake thinking that the two parties are the same. As a matter of fact, they are not. Apart from the so-called ideological differences (which are blurred these days) between the two parties, it is very instructive to note that the NPP and P/NDC are particularly different in the ways they oversee the democratic and economic dispensation in Ghana’s 4th republic. Whereby the NPP is legalistic and plays everything by the book (to the enormous frustration of its core supporters/sympathizers) and takes steps to ensure equitable implementation of audacious pragmatic projects that set the country on the real path of wholesome development, the P/NDC cabals pride themselves of having a violent revolutionary roots and are eager to match their own elicited violence boot for boot. God helps those who fail to recognize that this is the only language they perfectly understand and thus any entity dealing with them ignores this fact at its own peril. More so, to the P/NDC, it’s all about looting and sharing precious national resources among themselves while ‘sprinkling the crumbs’ - few isolated structures at inflated prices - here and there to the detriment of the economy.

Vigilantism
It will be amiss, at this juncture, not to mention the buzzword - vigilantism. As a country, vigilantism has been with us since colonial times but it was during the AFRC - P/NDC administrations in power that vigilantism was well weaponized into militia groups to oppress and terrorize the opposition, suppressing any dissent while the security agencies redundantly looked on and allowed most complaints from this suppression to fall on deaf ears.

Incredibly, under those regimes the security agencies seemed to have no qualms about their helpless professionalism and independence. Isn’t it very interesting to notice how the security agencies always find their voices and the need to assert their so-called lost independence and professionalism whenever NPP is in power but cannot do same when P/NDC is in power? - Food for thought!!

When all is said and done, NPP has clearly guaranteed the stability and security of our democratic dispensation in the 4th republic whether in opposition or in government and thus instead of wasting time to perpetrate the myth that all governments are the same, I'll therefore urge those sympathizers with little faith and the so-called objective hawks to perhaps spend more time encouraging a 'Renaissance' of law and order, attitudinal change in Ghanaians, good behaviour in all state agencies and developing discerning electorate under this NPP government while understanding the hypocrisy of the successive P/NDC governments and how nation wreckers that they are.

Trust In Politicians
It's very hard to trust politicians nowadays especially in an era where the rule of law is being trashed and democratic norms are being stretched to the limit even in the so-called developed democratic countries by conservative far-right xenophobic sympathizers, the NPP better not betray the trust reposed in them by Ghanaians, because doing that could potentially - be the last straw that breaks the camels back to - doom the confidence in the democratic politics as we know it in Ghana.

Ultimately, this government has done tremendously well that it deserves the good people of Ghana to keep faith with it to enable it to continue to deliver on its promises and sustain the gains so far made to prevent a party that claims and prides itself of having a violent revolutionary roots and background from usurping power to ruin everything again.

May this administration flourish to fulfill its electoral promises to Ghanaians. Our nation Ghana deserves better.

PS: - Seemingly egg on by the host, Newsfile without Kwaku Baako appears to be just another propaganda tool for some so-called experts/professionals to come in to tickle their egos sometimes for NDC.

Keep The Faith With This Presidency

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