Dr. William Ahadzie, former Chairman of the National Population Council, writes:
Let’s Resist CSE
It is clear government attempt to sneak in the Comprehensive Sexuality Education program has fallen flat on its face. But what has driven the NPP government to this point of desperation.
1) it has almost reached the limit of its borrowing capability. The deceitful mathematical adjustment of the Debt to GDP Ratio can no longer be performed. Ghana is debt-distressed, indeed was debt-distressed long ago but for the failure of this government to admit it and the vodooism it kept doing with the economy.
2) By virtue of being a (statistically-generated) middle income economy (not middle income country), cheap loans and grant inflows have dried up.
3) Bawumia’s $15bn Chinese facility could not be secured. Much worse, the $2bn Chinese loan-for- bauxite is hampered by stringent conditions on the Term-sheet. This has frustrated government over-hyped massive infrastructure development for 2019.
4) Domestic revenue which could substitute for the expected Chinese loan has fallen way below target. The GRA is under-performing with regards to it’s revenue targets. The new hike in taxes is a weak attempt by government to raise some revenue that will help it to save face.
5) Elections are approaching and government feels compelled to at least, show evidence that it is honouring its numerous campaign promises. Nothing can be more daunting.
The option left for the government is to either continue to borrow at high interest rates (that will render Ghana HIPC or to acquire tied-aid. CSE is one of the Classic cases of government succumbing to Donor demands in order to secure budget support. This government is caught between a stone and a hard place. Violating our traditional value system to collect pittance represents an escape route for it hence the dishonest attempt to push in the CSE agenda. The future social cost of implementing this repugnant CSE policy is inestimable.
We should mass up and resist it otherwise we shall have eggs on our faces when our children grow up with the wrong sexual orientations.
Were I still the Chairman of the National Population Council I would have strongly advised government not to bite this bait.
#StopCSENow