Another four more years of Akufo-Addo will take Ghana to a dark place. If he is returned to office, his divisive politics will make bigotry the defining ideal of the republic.
None of the big promises that delivered Akufo-Addo’s NPP an emphatic victory in 2016 have been honoured.He pledged to create millions of jobs. Today, the rate of unemployment is the highest in the subregion and the highest Ghana has known in 20 years. He promised will make Accra the cleanest city in Africa. Accra today is the dirtiest city in West Africa. He promised the people in the north dams only to give them dugouts. He promised Ghanaians a corruption free administration.
His government is rated the most corrupt government ever. He promised he will never borrow. Within three years, his administration has borrowed more than Ghc 90 billion. He promised Ghanaians 350 new secondary schools. He cannot point to one classroom built by his administration. He promised Ghanaians will not run a family and friends government. He has appointed over 50 family members into his administration. Aside that, he also appointed more than hundred friends and cronies into his administration. He promised Ghanaians will improve security in the country. Kidnappings, killings, maiming and armed robbery have become rampant in the country. State institutions have been politicised
It will be fair to say, without fear or favour, that the Akufo-Addo government is the worst so far in the fight against corruption and the administration of justice. Transparency International’s latest report and latest Afro barometer report revealed that corruption cases are on the rise, with little or no steps taken to curb the exorbitant rate of embezzlement and looting of state funds and negative ethical violations by officials of his government and some of his family members which have had negative impact on the economy and Ghanaians respectively. Can the President explain to Ghanaians how he claims to be fighting corruption while his officials, Brother and cousins who masterminded the filthy PDS deal are still walking around free, why the former Bost Boss has not been prosecuted, why the the former Maritime Authority boss was reassigned, why Hawa Koomson is still at post, why the foreign minister is still at post, why Pius Enam was exonerated and moved to the Information ministry and why his two deputy chiefs of staff are still hanging around. In the full glare of us all we witnessed as family members, cronies, officials of state and friends of the President caught red handed in illicit deals were patted on the back by the President while innocent individuals in the NDC and hardworking businessmen/women were clamped down with rigour and alacrity. Businesses are collapsing because of government’s bogus economic policies and the dying cedi. Ghana cannot continue on this dangerous path for another four years. Ghana cannot survive another four years of this misdirection and maladministration. The President is more than a dictator. Institutions of state have become arms of the administration. Headteachers, security officers, teachers etc cannot speak for fear of suspension, interdiction or outright dismissal. Payment of statutory funds, capitation grants etc is done quarterly because of government’s reckless spending.
For a government built on such promises as strong war on corruption, strong economy and safe security, one would assume the country would be transformed in no time but what are we seeing. The Akufo-Addo government has kicked off governance with a complete opposite of all it promised in its manifesto. This is the luckiest administration in Ghana’s political history. Its predecessor, the Mahama administration, handed to it an economy the World Bank and the IMF had projected will grow by 7-8 percent between 2017 and 2018 because of the investment the previous administration had made in the industry, new secondary schools, roads and renovated ports, new ports and ultramodern hospitals, stable power and a well transformed telecommunication sector. Atuabo gas alone saves the country Ghc 500 million annually apart from the billions of dollars of oil revenue it receives monthly. Unlike the Mahama administration, this government is enjoying good prices for our export commodities including gold and cocoa. With all these opportunities and blessings, the administration has increased prices of fuel, the cedi is still struggling, prices of good and service are skyrocketing. Why should Ghanaians retain a government that supervised the collapse of banks and other financial institutions culminating in lost of thousands of jobs, imposition of high taxes leading to collapse of businesses and poor implementation of the Free Secondary education which has lowered the standard of our education.
The 2020 election is not about political parties, ethnic permutations or an individual. It is about us as a people. It is going to be a contest between a man who transformed Ghana, created jobs, built hospitals, schools, roads, ports and another man whose only achievement in terms of job creation is appointing of family members, cronies, friends and family members into his administration. It is a choice between a man who tolerated all views, created a safe environment for the media, ensured safe security, and another man who intimidate and harass opponents, media personnel, businessmen who criticise his administration. It is about a man who allowed the our security agencies to investigate officials of his administration who got themselves involved in corrupt practices, and a man nicknamed “Mr Clearing Agent” because he clears and praise corrupt officials in his administration.
For three years, it’s all about commissioning projects implemented by the last administration and recutting sods of projects the previous administration designed and acquired loans to execute.
God will surely save Ghana from the disaster of another four years of this bogus administration.
