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The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso Constituency Dr Kingsley Nyarko has urged Ghanaians to exercise restraint for the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government to turn things around though people fears the government’s decision to seek financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may not augur well for workers.
He says former president Kuffour did a lot for Ghanaians by introducing Health Insurance Scheme, free maternal care, cocoa mass spraying, model schools roads, interchanges etc but when there was a world over recession in 2007 New Patriotic Party(NPP) was voted out of power.
“So soon, Ghanaians forgot Kufour and gave it to him. Attacked him, called him names. In fact, the attacks and propaganda were so high that the NPP members even bought into it. Some claimed Kufour deliberately took some decisions to make Nana Addo lose the 2008 elections.
Propaganda and impatience won. The NDC won the 2008 elections. Just after 6 months, Ghanaians started calling back the NPP government. The NPP supporters blamed themselves for not going out to vote in 2008” he added.
According to him the NPP government introduced Free SHS, distributes Ambulance to every constituency in the history of the country with over 100 more coming, built 9 new model SHS, built the largest infrastructure in SHS ever, constructing a new University, built about 10 STEM centres, retooling TVET centres etc.
The government introduced drone in the health care system which is being copied across the globe.
“This government has constructed more roads than any other government. Constructing interchanges all over. Building a new maternity block at Komfo Anokye, new hospitals and polyclinics all over aside Agenda 111.
This is a government building factory all over together with the private sector, constructing dams, introduced interoperability, opened many passport applications centres all over and has made applying for passport stress free. This government is constructing the Pwulugu multi-purpose dam” he stated.
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Former President Kufour had done so much. He had introduced Health Insurance Scheme, Free maternal health care, mass cocoa spraying and many more.
He had constructed many roads, model schools and interchanges. The NDC got scared of his infrastructure achievements that John Mahama had to issue a disclaimer that it will be mediocrity to compare infrastructure in the 2008 elections.
Things took a nose dive. There was recession in 2007. The world over, countries were been hit badly. High rise in prices of fuel and food items.
So soon, Ghanaians forgot Kufour and gave it to him. Attacked him, called him names. In fact, the attacks and propaganda were so high that the NPP members even bought into it. Some claimed Kufour deliberately took some decisions to make Nana Addo lose the 2008 elections.
Propaganda and impatience won. The NDC won the 2008 elections. Just after 6 months, Ghanaians started calling back the NPP government. The NPP supporters blamed themselves for not going out to vote in 2008.
The anger and how bad we missed the NPP was evident in the 2012 elections and the 2012 elections petition. The anger from the Supreme Court election petition ruling resulted in the 2016 elections, where there was almost about a million-vote gap between the NPP and NDC.
Similarly, this NPP government introduced Free SHS. Given us the largest Ambulances in our history with over 100 more comimg, built 9 new model SHS, built the largest infrastructure in SHS ever, constructing a new University, built about 10 STEM centres, retooling TVET centres etc. The government introduced drone in the health care system which is being copied across the globe.
This government has constructed more roads than any other government. Constructing interchanges all over. Building a new maternity block at Komfo Anokye, new hospitals and polyclinics all over aside Agenda 111.
This is a government building factory all over together with the private sector, constructing dams, introduced interoperability, opened many passport applications centres all over and has made applying for passport stress free. This government is constructing the Pwulugu multi-purpose dam.
This government has made the Ghana card working and put into work the Digital Addressing system. Inflation has been reduced from 15.4% in 2016 to 10.4% at the end of 2020. Reduced average lending rates from 32% in 2016 to 21% in 2020. And for the first time in over two decades, the trade balance (the difference between what we export and what we import) recorded a surplus for four consecutive years from 2017-2020.
Under this government, Ghana’s Gross International Reserves increased from $6.1 billion (3.5 months of imports) in 2016 to $8.6 billion in 2020 (4.1 months of imports). Introduced a pension scheme for cocoa farmers. The first of such scheme since independence.
This government also established a Tree Crop Development Authority with a focus on mango, cashew, rubber, oil palm, shea and coconut. Implemented the One District One Warehouse initiative. The new Automotive Sector Development Policy has resulted in VW, Sinotruk, and Nissan all assembling vehicles in Ghana.
For the first time, import duties was reduced by between 30%-50%. This government also restarted the operations of Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine, the Ghana Publishing Company, WAMCO which had collapsed by 2016.
This government also established the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) and the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), both of which are progressing steadily in the development of these industries.
To curb unemployment, this government introduced the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) and engaged about 100,000 graduates.
The largest number of health professionals have been employed under this government. And over 93,000 GES staffs recruited by this government. For the first time also paid teachers professional development allowance.
The government’s COVID-19 measures were praised by all including experts and foreigners. The government took care of all COVID-19 patients, shared food. Some even were of the view that the NDC had collapsed because the government really stepped in. Loans were given to people. And today, the same people say, they don’t know what the COVID-19 money was used for amd government cannot account for it. Interesting.
Strangely, we have been hit again by yet another global recession. COVID-19 and its impact were not solved and Russia-Ukrainian war came in. This has worsened economies. Ghana has not been spared.
Like it happened in 2007, fuel prices are up, food prices are up. We are all angry. We have forgotten the good old times. We are creating the impression this is the worst government ever in our history just as we didn’t spare Kufour, called him Atta Ayi, and told the world they have stolen our gold and packed enough in their bank accounts. NPP supporters have already bought into this as usual we are leading the fire works.
Don’t get me wrong. Things are hard. Yes, but let’s not pretend not to know the causes and what this government has done. It seems to me that the 2007- 2008 is playing out again.
Today, some of the NDC supporters are bold to join other Ghanaians who didn’t spare Kufour for the few months things became tough to tell the world that he is the best President we have had.
Luckily for this government, it has at least two years more to turn things around. I am positive about things being better than it is today. Situation will stabilise and normalise. I am positive.
As I have said before, we may come to this some day, in the near future.
Dr Kingsley Nyarko (MP, Kwadaso Constituency)
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
