Opinions of Sunday, 10 June 2018

Columnist: Michael Kessey

Ghana can’t be transformed overnight

The author believes every faction has a part to play in making Ghana a success The author believes every faction has a part to play in making Ghana a success

Undoubtedly, it is a fact that “to whom much is given, much is expected” and as such the greatest expectation of Ghanaians who willingly voted massively for the then NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, to take the mantle from the then sitting president John Dramani Mahama would be able to transform Ghana in his few years in the reins of power. I am tempted to believe what the former president (JDM) said that “Ghanaians have short memories” is true and if Ghana was in a good state under his NDC administration Ghanaians wouldn’t have booted them out of power.

LEADERSHIP PARALYSIS AND KWASHIOKOR

The unprecedented results emanated from the 7th December, 2016 general elections where the sitting president who had all the state resources at his disposal, was given a technical knockout to prove that Ghanaians were fed up with leadership paralysis and kwashiorkor that has led this nation into abyss to a point of crossing the Rubicon.

THE MOST BRILLIANT POLITICAL THINKER

It is sad some Ghanaians have deliberately decided to create an impression to the general public that the nation’s development which was bad and was nothing to write home about under the NDC’s poor administration is now worse off under the most brilliant political thinker ( Nana Akufo Addo ) who promises and delivers.

SELF-STYLED POLITICAL DETRACTORS

It’s worrisome the way these self-styled Political detractors are wearing wooden spectacles which will prevent them from seeing the good initiatives going on under a competent government. We have been making statements like “Rome was not built in a day” and “nothing good comes easy” and yet we expect mother Ghana which have been destroyed for almost a decade to be transformed overnight.

Ghana would have been a true middle –income country if not for the fact that we had bad managers who took delight in amassing wealth for themselves and their families at the expense of the ordinary Ghanaians.

GOD, THE SUPREME BEING

If God the Supreme Being himself did not use just a day to create the World and all that is in it, then it means he wants to take his time to create something that will be beautiful, perfect and everlasting. Ghanaians who are putting undue pressure on this caring government must understand a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and even in life, it will get worse before it gets better.

COMPASSIONATE PRESIDENT

Ghanaians should be thankful to God for giving them a compassionate president who had the nation and the citizenry at heart, and he is ready to serve his people and motherland even though the country he inherited was in a bizarre situation. Discerning Ghanaians will attest to the fact that under the eight year regime of the NDC government, every sector of our economy was malfunctioning; but same cannot be said under the current government.

SOUND ECONOMIC POLICIES

All over the world, economic growth is triggered by sound economic policies initiated and implemented by visionary and competent leaders who can pull the strings to turn the fortunes of the citizens to the path of growth. These policies serve as a link to addressing the most essential needs of the people and framework that propels all other interrelated sectors of the economy into opportunities for businesses to flourish and creating job opportunities for all. The president has shown clearly that it has what it takes to create the enabling environment for private businesses to flourish to be able to help solve the unemployment challenges facing us.

More so, Ghanaians would attest to the fact that we now have an incorruptible and competent leader in the person of Nana Akufo Addo with the support of his good apostles having been able to breathe life into every sector of our economy which was made to go waste under the lazy and incompetent NDC government to the benefit of all Ghanaians in less than one year six months.

ENERGY CRISIS

Undoubtedly, the current government and his officials have proven beyond all reasonable doubt that they have colour, style, ambience, aura, charisma, courage and experience to look for lasting solutions to problems confronting us as a nation. An example is the solution to our energy crisis which has haunted us for over four years and collapsed Corporate entities to the extent that many workers were laid off. Under this government, the days of “dumsor” were over and Ghanaians have stable power.

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION

With regards to unemployment situation in Ghana in the era of the NDC’s bad governance which led us to hang ourselves due to IMF policy which put embargo on employment has been addressed and the NPP has been able to employ most of the trained nurses and other personnel at the various government institutions.

The president, for the love of the unemployed youth, has also brought on board a good program known as NABCO to help them get something doing since he knows that “the devil finds work for the idle hands” This is a hallmark for a great achievement.

EDUCATION SECTOR

The education sector which was made to rot and decay under the NDC government has been resuscitated.

The president believes that education is the vehicle that can send us to our destination and the only weapon to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, has fulfilled his campaign promise of Free Senior High School.

Today the pressure on parents to secure credit facility before their wards can go to the Senior High School is no more and it has also eased the pressure on Pastors, Imams, Family heads, Parliamentarians and other government Appointees. Textbooks, Exercise books, School uniforms and other materials for students have been provided and Day students are enjoying a meal daily.

This year’s BECE candidate’s registration fee was paid by this good government. The Capitation Grants for heads of Basic Schools which was made to lie dormant under the NDC administration has been increased to help teachers to work effectively towards the growth and development of Ghana’s education.

The School Feeding programme has also been expanded from about 4,881 to 5,528 institutions. Allowances of Teacher trainees and trainee nurses which were cancelled by the previous government have been restored. Government has released GH¢ 285,304,109.00 to offset arrears of the School feeding programme for 2017 and an additional amount of GH¢ 423,930,000 has been allocated to sustain the programme for this year.

THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The Agricultural sector of the economy which is the live-wire of the country was left to rot during the NDC regime to the extent that we had to import foodstuffs from Burkina Faso who in terms of fertile land come nowhere near Ghana. Today, same cannot be said under the current leadership because of its good intervention of planting for food and jobs, has engaged about 500,000 farmers.

THE HEALTH SECTOR

The National Health Insurance policy which was brought on by the NPP administration to phase out the cash and carry system was at the verge of collapse under the NDC administration has been revived and arrears of service providers have been taken care of by this government to sustain it for the benefit of Ghanaians.

SPORTS

NanaAkufo-Addo believes sport is a source of employment that is why he has allocated about GH¢ 46m to the Sports Ministry for sports development in the country. Government intends to construct new stadia in other parts of the region and has plans to upgrade the Accra Stadium to a modern standard. He has also invested in Juvenile sports to encourage the youth into the sporting field.

SHUN PROPAGANDA

Let’s shun NDC’s propaganda and consider the good works this government is embarking upon and exercise a little bit of patience for President Akufo Addo and his apostles in their bid to transform Ghana beyond Aid. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.