Opinions of Wednesday, 28 December 2022

Columnist: Joshua Dedee

History has a funny way of repeating itself (Deje Vu); the case of Progress Party under Dr. K.A. Busia and New Patriotic Party under Nana Akufo-Addo

Late Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Akufo-Addo Late Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Akufo-Addo

The Busia-Danquah and quite recently, Dombo political tradition, has cast its name in stone in Ghana's political history since the attainment of Independence from British Imperialism in 1957.

It was therefore not surprising when his Excellency the late president Jerry John Rawlings of blessed memory succinctly put in his speech in 2016; 'The New Patriotic Party can not be underestimated, you know it, I know it, they have been in existence for a long time and have been changing their name up to this day. The nature of who they are, what they are, and where they come from, is something they are happy with, and will be there for a long time'.

Jerry John Rawlings couldn't have put it much better because, of the same stock, the seeming similarities of happenings within the Progress Party and New Patriotic Party led by Dr. K.A Busia and Nana Akufo-Addo respectively, are quite revealing. Historians see it not as a coincidence, but as history repeating itself.

The Progress Party's government came to power on the backdrop of vile propaganda, slander, lies, deceit, and bastardization of Dr.Kwame Nkrumah and his Convention People Party's government. It was therefore not surprising that the New Patriotic Party, an offshoot of the Progress Party led by Nana Akufo-Addo, also came to power using the same modus operandi against John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress in 2016.

The Progress Party's government bestowed upon Ghanaians, untold and excruciating hardships and anti-foreign policy, which further exacerbated the harsh realities that confronted Ghanaians between 1969-72. The deliberate depreciation of the Cedi by 44 percent, Nigerians were asked to leave Ghana with the passage of the Alien Compliance Order of 1969.

These are manifested under Nana Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party's government with an inflation rate of over 50 percent, with a Cedi depreciation of more than 55 percent between January and October 2022. The tag of war between foreign traders basically, Nigerians, GUTA and government is seen as anti-foreign, and can't be glossed over.

With these harsh Economic realities, the Progress Party's government was toppled in 1972 by the military, leaving an unsustainable debt, impossible to be paid by the Acheapong's government and eventually, led to the "Y3ntua(we would not pay) declaration by him.

Indeed, history being replete with repetition, Nana Addo's government has borrowed, and have put Ghana into unsustainable debt levels, with all rating institutions rating Ghana as junk. This has led to a form of Y3ntua, with government defaulting on the repayments of external debts and haircuts.

The current economic quagmire is more serious than what pertained in 1969-72. The military might not be an option in this current democratic dispensation, but the Voice and thumb of the people can be mightier than the military.

Ghanaians, Let Your Voices and Thumbs count from now to 2024.

Aluta Continua;
Victoria Acerta:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR