Why The NPP Must Be Retained In Power

Some Ghanaian say there is no money in the system but since the assumption of office of the Government of President J. A. Kufuor a lot of measures have been implemented to help solve the myriad of problems facing our Economy. These far reaching measures notably the stability of the Cedi against the major trading currency have indirectly put a lot of money into our pockets. It has created the Environment of Opportunities to enable the individual generate wealth legally. Short of saying the Government must remain in Power forever, The NPP must govern far beyond 2008.

The recent establishment of the Georgina Wood Fact finding Committee, to investigate the cocaine issues making the headlines is just a proof that this Government is not resting on its oars nor is it unconcerned about the cocaine menace. There is no doubt that the incidence of cocaine trafficking has been with us for well over a decade but its reportage has increased significantly because of the prevailing media pluralism and the removal of the criminal libel law. It is reassuring to note that Government has said “we shall deal with any official found culpable”

It gladdens the hearts of most Ghanaians that this is the first time “the festering sores of cocaine have been opened to be treated and healed”. In my couple of years of existence having survived the turbulence of the Revolutionary years, it marks the height of hypocrisy to hear the NDC Pontificate about the issue when indeed during their reign they did not do anything to unearth identity of the barons like it is being done now.

The introduction of the Capitation Grant by this Government, which has resulted in an increase enrolment of children of school going age, is a bold and laudable idea which no one can dispute; not even the opponents of Government can. Simply put the Capitation Grant abolishes school fees and puts the money that otherwise would have been used to pay for the school fees into the pockets of the parents as an anti-poverty initiative. More heart warming is the NEPAD SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM. Under the program children in selected basic schools will have a balanced meal a day for free inclusive of a dessert. Ultimately all children will benefit from this laudable programme. The feeding programme seeks to purchase the food items from the farms in the locality where the schools are located thereby increasing the income of the farmers from their toils. The faint and inaudible opposition noises are that the Capitation grant should be extended to Private Schools. They averred also that the capitation is not enough, wanting their voices to be heard only as an opposition not for its substance but for pure mischief.

HIPC which received lots and lots of criticisms from all angles, some which I would describe as intellectual dishonesty, but since the N.P.P. government is made up of discerning people who have our dear nation at heart, decided to opt for HIPC, its benefit we all are enjoying and some MPs who were very much against it are now chasing it helter-skelter. The Agric Development Bank (A.D.B) stated it has approved this debt relief to Ghana, which reached its decision point in February 2002 under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (H.I.P.C.) Initiative. "With this debt relief, Ghana will be released from up to 80 percent of its annual debt service obligations to the Bank Group during the interim period and will thus have more resources for poverty reduction," an ADB statement says.

Just recently, our dear President commissioned the construction of the Mallam – Yamuransa road whereas the construction of the Cape Coast road is on going. Just ponder over your answer this question, for how long was the N.D.C. in power and for how long has the N.P.P. been in power?

The Millennium Challenge Account (M.C.A.) which was recently signed in Washington, D.C. on the 1-8-06, at the State Department's Benjamin Franklin room, in Chief Executive Officer of the MCC, Ambassador John Danilovich and Ghanaian Minister for Public Sector Reform Papa Kwesi Nduom signed a $547 million Compact, or agreement, between MCC and the Republic of Ghana. MCC Chair Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice officiated and witnessed the signing. She was joined by Ghanaian President John Kufuor.

Should we then sit down for the N.D.C. to throw dust into our eyes, by making unnecessary arguments in the name of propaganda? Your guess is as good as mine. Frankly, speaking I salute the N.P.P. and I say kudos to the N.P.P. Government.