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NDC GOVERNMENT A TOXIC
MIXTURE OF INCOMPETENCE AND CORRUPTION, SAYS DR.
BAWUMIA
The 2016 vice presidential candidate of the New
Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says the 7
year tenure of the ruling National Democratic
Congress government has been marked by a combination
of incompetence and corruption, resulting in the
“wahala” the people of Ghana are facing under their
tenure in office.
According to Dr. Bawumia, Ghana would have been ten
times better off under an Akufo-Addo led NPP
government, considering the vast amount of resources
that have been made available to the Mahama
government, which all appear to have been mismanaged
and dissipated.
Addressing party faithful at Nkawkaw, on the “Rise
and Build Tour”, Dr. Bawumia stated that the 7-year
NDC government, from 2009, has received tax revenue
5 times the total tax revenue the NPP received in 8
years under President Kufuor. Additionally, record
export revenues from cocoa and gold over the 7-year
period, coupled with the $3 billion in oil revenues,
points to a government that has received resources
like no other in the 58-year history of Ghana.
In addition to the revenues, the NPP vice
presidential candidate stated that since 1990, no
country has accumulated debt like Ghana has.
“When the NDC came into office, Ghana’s total debt
level was GH¢9.5 billion. It is now GH¢90.5 billion,
in just 7 years. This government will end this year
with a debt level at over GH¢110 billion,” Dr.
Bawumia revealed.
He continued, “With these amounts of resources, we
should have seen a massive accumulation of
infrastructure to match it. But what do we see? We
can’t pay teacher and nursing trainee allowances.
All statutory payments – NHIS, District Assembly
Common Fund, GETFund, etc – are in arrears. What
have they used the money for?
Quoting from the Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund, (IMF), Christine
Lagarde, who revealed that the chunk of the loans
contracted by Ghana have been used for recurrent and
not capital expenditure, Dr. Bauwmia stated that it
comes as no surprise that the signature projects (Sofoline,
Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kasoa Interchanges, Kpong
Water Works, Upper West Regional Hospital, etc) put
up by the Mahama government to justify the GH¢90.5
billion debt accrued, only amount to GH¢3.5 billion.
“What then have they used the money for? Where is
the prudent management we are looking for in the
country? If each region was given $2 billion, you
would have seen massive infrastructural development.
$1 billion can give a region over 1,000 kilometres
in tarred roads. An NPP government would have done
10 times what the NDC is doing with these
resources,” he said.
According to Dr Bawumia, President Mahama’s
government, evident in the economic mess Ghana finds
herself in, has been characterised by incompetence
mixed with corruption.
He was, however, hopeful of a return of Ghana onto
the progress and prosperity under an Akufo-Addo
government.
“I am confident in the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo.
We will build the most people and business friendly
country in Africa. People are suffering and
businesses are suffering, and we can change it. An
Akufo-Addo government will change the fortunes of
Ghana. We will put in place measures to stabilise
the Cedi. Businesses need certainty to plan, and we
will put that in place. Manufacturing and production
will be key under an Akufo-Addo government, because
when we produce we will be prosperous,” Dr Bawumia
said.
All these good plans, he noted, can only be put in
place when the NPP wins power.
“We first have to win power and I am urging you to
work hard to bring Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP back
in office to bring progress and prosperity to the
millions of Ghanaians who are crying for change,” he
concluded.
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