President Nana Akufo Addo
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration appears to be in the good books of Ghanaians as a recent survey conducted put the party in a comfortable lead.
Out of some 5,000 respondents interviewed in 250 electoral areas across the country, 52.7 percent of them said they would vote for President Akufo-Addo;s government while a paltry 33.1% say they would vote for the National Democratic Congress.
The 52.7 percent of respondents expressed their satisfaction with the administration of Nana Akufo-Addo and stressed their readiness to vote to retain the NPP in power, if elections are held today.
The survey, conducted by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, indicates that majority of Ghanaian voters were impressed with the policy direction of the current government and would prefer it to the NDC.
There are some reservations though, as some respondents thought that the government could have done better in its first year in office.
January 7, 2018 marked the first anniversary of the NPP in power.
Out of the 250 electoral areas selected, at least 18 constituencies were believed to be NDC strongholds while 14 were believed to be for the NPP’s.
Free SHS
According to the survey, out of the 5,000 voters, 49% of them endorsed the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy of the government.
The NPP hyped the policy in the run-up to the 2016 elections and truly, implemented it in September last year, thereby benefiting thousands of first-year students in the senior high school who would have dropped out due to financial difficulties.
Although the implementation of the programme has been met with some challenges, government has unceasingly reiterated its resolve to adequately resolve them.
Illegal Mining
The results of the research also showed that 37% of Ghanaians are satisfied with government’s fight against illegal mining (galamsey), which is gradually restoring the purity of some of the water bodies lost to the illegal activities.
Special Prosecutor
The establishment of an Office of a Special Prosecutor to prosecute supposed corrupt public officials was one of the major campaign promises of the NPP prior to the 2016 general elections.
President Akufo-Addo recently assented to the bill setting up the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and it is only the appointment of a prosecutor that is left.
Per the results of the research, 64.5% of Ghanaians backed the NPP government’s decision of the establishment of the office amidst reservations about the character of the individual who would be appointed to the office.
Allowances/NHIS
The respondents applauded the restoration of the teacher and nursing trainee allowances which also formed a major part of the NPP’s campaign message.
According to the survey, 36.5 percent of Ghanaians thought it is a step in the right direction.
The respondents also expressed their satisfaction with government’s efforts to ensure that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which almost collapsed under the Mahama-led NDC admiration, has seen some degree of revival.
By Gibril Abdul Razak