John Mahama
Verily, we can logically conclude that vague apprehension of patriotism exists in the minds of many Ghanaians, who prefer hero worshipping to defending the national interests.
Thus, some of our leaders, having first-hand knowledge of our servile compliance and hero worshipping gimmicks, tend to take us for granted and continue to provide us with mediocre leadership and services.
We should, however, take solace in the fact that despite the huge economic mess left by the outgone NDC administration, the Akufo-Addo’s government has raised Ghana’s economic growth from a disappointing 3.4% in December 2016 to a favourable 8.6%. And the double digit inflation (15.4% in December 2016) has been reduced drastically to around 7.6%.
It must, therefore, be pointed out that no economist can undo the huge economic mess created by the NDC government within 32 months into a 48 month mandate.
So, it is quite unfair for the NDC loyalists to expect Akufo-Addo’s government to conjure magic and fix the mess so soon when the NDC administration paid GH¢800 million dubious judgment debt, including the GH¢51.2 million to Woyome, $47 million to the Waterville and $325,000 to Isofoton which resulted in the drastic reduction of capital expenditure.
Why must the brassbound NDC supporters expect Akufo-Addo’s government to use 32 months to fix the 96 months massive mess left by the erstwhile NDC government when the same people surreptitiously diverted six million dollars of a government loan facility of $175 million meant to provide seven district hospitals into researching the then governing NDC’s chances of winning the 2016 general elections?
Somewhere last year, I thought I was dreaming when I chanced on the unfortunate news about the misappropriation of $175 million loan facility secured in 2012 which was meant to provide seven district hospitals. But I was not. I was wide awake. The Mahama administration indeed misapplied the loan facility on the blind side of Ghanaians.
The surreptitious research was alleged to have carried out by the United Kingdom based SCL Social, the mother company of Cambridge Analytica.
According to the report, although SCL Social was given six million dollars to carry out a nationwide survey to provide appropriate data for the proper planning of the healthcare needs of Ghana, the NDC government led by ex-President Mahama deemed it fit to divert the loan facility for their internal research at the expense of the sick and infirm Ghanaians. How insensitive?
The contractors, SCL Social, admitted: “The work consists of two discrete political and public health elements. The political element is testing the attitudes and perceptions of the population towards contemporary issues faced in Ghana and public confidence in the capacity and competence of the current administration to implement appropriate timely solutions. As well as the current level of satisfaction regarding the performance of the NDC at district, regional and national level is also tested and the research incorporates how this may translate into future electoral success.”
If we do the arithmetic of the $175 million loan facility which was supposed to provide seven district hospitals, each hospital should have cost us $25 million.
Nevertheless, credible sources have it that out of the seven district hospitals, only the one in Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region received the full funding and was thus completed successfully.
The all-important question then is: where is the rest of the $175 million loan facility?
How can we advance as a nation when some conspiratorial plotters keep hiding behind party coloration, devoid of patriotism and rapaciously squandering our scarce resources to the detriment of the poor and disadvantage Ghanaians?
Since the birth of Ghana’s Fourth Republic (from 1993 to present), the nation has regrettably lost billions of dollars meant for developmental projects through unbridled sleazes and corruption.
If the rampant bribery and corruption, the stashing of national funds by some greedy opportunists , the misappropriation of resources and the crude embezzlement of funds meant for developmental projects by some public officials do not warrant criminal charges, then where are we heading as a nation?
Believe it or not, there is admissible evidence of gargantuan bribery and corruption cases, including monies which were given to parasitic creatures that did not render any services towards the national development. Woyome and Akua Donkor come to mind.
A large portion of Ghana’s scarce resources, regrettably, went down the drain due to the mismanagement and the wanton sleazes and corruption perpetrated by the officials of the erstwhile Mahama administration.
Take, for example, not long ago, a competent court of jurisdiction convicted two of the numerous corruption suspects in the erstwhile NDC administration and sentenced them to six and 12 years respectively.
In fact, some of us, as a matter of principle, share in the sentiments of the concerned Ghanaians, who have been maintaining all along that the sins of the two convicts are meagre in comparison with the other scandalous corruption cases which took place in the erstwhile Mahama administration.
In a related development, on 14th March 2018, the State filed a case of causing financial loss against the former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD and the CEO of Zeera Group of Companies and Agricult Ghana Limited, who have been accused of embezzling over GH¢260 million under the watch of former President Mahama.
But in spite of the admissible evidence of Mahama’s government’s unbridled corruption and incompetence, the loyalists NDC supporters would want discerning Ghanaians to believe that the erstwhile NDC government provided exceptional governance.
The good people of Ghana, regrettably, can attest to wanton corruption, incompetence and frequent abuse of power in the erstwhile NDC government.
Take, for instance, but for the Honourable Agyapong’s whistle blowing prowess, former President Mahama’s sibling, Ibrahim Mahama, would have evaded import taxes in the tune of GH¢12 million. How pathetic?
Delightfully, the EOCO ordered Ibrahim Mahama to pay the GH¢12 million as all his previous 44 cheques were dishonoured by the respective banks. How bizarre?
As if that was not enough, the Mahama administration revoltingly sanctioned a 30 year bauxite mining lease of around 58% to Ibrahim Mahama and his partners on 29th December 2016, just a little over one week for his brother’s government to exit power. How pathetic?
We should, however, rest assured that based on the prudent governance and the current favourable economic outlook; we can confidently conclude that Ghana is heading towards the right direction under the able leadership of President Akufo-Addo.
k.badu2011@gmail.com
K. Badu, UK.