The Minority in Parliament has labeled the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the 2018 State of the Nation Address delivered by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as bankrupt and bereft of ideas.

The Minority, who appeared in the House in black outfits (which in Ghanaian circles signifies mourning) said the government lacks ideas aimed at eradicating or mitigating the miseries of the people of Ghana, a situation visited on them by the bad economic policies and insensitivity of the ruling government.

Explaining further to the media after the President’s State of the Nation address, the Minority indicated that, the President merely engaged in the usual promises he did last year, without even telling Ghanaians what accounted for the numerous failures of previous promises given during various encounters with the people of Ghana.

The 1992 Constitution of Ghana places a mandatory obligation on the sitting President to address the people of Ghana through Parliament of the state of the country as at the start of the year, stating “The President shall, at the beginning of each session of Parliament and before a dissolution of Parliament, deliver a message on the state of the nation”.

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency and Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was disappointed with the delivery of the President, indicating that the President failed to tell Ghanaians why he was unable to achieve the promises he gave them last year, something he was expected to do, and cautioned him to take the people of Ghana serious.

He revealed that, issues that has characterized the country in the run up to the delivery is rising costs of living, rise in fuel prices which has attracted various demonstrations, and the unbearable cost of living the people of Ghana are faced with, which the President failed to touch on as to pragmatic steps to take to mitigate these hardships, “so that those that are on the street, importers, traders, kayayes and the masses that are complaining would get some respite.

He further accused the President for failing to be a true statesman by rising above partisan politics, when he listed and took glory in many projects executed by the previous John Mahama administration without acknowledging him.

He said projects such as the 3 lane Tema Motorway, the project that his senior Minister went to commission today and a host of the projects listed by the President as his legacies, were initiated and executed by the immediate past NDC administration.

Adding that “nothing would have been lost if the President had acknowledged President John Dramani Mahama in all the projests he was basking in, when every Ghanaian knows those projects were initiated and executed by the ex-President”.

According to Hon. Ablakwa, governance is a relay, where batons are handed over to a successor, which means that one government cannot claim ultimate glory.

He alleged also that, the Flagstaff House seems to be cozy for the President, so he has lost touch with the people, adding that “if one listens to what the trotro drivers, the labor front and the ordinary Ghanaians are saying, it makes nonsense of the micro and macro-economic achievements touted by the President”.

“The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government left the Cedi at around Gh¢3.8 to the United States (US) Dollar, but it currently hovers around Gh¢4.4″.

Similarly, the government promised to reduce the debt stock, and the debt to GDP ratio significantly, as we speak currently however, the debt to GDP ratio stands at 73 to 74% as per the statistics given by their source from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), instead of the much talked about 72% the NDC left”. He indicated.

The President, He said, rather used the September 2017 figure of 68% debt to GDP ratio; a case of intellectual dishonesty on the part of the President, using figures in a way that suits his cause.

On one of the failed promises of the President, He indicated that the President failed to honor his promise during the media encounter earlier that he was going to present a blueprint of ‘Ghana beyond aid’ policy.

The Member of Parliament for the Sagnarigu Constituency in the Northern region of Ghana, Hon. Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini on his part accused the President of rather assuming the responsibility of the Commander-In-Chief of the Delta and Invincible Forces of the NPP party, adding that the posture of the President on the actions or inactions of these groups has encouraged more criminal activities to perpetuate with impunity.

He also referred to the delivery and performance of the government as that of hopelessness, rating the performance of the government as hopelessly disappointing.

 

Exclusively Newslinegh