Breaking the 8 is now a civic responsibility of Ghanaians – Yaw Opoku Mensah

The Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education and an ardent member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Opoku Mensah, has suggested that the party’s agenda to break the traditional 8-year rule of political parties in the country goes beyond party colours, and deemed it a civic responsibility on every Ghanaian.

According to him, the Akuffo-Addo-led administration has done a lot to improve the lives of Ghanaians in just five years of being in office, compared to the eight years tenure of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under former President Mahama.

He believes such developments are evident in the standard of living of Ghanaians in areas such as education, health, and the construction of quality infrastructure along the width and breadth of the country. For all these improvements, it is only right Ghanaians give the President his due berries by uplifting the break the 8 agenda irrespective of their political affiliations.

Speaking during a panel discussion on Happy98.9 FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political show, he told Don Kwabena Prah, “The development and transformation of most developed nations are as a result of the continuation of a certain government with a set agenda that has brought the country that far. The whole world has seen the current state of Ghana. Where we took it up from and how far we have brought the country. Now when we talk of breaking the 8, we don’t just see it as a party slogan but it has become a civic responsibility on us all.

Irrespective of your political colours, you have to see it as a duty as a responsible citizen to help the government go ahead with its developmental projects. When these projects are done and you feel it’s time to change the government, we can allow others to take the wheel. We all have to agree on this because that is the only way we can lead Ghana to the promised land. Where we are standing now, we’re just focused on progress and we need the NPP to steer the affairs of the country for as long as they can to be able to put in place their visionary projects.”

To him, the contentious and yet to be approved 2022 budget is the best to have ever been brought to the floor of Parliament. “The best ever budget that has resourced the education sector is the 2022 budget. I have never seen that in the history of the country’s governance. Looking at the content of the budget and what is being practiced, should we change our handiwork, then unless we go back to schooling. What we’ve lost since 1957, the things we’ve borrowed, should we have seen the dream before, the narrative would have been totally different now.”

The PRO further indicated that the recent mayhem that occurred on the floor of Parliament on Monday, December 22, is a result of the Minority caucus’ failure to look at the bigger picture of the proposed e-levy.

He also stated that the opposition NDC is self-centred and only interested in serving their agenda, which is to discredit the NPP government instead of serving the interest of Ghanaians. “Don’t sit somewhere and just conjure stuff just because a policy does not favour your interest. They should just rethink and if they were to be in power being given this abuse, how would they feel? All this nuisance in Parliament is just because someone wants to become President again by all means, but they are not looking at the bigger picture that these projects by the government are just for the country’s benefit. We’re just playing politics with our lives,” he added.