‘Breaking the 8’ too important to NPP than rescuing Ghanaians – Prof Alabi

The 2020 Campaign Manager for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Joshua Alabi, says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has neglected Ghanaians contrary to their numerous pledges to work in the interest of the people.

He said the Akufo-Addo-led government has shown beyond reasonable doubt that it cannot fix the challenges of Ghanaians, having analyzed the 5 year period the NPP has been in government.

Labour Agitations

Recently, there have been many labour agitations as some public sector workers have declared strike over their working conditions.

For instance, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has laid down their working tools today due to the government’s failure to address the worrying condition of service of lecturers.

Withdrawing teaching and related activities until further notice, UTAG said the government has breached the timelines agreed for resolution.

UTAG wants government to reconsider the payment of its annual research allowance because it is critical to their “research output, promotion and ultimately national development.”

Last week, the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) withdrew their service indefinitely effective January 6, 2022.

In a press release on Wednesday, the Association stated reasons including failure of government to implement agreed conditions of service.

“The National Council unanimously agreed to embark on an indefinite strike across all forty-six (46) Ghanaian public Colleges of Education effective Thursday, January 6, 2022,” parts of the statement read.

Fuel Hikes

Most Ghanaians have lamented the hardship in the country following the incessant increment in prices of petroleum products.

Experts have said the fuel hikes have translated into high cost of living among Ghanaians.

Yesterday, the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (C-DAG) announced a 40% increment in transport fares across the country effective Monday, January 17, 2022.

In a press release dated January 10, the Association noted that the upward adjustment has been necessitated by the unbearable hardships facing drivers currently due to the high price of fuel, increase in vehicle prices, and the increment of spare parts and lubricants.

“It must be noted that we commiserate with Ghanaians on the current economic hardship, but in order to keep us in business, we are left with no other option but to adjust transport fares a little upward, which is a 40% increment,” part of the statement reads.

It is for this reason that Prof. Alabi, a former Vice-Chancellor for the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) who was speaking to Prince Minkah on Dwaboase on Power 97.9 FM indicated that the government has shown that it is not committed to solving problems.

He also noted that the NPP government is rather interested in staying in power beyond 8 years irrespective of the hardship Ghanaians grapple with.

“NPP is too obsessed with ‘breaking the 8’ rather than dealing with the challenges facing Ghanaians,” the former Greater Accra Regional Minister said while criticizing the Akufo-Addo government over the hardship in the country.

“They have not done anything meaningful to be given the mandate again…Their performance is abysmal yet when Ghanaians complain they say shut up, we are breaking the 8; when we talk about how bad the E-levy is they say shut up we are breaking the 8,” Prof Alabi further observed.

To him, the erstwhile John Mahama administration that was faced with numerous challenges lived up to the task than the NPP government, stressing that Ghanaians have realised that the NDC ought to be brought to power.

As the 2020 campaign coordinator for the umbrella family, Professor Alabi says he is focused on ticking the right boxes to return the NDC to power to give Ghanaians respite.

“For now that [bringing the NDC back to power] is my focus,” he stated as he rallied Ghanaians to support the party to come to power in the next elections.