Kevin Taylor
I could not hide my utter disgust upon watching the video clip of the social media commentator, Kevin Taylor gleefully scolding the NPP government led by President Akufo-Addo for allegedly promising to deliver Heaven to Ghanaians during the 2016 electioneering campaign, but rather delivering Hell.
More disturbingly, on the video clip, one could hear vividly, the obstreperous social media critic, Kevin Taylor, with unabashed condescension, pontificating somewhat fecklessly that unlike the 2016 general elections, Ghanaians will most likely use their brains instead of their thumbs in 2020 general elections.
To be quite honest, I, for one, cannot get my head around how and why anyone tagging himself as the reflective ‘voice of the voiceless’ can be so patronising. What have Ghanaians done to deserve such naked insults?
The social media fanatic is claiming somewhat ponderously that the ruling NPP government deceived the unsuspecting electorates just to clasp power and amass wealth at the expense of the poor and the disadvantaged. How pathetic?
The seemingly unhappy social media commentator stressed somewhat bizarrely that Akufo-Addo and his appointees are performing below the acceptable standards, because they promised too much and they can’t deliver.
In fact, I find it extremely difficult to comprehend how and why anyone claiming to be a credible socio-economic analyst can venture to stress that the Akufo-Addo’s government is not implementing its Manifesto promises.
The fact however remains that the NPP government has rolled out an encouraging number of its Manifesto promises, including some flagships policies and programmes.
In addition to the reduction of numerous nuisance taxes, the Akufo-Addo’s administration has implemented Free SHS, One District One Factory, One million per Constituency, One Village One Dam, Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development, Rearing for Food and Jobs, National Builders Corp (NABCO), Restored Nurses and Teachers Allowances, amongst others.
So who says the NPP administration isn’t honouring its 2016 Manifesto promises?
With all due respect and no attached condescension whatsoever, the likes of Kevin Taylor must stop living in a denial, engage in serious introspection, and accept the fact that the erstwhile NDC administration terrible errors in decision-making which sent Ghana’s economy deeply into the mire to some large extent, caused their humiliating 2016 election defeat and not any juicy promises by their political opponents.
I have always maintained that whenever the so-called political commentators keep holding on to vague rhetoric and political insobrieties with a view to misinforming the unsuspecting public, it gives some of us the energy and reason to deflate the obvious misconception.
Let us be honest, it is extremely unreasonable for anyone to expect a government that has been in power for less than three years to honour all its Manifesto promises within such a short space of time.
After all, wasn’t Ex-President Mahama who strangely claimed that they, (NDC government), had edaciously consumed all the meat on the bone?
Former President Mahama, so to speak, was alluding to Ghana’s unprecedented economic collapse as a result of mismanagement and rampant corruption under his watch.
It is, therefore, extremely bizarre to keep hearing and reading from the apologists of the same people who wilfully collapsed the once thriving economy shouting from the roof top about the supposedly slow pace of development, barely three years of NPP government assuming power.
How could individuals who revoltingly throw Ghana’s economy deeper and deeper into the mire in eight years turn around and accuse the NPP government of not turning things around quickly in barely two and half years in office?
In fact, it was the same NDC government that spent excessively and above its means, and, in the process needlessly increased our total debt from GH9.5 billion in 2009 to GH122.4 billion as of December 2016.
This means that there was virtually no money left in the national purse for the incoming NPP government to turn things around quickly.
It is, therefore, quite unreasonable for the likes of Kevin Taylor to expect the NPP government to keep all its Manifesto promises within a short space of time.
Let us remind Kevin Taylor that despite all the economic mess left by the erstwhile Mahama’s administration, the current NPP government under the able leadership of President Akufo-Addo has commendably undertaken a number of social interventions.
Since assuming power, Akufo-Addo’s government has taken estimable strides to improve the social mobility gap through implementation of poverty reduction policies such as Free SHS, one district one factory, one million dollars per constituency, tax reductions, a dam per village in the northern part of Ghana, Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Rearing for Food and Jobs, among others.
It is also worth reminding Kevin Taylor that in spite of the huge economic mess created by the outgone NDC government amid stunted economic growth, the Akufo-Addo’s government has efficiently raised the economic growth from a nauseating 3.4%as of December 2016 to around 8.6%within a short space of time.
Upon taking office, the NPP government has dramatically reversed the inflation rate to around 7.8% from a little over 15%as of December 2016.
Clearly, President Akufo-Addo and his government are graciously delivering on their Manifesto promises to the delight of the vast majority of Ghanaians.
Frankly stating, if President Akufo-Addo and his government managed to fulfil all those promises, trust me, it would be an illustrative case of “heaven on earth”
Let us, therefore, point it out to Kevin Taylor that there are uncountable NDC’s broken Manifesto promises in the past, but the one that has stencilled on discerning Ghanaians mental sheets to date, is the one-time NHIS premium.
That Manifesto promise, so to speak, was destitute of honesty and integrity. So Kevin Taylor, who says that the NDC is an honest party?
It would be recalled that prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections, Ex-President Mahama and his NDC made a number of Manifesto promises to Ghanaians. But as to whether they honoured those promises, is a million dollar question.
It goes without saying that the NDC solicited votes from Ghanaians, and, in exchange, they guaranteed everyone protection of life, property, provision of social amenities, better socio-economic standards of living and to a certain extent liberty.
Dearest reader, if you may recall, during the 2008 and 2012 general elections, the NDC Party gave a cornucopia of Manifesto promises, including one-time NHIS premium, free SHS, ‘making dumsor a thing of the past, putting money in Ghanaians pocket, creating more jobs for the jobless, stabilising the economy, protecting Ghanaians from the menaces of galamsey and Fulani herdsmen, bringing an end to dubious judgement debt payments, fighting the rampant sleazes and corruption amongst others.
Regrettably, though, after giving all those richly interesting, albeit unrealistic promises with a view to deceiving Ghanaians for their mandate, the NDC government, as expected, woefully failed to honour the promises, and, consequently, a total of 55.6 per cent (44.4 for Mahama) of the electorates rightly voted them out of power in 2016.
In retrospect, the NDC government failed terribly to initiate expedient policies to overturn the failed policies of agriculture, poverty reduction and resource allocation in the areas of healthcare, education, finance, supply chain management and security sector planning, amongst others.
It is, indeed, quite ironic that despite all the harsh economic conditions amidst corruption allegations (Bus branding, Brazil World Cup, SADA, SUBA, GYEEDA, SSNIT, NCA, Ford Expedition Vehicle, amongst others), the likes of Kevin Taylor can still go ahead and aim accusing fingers at the NPP government of promising the electorates heaven, which led to NDC’s humiliating 2016 election defeat.
Kevin Taylor, based on the preceding facts and figures, it would be somewhat disingenuous for anybody to claim that NDC is an honest party that can steer Ghana to the right direction.
Kevin Taylor, as a matter of fact, the good people of Ghana aren’t ‘daft’ as you would want us to believe, but they rather stencilled the dreadful errors in decision-making on their mental sheets and waited for an opportune time to teach the clamorous NDC ‘Babies with sharp teeth’ a great lesson.
And, who said that 7th December 2016 was not the right time for the good people of Ghana to vent their spleen on the disrespectful and power intoxicated brats?
K. Badu, UK.
k.badu2011@gmail.com