It appears NPP-Germany would have to be reminded of the trauma we Ghanaians abroad went through during the reigns of the NPP. I would take this opportunity as a citizen of Ghana to discuss some important political history lessons with my brothers and sisters f NPP-Germany.
Economy
NPP-Germany is alleging that the economy of Ghana under the NDC government is bad. Do I have to remind the NPP-Germany that, the NPP government left Ghana’s economy in a complete mess. All the economic indices were pointing in the wrong direction. Inflation was about 20 percent and rising, the cedi was falling in value, budget deficit was out of control, productivity was very low and there was absolute hopelessness in the economy. Today, inflation is at a historic low level of a single digit and still falling, the cedi is stabilised and gaining against some of the major currencies, economic growth is surging, confidence in the economy is buoyant with volume of foreign direct investment is impressively high. Now you can see who made Ghana broke, it was the NPP, the NDC is fixing the mess and making Ghana a better place for all of us.
Business Environment/Cocainocracy
I will agree that the import regime inherited by the NDC from the previous NPP government needs to be rationalised and made simple. We the Ghanaians living abroad are sometimes the victims of a very complicated and sometimes unfair import regime. However, there is another type of dodgy business that must be condemned by all who love Ghana. The NDC under President Mills rightly vowed to demolish the illicit drug trade that was flourishing under the previous NPP government under the watch of President Kufour, Nana Akufo Addo and others. The NPP government allowed Ghana to become a major hub of illicit drug trade.
This got worse when prominent member of the ruling NPP government which include financiers, members of parliament, party executives children of prominent members were accused, some caught and jailed and some protected by the NPP government when dockets regarding these cases got vanished under the watch of Nana Akufo Addo. Ghanaians lost their good reputation and were treated as suspected drug traffickers any time we travel through ports of entry/exit in the world. It was very embarrassing. No wonder Pamela Bridgewater, former US ambassador to Ghana under President Bush suggested that ‘narcotic drug barons are generally large supporters of the New Patriotic Party’.
Is the NPP-Germany asking the NDC government to encourage these kinds of ‘dirty businesses? Were they happy that Nana Akufo Addo de-confiscates the assets of drug barons like Benjilo and Raymond Amankwah (his relative)? This negative image is almost removed since the advent of the DNC government. We Ghanaians living abroad are grateful the NDC government under President Mills. Now you can see why the NDC is hostile to this kind of business.
Importation of Used underwares
The NPP-Germany appears to be in strong support of importation of all manner of used/rejected products into Ghana. I want to believe that majority of members of NPP-Germany do not want Ghanaians to continue importing used products including hospital bedsheets, used underwares etc. The importation of some of these items have detrimental health and economic effects on our country . We must not allow those greedy individuals whose parochial interests lead them to go through the bins in Europe, collect all the junks and ship them to Ghana for quick money and call themselves businessmen.
The NDC believe in Ghanaians, we believe we can produce better clothing in Ghana, we are encouraging investors both local and international to invest in the production of some of these consumable in Ghana. This will generate sustainable economic activity and ensure job creation. The result of the NDC government good policies in this and other sectors is already producing significant Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) inflows to Ghana. In this regard, the first quarter of 2011 have recorded significant growth of GH¢ 527.63 million, representing 92.95%, as compared with GH¢225.88 million in the first quarter of 2010. Now you can see why the arguments of the NPP-Germany fall flat on its face. Ghana is getting better under President Mills.
Corruption/Cleptocracy
Is the NPP-Germany aware that president Kufour declared that corruption cannot be eradicated in Ghana? Where was the NPP-Germany when President Kufour declared at Cape Coast in 2002 that corruption could not be eradicated in Ghana because it was part of human kind since it started in the days of Adam and Eve, and that it was as old as creation itself?, that a lot of people attempted bribing him and he told them to hold on because it was not the right time?, When Haruna esseku alleged that President Kufour was taking bribes?
Today, President Mills is not robbing Ghana and using the booty to buy hotels for his children, selling state lands to himself and cronies for cheap, stealing Ghana’s oil and keeping it in the name of two party members and getting $300 million out of it even before Ghana could get $100 million. They are free for now because their collaborators in judiciary are shielding them. But justice will be served one day. Ghanaians are happy to have a president who is not a kleptomaniac.
I hope this little political history lesson will help my brothers in NPP-Germany.
Long Live NDC Good Governance
Long Live Ghana
God Bless us All
Kwame Agbodza