The Young Patriots, a youth wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) contends that the country�s economy has slumped over the past couple of years and is currently in coma because President John Dramani Mahama is treating the agriculture sector with the �Ezra principle.�
According to the Young Patriots, this principle has led to the dwindling fortunes of the agricultural sector of the Ghanaian economy leading to the Dutch disease as reported in the 2013 Ghana Economic Review outlook Report by Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA).
The group claims that at the IEA debate on Tuesday, President Mahama failed to explain why the agric sector of the Ghanaian economy is dwindling and accused him (Mahama) of having no vision for the sector 'beyond rhetoric and propaganda'.
Their comments come in the wake of the celebration of this year�s National Farmers Day celebration slated for Friday.
�President John Dramani Mahama last Tuesday, in explaining why the agric sector of the Ghanaian economy was dwindling sort to play down the effects of the Dutch disease and rather blamed the problem on the fisheries and logging sub-sectors; the report of CEPA pointedly indicates it is the Dutch disease at play...President John Dramani Mahama has no vision for the agriculture sector of Ghana beyond rhetoric and propaganda; we are therefore urging all Ghanaians especially Ghanaian farmers to demand a workable blue print on agriculture from the President during the celebration of the farmer�s day, Ghanaian farmers deserve better than propaganda and cheap talk, the time to get real is now,� President of the Young Patriots, Richard Nyamah said at a press conference held on Thursday.
Below is a copy of the Young Patriots� statement.
THE EZRA PRINCIPLE = DUTCH DISEASE:
A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE YOUNG PATRIOTS ON THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF THE GHANAIAN ECONOMY.
Ghana�s economy has slummed over the past couple of years and is currently in coma because President Mahama is treating the biggest employment sector with what is called the Ezra principle. This is a principle that espouses that farmers and their children are ��bushmen�� and therefore looked down upon. This principle of the President has led to the dwindling fortunes of the agricultural sector of the Ghanaian economy, leading to the Dutch disease as reported in the 2013 Ghana Economic Review outlook Report by Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA)
Ladies and gentlemen, CEPA says the Dutch disease � Shows itself in the increasing loss of international competitiveness of exporting and import-competing activities in the non-oil sector; and loss of factors of production into oil-related subsectors of the services sector; and the consequent slowdown in the tempo of activity or growth rates and threat of rising unemployment,�
President John Dramani Mahama last Tuesday, in explaining why the agric sector of the Ghanaian economy was dwindling, sort to play down the effects of the Dutch disease and rather blamed the problem on the fisheries and logging sub-sectors. The report of CEPA pointedly indicates it is the Dutch disease at play.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media in 2008, the NDC promised Ghanaians improvement in agriculture through massive investment in landing beaches, out-board motors, sea patrols activities to remove pair-trolling from our coast. They also promised to make available cheap regular pre-mix fuel for fisher folks.
The reality check it that prices of fishing nets, fishing boats, pre-mix fuel have increased more than three fold. Fishing boats that cost between GHC 2,500-2,800 today cost between GHC 7,500- 8,000. Premix fuel is not even available most of the time. It is worth noting, that the President, despite of his promise to eliminate pair-trolling on our coastal belts, at the IEA debate rather blamed the dwindling fortunes of the fishery sub-sector the pair-trawling.
The cocoa sub-sector which hit over 1,000,000 metric tons as a result of prudent and systematic measures put in place by President Kufuor due to several factors including smuggling of fertilizers, sprays and the smuggling of cocoa beans across to neighboring Ivory Coast due to better prices, the cocoa sector has seen a drastic drop in production figures and therefore revenue.
Ladies and gentlemen, the role of President Mahama in the reduction of the production of cocoa cannot be over emphasized. Please note that even after Anas Aremeyaw Anas used his much accepted Anas� principle to investigate cocoa smuggling, President Mahama is on record to have used the Ezra principle to negate it.
Anas, after thoroughly investigating cocoa purchasing companies involved in smuggling of cocoa to Ivory Coast caught Amajaro Company fully engaged in the activity. Though hard evidence was provided to the Presidency to have the culprits punished, President Mahama having no regard for Cocoa farmers, rather in a corrupt manner ensured Amajaro regained its license to operate in Ghana. This is the Ezra principle at work, farmers are bushmen and so do not deserve to benefit from their sweat.
Ladies and gentlemen, President Mahama also championed the idea that he would ensure the cotton and rice industries in the Northern regions become major employment sectors and restored to their place of pride. As we speak no functioning policy frame work has been put in place to ensure that there is a transformational growth in the rice and cotton industries in the three northern regions through massive infrastructural and financial investment in these areas.
What the President has prided himself with is the redistribution of the tractors President Kufuor had either acquired or negotiated for to NDC ministers and MP�s. We are all familiar with the Mahama Ayariga tractors debacle.
Ladies and gentlemen, the chart below, sourced from the Ghana Statistical Service is an indication of the dwindling fortunes of the agric sector under the NDC government. Thanks to President Mahama agriculture has reduced to its lowest level ever in Ghana�s history at 0.7 % to GDP.
Ladies and gentlemen lets be reminded that President Mahama has engaged has played propaganda with the Ghanaian economy for too long. The CEPA report indicates that there is a reducing trend in the employment sector due to the fact that, the government has shifted its focus to the oil sector and neglected the agricultural and other sectors of the economy which are the big employers and in which Ghana has a comparative advantage. The trade Union Congress of Ghana chooses to call it growth without development focused on single digit inflationary targets.
The attention shifted to the oil sector is not so much to ensure equity and development to all Ghanaians. As we speak, the Public Interest and Accountability committee, a creation of the constitution in its report has pointed out that some estimated $77m of our oil receipts cannot be accounted for. The Ghana National Petroleum Cooperation has had some estimated $350m of our oil receipts and yet not a single project can be pointed to.
Ladies and Gentlemen President John Dramani Mahama has no vision for the agriculture sector of Ghana beyond rhetoric and propaganda. We are therefore edging all Ghanaian especially Ghanaian farmers to demand a workable blue print on agriculture from the President tomorrow 2nd November during the celebration of the farmer�s day. Ghanaian farmers deserve better than propaganda and cheap talk. The time to get real is now.
Signed
Richard Nyamah
John Kumah
Fred Amankwah Sarfo
Hopeson Adorye
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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