The NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says it is time the government stopped using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for our collapsing economy.
According to him, the Nana Addo-led government has been ‘reckless’ in spending throughout the outbreak of COVID-19 despite support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
He maintained that the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have exposed the Nana Addo-led government "big time".
He said measures should have been taken to cut down the bloated size of goverment.
"Look, as a country, where we are now, this collapsing economy, do we still need a seperate Ministry for Agric and Fisheries? Do we still need a seperate Ministry for Railways and Transport? Do we still need a seperate Ministry for Chieftaincy and Tourism? Do we still need a seperate Ministry for Sanitation and Local Government? Do we still need a seperate Ministry for Information and Communication? These are criticial questions we should be askng ourselves. We can merge them," he said.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic brought lots of money for government, as "we had more than US$6billion".
"IMF gave us money, World Bank gave us money, and other donor partners, including WHO . . . in Ghana we suspended our Fiscal responsiblity which allowed the President to go for money from the Stabilization Fund, to even go for money from Bank of Ghana and Bank of Ghana on our blind side printed over GHc 55 billion . . .” he chronicled.
“Everyday when they talk about COVID they forget to talk about this side as well and I don't think they forget, it is deliberate becasue if COVID hadn't come all these monies wouldn't have come in..." he said on NEAT FM’s morning show, 'Ghana Montie'.
Adding that, “Yes COVID was a challenge but it came with a lot of advantages”.
"If your leadership is weak and you don't have strong shock absorbers the COVID-19 and Russia/Ukraine war will espose you . . . COVID has exposed us that we were always a vulnerable nation, that the so called solid economic management team were not even up to liquid".
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Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana
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In corrupt nation the poor and needy suffer . Unless the policies and some laws change this Counrty will continue to suffer . We calling and Praying to THE GOD of all flesh to intervein take away currupt leaders. In Jesus name. Amen
I will advise the NDC to heed the advice to present a constructive policy-based political message. Other than that, the end of the 8-year term by the NPP is imminent and does not need the NDC-instigated election rigging allegedly by the EC. It's also instructive to note that kleptocracy is taking hold of the NDC's political structure, both at the party and national levels. And loss of NDC's credibility and accountability is gaining grounds in Ghanaian politics.
Ablakwa is in his element, doing campus politics and propaganda in support of Mahama's return. In a democratic, progressive, serious, and ambitious political party space, there is no way a visionary party leadership would choose Mahama over Dr. Duffour. Yet the NDC is desperate to impose Mahama on Ghanaians, a Mahama they know very well from his unimpressive performance as president. Using the inexperience of Ablakwa and his cohorts in the absence of a compelling and comprehensive political message is a major failure in itself.
My friend do your research well before you throw dust into our eyes. These ministers who are in-charge of these ministries are MP's are paid with their parliamentary salaries. Unlike your NDC MP's who double as ministers were taking two salaries. So emerging or maintaining these ministries will cost little to the state. You should be talking about the fifteen power purchase agreement of excess power your NDC government signed and it costing the nation a whooping $1 billion annually and also just calculate your 23 MP'S double salaries of Ghc17,000 a month, multiple by 23 and multiple by 4 years and tell Ghanaians the total amount. All your prayers is to get NDC into power so that you get ministerial appointment. Not this time, nyebro.