Propagandists NDC Should Shut Up...NPP Fixing Your Mess - Bono Communicaions Director Fires
Constantly, regrettably and shamefully, the propagandists of the National Democratic Congress, whom their (NDC) former Deputy General Secretary described as Politicasters, keep spewing lies to the good people of Ghana about the achievements of the H. E Nana Addo Danquah led administration, saying nothing has achieved by the government.
They have on many occasions thrown challenge to the government to show or tell them of what they have been achieved in the last two years. We decided not dignify their call since “they have eyes but cannot not see.” But upon a second thought, we thought it wise as a communication team to respond to them since our silence would simply suggest that we have indeed not done anything. Based on this, the NPP Communication Team of Bono Region decided to come out with this press release to itemize the achievements of H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo’s government.
Background Our nation was in crises from 2009 to early 2017 and that crises was created and sustained by the Mahama-led NDC Government. The economic conditions got worsened by each passing day coupling with the unprecedented DUMSOR. There was so much suffering in the land and the good people Ghana wanted an alternative which was going to restore hope and better their living conditions. They brought the NPP government to power and in deed, we have restored hope and bettered the living conditions of Ghanaians. Until the restoration of hope by the NPP government, the future for the youth was dark and bleak to the hilt that;
• The ordinary Ghanaian who struggles to feed his family and send his or her child to school was not certain whether having made that sacrifice to pay the bills, his child will even get a job at the end of the child’s studies.
• The young man and woman who, though no fault of their own, have had to drop out of school and cannot find a way out of life’s difficulties.
• The young man and woman, because of financial circumstances at home NEVER had the opportunity to go to school.
• The youth who have worked hard at the University or any tertiary institution still could find a job when he leaves the university.
Fulfilled Promises/Achievements In our quest of restoring hope, we made promises in our 2016 manifesto to the good people of Ghana. Our promises would have appeared to be very ambitious promises. While it still seems ambitious to the NDC, the Nana Addo-led Government has demonstrated a very high commitment towards delivering on its promises. The following are some of the “ambitious” promises made in our 2016 manifesto where the opposition (NDC) thought was not sustainable or achievable:
• The party promised FREE SHS as contained in the 2016 NPP Manifesto and that has been fulfilled. And as a result, a parent of a DAY SHS student is saving GH¢ 1,075.41 per year, while a parent of a Boarding SHS is saving GH¢ 2,015.22 per year. A parent of a Boarding TVET student is saving GH¢ 1,175.41 per year, while a parent of a boarding TVET student is saving GH¢ 2,115.22 per year. Therefore, GH¢5,534.43 is the average savings for a parent of SHS Boarding for a 3-year period. It must be placed on record that government absorbed all fees of 353,053 approved by the Ghana Education Service Council for first year students.
• On the Special Development Initiative such as One Village One Dam and 1 million 1 Constituency, US$ 1 million allocated to each of the 270 Constituencies has been released for investment into local infrastructure. As a result, construction of the following infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) projects are at various stages of completion: one thousand 10-seater water closet community toilets, 1,000 Community-Based Limited Solar Powered Mechanized Water System and 570 Dams completed and used by farmers in the 5 Northern Regions.
• On Railways, there is a massive rehabilitation works on the existing 56km narrow gauge line from Tarkwa through Nsuta corridor, as well as the 70.8km gauge sections of the Eastern Railway Line from Accra to Nsawam and Accra to Tema.
• Under the Nation Builders Corps Initiative, a total of 100,000 unemployed graduates have been recruited to assist service delivery needs in the health, education, agriculture, technology and governance. They are also recruited to drive revenue mobilization and collection.
• On the Restoration of Allowances, Akufo-Addo led government have restored training allowances to cover 54,840 trainees from 77 public Health Training Institutions. Government also approved the recruitment of 15,667 health workers. The government promised to restore the Teacher Trainees Allowance and that has been restored to cover 49,000 teacher trainees from 41 public Colleges of Education.
• Under the reduction of taxes, NPP promised to abolished taxes that are classified as nuisance taxes and that has been fulfilled. Examples of some of the abolished taxes include 17% VAT/NHIL on domestic airline fares, abolished Import Duties on specified spare parts, 5% VAT/NHIL on Real Estate Sales, abolished Levies imposed on Kayayos by the Local Authorities and many others.
• In the Banking Sector, the Bank of Ghana as mandated by Act 930 is to promote the safety, soundness and stability of the financial system and to protect the interest of depositors. The Mahama led administration superintended the banking sector to collapse and per the Asset Quality Review of banks conducted by the Bank of Ghana in 2015 and 2016 identified some indigenous banks as vulnerable with inadequate capital, high levels of non-performing loans and weak corporate governance. To ensure sanity in the banking sector as well as protecting the interest of depositors, the BOG with the support of Government as required by law consolidated the defunct banks, hence the Consolidated Bank Limited. The government also issued bond of GH¢ 5.76 billion to cover the gap between the liabilities and good assets assumed by the Consolidated Bank. Not too long ago, the BOG had the cause to close down over 100 Micro Finance Companies whose continuance of service will bring another “DKM” scam. A total of GH¢ 9.9 billion has invested so far in restructuring the banking sector.
• Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), a total of 90 distress local companies have been selected for stimulus packages.
• On the Planting for Food and Jobs Initiative, a major milestone has achieved nationwide. A total of 80,000 bags of cereal and legume seeds, 36,000 sachets of vegetable seeds and about 2 million bags of fertilizers have been distributed. The government have recruited 850 agricultural extension officers. There is also a new great link between buyers and farmers and this is to avert the situation of no buyer(s) syndrome. To ensure fairness and equity, 34,000 farmers were registered electronically. Also 577,000 farmers were supplied with subsidized fertilizers and seeds. Five warehouses at Yendi, Tamale, Wenchi, Sunyani and Kumasi have been rehabilitated.
• Under the Energy Sector, the NDC government inherited an economy with no DUMSOR in 2009. The poor management of the sector plunged this country into total darkness for five years. Regardless of the DUMSOR, electricity tariffs were so high and the increases were astronomical which brought serious hardships on the people. In opposition we promised to cut down or reduce taxes on electricity and reduce tariffs on water and electricity, we have delivered. We have connected 289 communities to the national grid under the Rural Electrification Programme. We have provided 52,191 portable solar lanterns to poor off-grid rural households. We have also distributed 17,000 cylinders, stoves and accessories under the Rural LPG Promotion Programme. Lastly and most importantly, there is no DUMSOR and this is because Government spends billions of Ghana Cedis to keep the lights on by buying crude where need be.
• On the Young Entrepreneurs Initiative, young men and women who are into manufacturing, farming, ICT, agro processing, energy production, waste processing and many more are now enjoying Tax Holidays. After the tax holiday, 20% income tax rate is applicable to young entrepreneurs and this will enable them access credit from the banks.
• In formalizing the economy, the National Digital Addressing System has been launched and now digital addresses are created.
• Under the “One District One Factory” Initiative, the government through its bilateral relations with the People’s Republic of China, has been able to secure funds to the tune of US$ 2 billion to support the project. It must be emphasized that the amount of money committed into this project is unprecedented. 332 companies have been identified for financial support. 55 companies are up and running. And 10 operational factories have already employed 500 and over people.
• On School Feeding Programme, the programme has been expanded from 1.6 million to 2.1 million children. That makes 25% increase in beneficiaries.
• In Fighting Corruption, we promised on page 39 of our 2016 manifesto to establish the Office of the Special. This promise has been fulfilled. We now have the Special Prosecutor who recently lined up cases ready to be prosecuted by his office.
• In ensuring transparency and accountability the Right to Information Bill has been passed into law. The RTI has been passed into law which will provide for the operationalization of the constitutional right to information. The Bill was first drafted in 1999, reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was presented to Parliament in 2010 under the NDC. The Bill was finally passed into law under the leadership of H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. The Bill almost suffered another set back from the Minority in Parliament when the Minority Leader called for further amendments to be made. He invoked Order 130 for the amendments to be made. But for Majority Leader’s disagreement, the RTI will still be a Bill but not an Act of Parliament.
• Press Freedom- the Akufo-Addo led administration hold our hardworking and distinguished journalists in the high esteem. Journalists are free to express their views on air, print and or on social media under this dispensation. Our current Minister of Information is the accommodating, accessible, tolerant, matured and easy-going person for which the media men will attest to this fact. Anti-government media houses are always given slots or invitations to attend state functions and media encounters or interactions. This is unlike what happened to the likes of Oman FM, Ash FM, Free Press and the Statesman News Paper.
The President as a human right activist and lawyer in most Ghana Law Reports defended journalist in court of contempt or libel by their publication. As the Attorney General, six months after NPP took power in 2001 ensured the repeal of the criminal libel law. However, freedom goes with responsibility and this view was clearly espoused by the Supreme Court in Republic v Tommy Thompson (No. 2) [1996-97] SCGLR 484. In this case, Acquah JSC said inter alia that “The 1992 Constitution does not entitle anyone to unlawfully publish either negligently or intentionally, a defamatory matter about any individual…” Sophia Akuffo JSC (as she was then) also said that “I fail to see any justification in holding the sections 112(2) and 117(1)(h) are unconstitutional. They may restrict the freedom which the media may intentionally publish defamatory matter but they do not take away from the media their right to publish. In Ghana, media practitioners can publish whatsoever they please. However, they may not be irresponsible in their publication and must have due regard for the reputation and legitimate interests of others.”
By this ruling, we would like to urge the media to discharge their duties without fear or favour, but in so doing, they must exercise some level of restraint and respect to others.
With these and more achievements, the ordinary Ghanaian will be the good judge finally on December 7th 2020. We are very confident that the good people of Ghana who have tasted “sweet and bitter” will give us the second mandate to rule this country and lead it to the promise land.
God bless Ghana God bless the President God bless NPP.
<<Print>>