<<Print>>

The 2016 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party has stated that the statistics on every facet of Ghanaian life points to the fact that the nation is in a downward spiral under the leadership of the John Mahama led National Democratic Congress government. More worrying, Nana Addo stated that Ghana, under John Mahama, does not have very much to show that it would secure the future of her citizens. Nana Akufo-Addo made this known when he addressed a packed Banquet Hall of the State House whilst delivering the 2nd Aliu Mahama Annual Memorial Lectures. Speaking on the theme: �One Ghana: Securing our future�, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that the people of Ghana want their government to create an enabling atmosphere for entrepreneurs to go about their businesses and to make sure that the public service works efficiently and honestly. �The people of Ghana expect their government to run the affairs of the country so that the weak and vulnerable will be protected and social services are managed for the public good,� he stated. The former Attorney General more so, cautioned that, �If we are to succeed in securing our future, we must succeed in securing the public purse. Governments are elected to offer creative solutions to the problems that face a country. Corruption, or to call it by the name that we all understand, the naked theft of public funds, will destroy Ghana and her future if we do not take a firm stand against it. Corruption is undermining confidence in our governance system and that is dangerous for all of us�. However, quoting from the latest Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum, it shows that Ghana under President Mahama was not doing well. �Out of 144 countries studied worldwide, Ghana�s budget deficit was better than only three other countries. We placed 141st. Ghana�s annual rate of inflation was better than just four other countries. The Government�s debt as a percentage of GDP has grown, putting us at 100 on the list. And yet significant portions of Ghana�s debts were wiped out just a decade ago,� Nana Addo said. Continuing, Nana Akufo-Addo further revealed that �In manufacturing, we managed 107th place. On health, we were ranked better than only 22 other countries, even though a few years ago our National Health Insurance Scheme was hailed around the world. On primary education we were 116th...Ghana�s infrastructure, including roads, electricity and internet, was deemed the 110th best out of 144 countries.� Nana Akufo-Addo recounted how on August 5, 2014, the Financial Times carried the headline: �Ghana tarnishes �Africa Rising� story�, as Ghana was forced to run back to the IMF for a bailout. �We had worked hard to wean ourselves off dependence on the IMF to enable us undertake the growth that would transform our nation. Now with oil, Ghana is on a downward slope. The sudden and calamitous decline has left many friends, many institutions, many investors, totally perplexed. How did it all go so spectacularly wrong?� he asked On this basis, Nana Addo explained that, as a nation, Ghana does not have much to be proud of. He urged government not to view this criticism as meaning that �we are running Ghana down�, but rather admonished government to face the reality of these startling statistics as it �can only help us charter a better course for our future and collective survival�. Nana Akufo-Addo told the audience that he came back to Ghana after visiting Korea last month with mixed feelings, considering the vast differences in fortune both countries, which had independence in and around the same time. What had transformed Korea, according to Nana Akufo-Addo, was that fact that they had competent, decisive, results-oriented, disciplined and principled national leadership; because systems were made to work. �It�s about obeying the rules of the game; it�s about developing the people�s pride in the national paradigm that is set; it�s about applying and maintaining market-sustaining incentives; it�s about giving workers the incentives to excel; it�s about investing in human capital; it�s about spending wisely and boldly on infrastructure, research and technical education; and it�s about never shirking your patriotic responsibility as public servants to spend public funds strictly according to value for money,� he said.