Those of you who visited Ivory Coast in pre-independence era can testify how wicked our colonial masters were. British didn’t develop our cities nor build roads. The railway lines they built were purposely to carry timber, cocoa, bauxite, and other bulky goods to the ports to be shipped. The only infrastructure Ghana could boast of now were those built by Kwame Nkrumah and a few supplemented by recent regimes.
Infrastructure is an important variable for judging a county’s, development. Infrastructure is the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of society or enterprise or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function. It can generally be defined as the set of interconnected structural elements that provide framework supporting an entire structure of development. Infrastructure is the building block of a nation’s development. Infrastructures play a major role to facilitate country’s logistic, communication and accesses to energy as an important part of national development.
They make their contributions to economic growth and poverty reduction. It has been proven that the mechanism of each fast growing country was running by the well-managed infrastructure since it supports country’s logistic, communication and accesses to energy. Infrastructure has played a very significantly positive role in the growth performance of countries like South Korea, Japan and recently UAE. When considering infrastructure, site selectors most often consider hard infrastructure assets such as: number and quality of the roadways, airport capacity, rail line connections, availability and reliability of electricity, natural gas, and water and sewer utilities.
We must admit that, thanks to Dr Nkrumah, Ghana would have been like some Central African countries. We often times refer to South Kora and Malaysia but have forgotten massive influx of FDI to those countries just to block Chinese intrusion, We most want to visit Dubai but have forgotten some time ago United Arab Emirate was a desert land and massive investment in infrastructure has made it a golden land today. Donald Trump has promised trillions of massive infrastructure development when he takes office. Couldn’t he have shared the money to Americans because till date some of them live on food stamps and the minimum daily wage is still $7?. Most of Ghanaians abroad have hard time making ends meet with a normal job, and most in US do double. Educated ones would have come home if they could have found job. So I am surprised Ghanaians are being brainwashed by power seekers that there are hardships in Ghana.
There are hardships everywhere and now country has fully recovered from 2008 credit crunch. No country in the world can boast of economic boom since the global recession. Surprisingly, Dr Bawumia, NPP so-called economist, is hiding that from his people. Have people asked why BREXIT, why Donald Trump took it to undocumented migrants? No long ago, car parks at our ministries, departments, security quarters, and schools were made for koko and yoko gari sellers. Now teachers, non-commissioned officers, clerks and even some students are using cars. Through hybrid breeds, there are sufficient food in the market throughout the year. So what is the complaint here? What is the hardship when everyone want to live in urban cities and expect poor farmers to feed them, or expect relatives abroad to remit them? Since the credit crunch, inward remittances have reduced drastically because there is not more greener pastures abroad. The opposition party ignorantly or explicitly tried painting Ghana as a hell to the international world, just because they are not at the helms of affair. This is wicked and diabolical propaganda to win sympathy votes from ignorant voters who will ascribe to their manifestoes.
They have made those in the basket of deplorable sing the same song as “Incompetency Mahama”, “create, loot, and share” , “share with friends and families” etc. John Mahama has engaged those he can trust and believe can to the job and that’s why he does reshuffle often. JA Kufour put his brother and friends to key positions in his cabinet and we didn’t complain. Looking at one of the driving forces behind South Korea growth were Chaebols. Chaebols are huge business conglomerates that are run by families. Samsung, Hyundai, LG, etc are Chaebols. From 1910–1945, Korea was a Japanese colony. As a result of Japanese capital investment, they built industrial infrastructures, schools, hospitals and a proper transport systems to aid their War goal.
My reference to South Korea is because I hear Dr Bawumia comparing Ghana to it many times. To quote from Wikipedia: “When a military coup in 1961 led by general Park Chung-hee overthrew the Democratic Party, the result was a military junta under the SCNR. During this time, the first national Five-Year Plan (1962-1966) was implemented, becoming an important factor in the Miracle on the Han River. It aimed to develop the nation’s economy through expansion of agriculture and energy industries such as coal and electric power; development of basic industries such as chemical fertilizer, cement, oil refinery, iron, and steel; expansion of social overhead capital including roads, railways, and ports; full utilisation of idle resources including increased employment; conservation and utilisation of land; export promotion to improve the balance of payments; and promotion of science and technology.[14] While this first Five-Year Plan did not bring about an immediately self-reliant economy, it brought a period of growth and modernization in preparation for long-term economic success and policy reform.[14]”
I can’t fathom whether it’s shear ignorance or lack of knowledge among some senior members of NPP to downplay the impact of infrastructure on our economy. Even the physically challenged can attest to the massive infrastructural development going on around the country. It is therefore true that President John Mahama’s record is only second to that of our first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
THIS IS HOW NPP IS CAPABLE OF – RECORDS OF RULE: 2001 TO 2008
There is a lot of hypocrisy in contemporary politics. But it would be a mistake to assume that there is more hypocrisy around than ever before. There is just more political exposure than we think but people are critical with the truth which makes hypocrisy difficult to find. It will be recall that hypocrisies of the contemporary politics are relatively and potentially very dangerous. Some examples are the hypocrisies surrounding the Ghana politics. We should stop trying to eliminate every form of hypocrisy, and we should stop vainly searching for ideally authentic politicians. Instead, we should try to distinguish between harmless and harmful hypocrisies and should worry only about its most damaging varieties. Looking back at the political history of Ghana, there is no doubt that we have not been deceived by some people roaming down their ambition down our throats, or using others as scapegoats.
In comparing todays’ NPP seems to be comparing indictment of the Bush Administration’s cynical, anti-democratic manipulation of the media. A critical analysis of American politics today, reviews the curtain on the pervasive political manipulation of the media-and reveals just how fragile our democracy is. Among them are political advertisements and press conferences to mainstream media reporting, clearly showing how political discourse is now dominated by carefully scripted images and rhetoric, all in favour of the NPP and their cohorts. One cannot deny the propaganda style of Akyem mafia politicians who hide behind the scene only to enjoy the fruits of what others have sacrificed their life for.
Lies are often much more plausible, more appealing to reason, than reality, since the liar has the great advantage of knowing beforehand what the audience wishes or expects to hear. “Truthfulness has never been counted among the political virtues, and lies have always been regarded as justifiable tools in NPP political dealings. Ghanaians must be wise in voting and vote not according to tribes or nepotism. Ghana cannot be a centre-right state but a democratic state where tribe is insignificant. The centre-right government would be the worst thing for Ghana. To set the records straight these some of nightmares we had.
The opposition party, NPP, claiming that the worst corrupt government Ghana has had is Mahama led government. Ghanaian voted President Kufour because they wanted a change. Mr Kufour promised “Zero Tolerance For Corruption”: by stating that “There will be, under this administration, zero tolerance for corruption,” His “Zero Tolerance For Corruption” test was by renovating his private home with state money and acquiring Hotel Kufour, known as “Hotel Wawa” among other assets. This sham is what Mr. Kufour calls Zero Tolerance For Corruption? To cover up the financial scandal for fear of vilification, this hotel was sold out before Kufour left office. President Kufour warned his ministers that he won’t permit corrupt administration, this he said – “I won’t tolerate vices but to set the records right”. Retorting to President Kufour warning, one will ask if he did not see or hear his corrupt ministers like Dr. Dick Anane, Mr. Kwamena Bartels presiding over contracts and gave to his family, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Mr. Muktar Bamba, Mr. Isaac Edumadze, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Marfo, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi presided over loans for railways and shared among themselves, Dr. Kwame Amoako-Tuffour, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apreku and the like who plugged the state into severe financial losses, not to mention Kwasi Osei, his foreign minister who imported rotten rice from India, Asamoah Boateng, his information minister who stole the state’s fund and Kennedy Agyapong, who was contracted in the last days of Kufour to supply electrical equipment but did not do. In fact, most of these men are the richest in Ghana.
Another corruption or shear wickedness saw the looting or stealing of furniture and fittings in state’s bungalows occupied by NPP General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow and Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes, speaker of parliament, after their term of office ended. In similar stream, before the naked eyes of Ghanaians, series of cocaine seized by the police and the drug enforcement agents, kept under strict surveillance at the police headquarters vanished in the thin air. In another circumstance, cocaine intercepted on the sea under the close watch by UK and US narcotic officers got missing and the suspects till now walked away free of charge. The current NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo Addo, then minister of foreign affairs and later justice minister also issued Ghana’s diplomatic passports to his niece and boyfriend, who were arrested in Latin America for peddling in cocaine.
The minister of finance, Mr. Osafo Marfo, and senior minister, Mr. J. H. Mensah, on two occasions deceived the Ghanaians to have contracted loans. It was later on found out that IFC loan address was someone salon and the CNCI loan was traced to someone’s garage. While Ghana has diplomas abroad who could have verified the authenticity of these establishments, the duo and their delegates travelled excessively to negotiate the loans which turned out to be a scam causing financial losses to the state.
As if that’s not enough, when in opposition NPP blamed Rawlings’ NDC of selling our telephone network to Melekom Malaysia and later Telenor. But just about to leave office, Kufour sold the same national treasure to Vodafone BV, who had never operated landline in UK and The Netherlands, for a mere token. He was able to lobby the NPP MPs to vote in favour of his plan. This same president after leaving office recommended MPs gratuity of $85,000 each and awarded himself $400,000 a year with luxury cars plus other amenities. They also sold state properties including bungalows and lands at very cheap prices among themselves. There are even no records that they paid for them.
APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Snowball said “The only good human being is the dead one”, that is how hypocritical Ghana politics is. It brings to light how UGCC/NLM/UP, the precursor of NPP did to Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1960s was declared the worst leader on the earth, very corrupt, incompetent, dictator, communist and to an extend that he was known to suck blood and was consult juju called “kankan nyame”. There were so many assassination attempts on his life. The opposition sabotaged anything Dr Nkrumah planned to do for Ghana and when he was finally overthrown all academic books were burnt and CPP was banned totally in Ghana. Below are few things the opposition did to Dr Kwame Nkrumah:
1. PRIOR TO OUR INDEPENDENCE, DR J. B. DANQUAH SENT DR K.A.BUSIA TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND TO STOP GHANA’S INDEPENDENCE.
2. THEY TRIED 5 BOMBS ATTEMPT ON DR NKRUMAH FROM 1951 TO 1958, ONE WAS ON 10 NOVEMBER 1958 AT HIS RESIDENCE IN ACCRA NEW-TOWN.
3. THEY TRIED SUBOTAGING AKOSOMBO DAM WHEN DR BUSIA APPROACHED US AMBASSADOR MAHONEY TO INFLUENCE USA TO STOP SUPPORTING NKRUMAH.
4. ON 2 AUGUST 1962 : KULUNGUGU BOMB ATTEMPT ON DR NKRUMAH, ON HIS RETURN FROM MALI AND BURKINA TO STOP THEM FROM BLOCKING THE UPSTREAM OF RIVER VOLTA.
5. ON NEW YEAR EVE THEY PLACE POLICE CONSTABLE SETH AMETEWE ON GUARD AT FLAGSTAFF HOUSE TO KILL DR NKRUMAH.
So like father like son, NPP will always criticize anything if they are not in power, if it’s not their way, nobody’s way. We know it from historical and President John Dramani Mahama is a victim. First it was Dumsor and when the light problem was 90% solve, they came back to corruption. When they couldn’t incriminate anyone or had nothing to prove, then complained economic hardship. They cried not to have money in their pockets as if Ghana can afford paying social benefits. What is new now is, Mahama is INCOMPETENT and MISMANAGEMENT. Then came allegations and unnecessary press conferences. Those in deplorable are chanting “Change”. But out of Mahama’s incompetency, Ghana has been held in high esteem in terms of infrastructural development and investors’ confidence. Yet NPP and those deplorable can’t see. The sad aspect of it is that they refuse to see because they are sleeping. And I believe they will sleep till thy kingdom come.
We have followed various countries’ politics but the type of politics NPP is staging is a mushroom one. Because they jump into anything they hear and quickly adapt it as their blueprint. In a camouflaging politics they put up these bogus and unfeasible promises: They will build Houses for Kayayei – more houses for Kayayei, will attract more Kayayei instead of training them to stop migrating. They will establish Zongo Development Fund – Zongo People are not refugee in Ghana, they are all Ghanaians and why do they need special Fund? This is an INSULT and SEGREGATION. One District-One Factory – Total of 216 Factories? Did Akufo Addo even build one in 12 years at Kyebi or how many did President JA Kufuor built in 8 years? One Village-One Dam – Average of 3800 dams excluding Greater Accra. Should the villagers expect toilet pit (Atonkom). Those of us from the villages know it’s gimmick. Is this dam going to be on my father’s land or who else? Creating Western North Region as campaign promise? It was an article I wrote: “North Western Region In Offing” on 2 July 2014. It went viral on various media. I sent copies to Sefwi Chiefs and some prominent people and I copied to NDC. I met Sefwi students during their interaction with one Sefwi Paramount Chief at GNAT Hall in July and I emphasized on that and referred them to my article. Tell Nana Addo to come again. NPP has promised and don’t mind promising harbor in Tamale, but then they have promised to tax cut. With tax cut, how can they even afford Single Spine Salaries, restoring various allowance, build kingdoms for security personnel.
When you are desperate for power, you don’t mind promising Heaven.
Fellow Ghanaians and distinguished voters, your vote is your power, vote wisely and vote against LIES, PROPAGANDA, UTOPIAN PROMISES. They have none and will give none. Vote NDC and retain President John Dramani Mahama to power. NPP Change is mere rhetoric.
FOR ME, I DECLARE MY SUPPORT FOR MR JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA.