We are better than the alternative regardless – Agyapa Mercer on IMANI’s 56% score of Akufo-Addo govt

Policy think tank IMANI Africa has rated the NPP government of Akufo-Addo as having fulfilled 56.77% of its 2016 manifesto promises.

Current Member of Parliament for the Sekondi Constituency, Andrew Egyapa Mercer of the New Patriotic Party believes his party has the edge in making a case before the Ghanaian voter regardless ahead of the 2020 general elections.


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Reacting to IMANI’s grading in an interview with GhanaWeb, the MP said despite the disparity between the IMANI score (56.77%) and that of his own party of about 78%, what remains evident is that the NPP is better than its biggest opposition, the National Democratic Congress in terms of fulfilling manifesto promises.

“Fairness or otherwise is not the issue, it is their assessment. We have indicated our manifesto commitment tracker and we have provided to Ghanaians the commitments that we have and the commitments that we are in the process of delivering. If we put that together, we have done in the region of some 78% to 80%. They sit and assess from different parameters and think that from their point of view we have done some 56%.

“I am saying that if a third party sits and assesses me and my opponent and says that, well I am better than my opponent, regardless of whether I agree with their parameters or not, to the extent that I can go out there and point that I am better than the alternative so give me the opportunity to proceed to do more for you in the next four years, I am satisfied,” he stated

He emphasized that based on the parameters of assessment, it is not necessary to focus on the disparity in the score given by his party and that given by IMANI, but as well pointed out the significance of the difference between the score gained by the John Mahama led government in 2016 (54% for 540 promises) and the score gained by the current government.

At the event held at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, Mr Dennis Asare, a Research Consultant at IMANI in a presentation of the final scorecard, said the percentage score of 56.77% gives the Nana Addo led government a rating of fair satisfactory in implementing its 2016 manifesto promises.

In contrast, the National Democratic Congress led by Former President John Dramani Mahama in 2016 scored 54% in a similar assessment of its 2012 manifesto which contained some 540 promises.