Opinions of Monday, 26 May 2008
Columnist: Amankwah, Nana Kofi
The New Patriotic Party led by John Agyekum Kufuor and his administration have already exacerlouted class distinction within Ghanaian society. These polices a wrong and an insult to all Ghanaians, especially Ghanaians living abroad.
Ladies, Gentlemen and Nananum, the essence of NPP administration to introduce a new policy to allow only doctors to be exempted from paying their personal use car duties and other harbor fees is an insult to Ghanaians. Majority of these medical doctors went to university and medical school in Ghana; after completing their residency they have refused to pay their students loans which were financed by the tax payers, back to the government. These aforementioned doctors have created huge financial burdens on our government student loan financial system. Now this NPP administration is helping them to live as kings and queens without thinking of the others. The question is what kind of message the government is sending to those under class who provided their service of work to enable people to complete their education. What about the farmers who produce food for the economy and help the government to accumulates foreign currency to acquired equipment they need for them to be come who they are.
As a result of this policy, other professionals who have also contributed enough towards our economy will feel so much trepidation about this NPP administration. I believe this NPP Gov’t could care less about how the others feel. The NPP President John Agyekum Kufuor and his finance Minister Kwadwo Baah Wiredu recently came out to praise Ghanaians abroad for their 4 billion dollars a year remittances towards Ghana’s economy. They are still subjected to pay all duties including that on a single car they bring to Ghana to use for themselves. Mean while these doctors and other health care professionals who still own the government are living an affluent lifestyle. It was these medical students and others college graduates whose defaults on their loans nearly collapsed Ghana Commercial bank; many of them still owe the Gov’t. How can the NPP administration create tiers of two citizenship in one nation, whereby one is treated with dignity while the others is being treated as outcast.
In spite of all these incredible contributions from Ghanaians abroad towards out motherland, anyone who decides to go back home and stay cannot have one car free without paying these high duties. About a month ago I had a conversation with a personal friend who is Ghanaian medical graduate form Cornell University in the United States of America and had taken some personal loans for her medical school. She went to Ghana for a one-year residency service at Okomfo Anokye hospital in Kumasi and she was shocked by the behavior of some of these doctors who often demand payout form patients’ relatives before attending to them, even as the government has provided each one with their own private car and free fuel. She said many times, theses doctors, whom the NPP government is treating as monarchs, will only show up and show concern if the patient is their family member or somebody they know. Sometimes many of them spent just 3 hours at the hospital and use the rest of the time for their personal business. She also complains that the government is not doing enough to provide equipment for Ghanaian hospitals. Patients are on the floor for lacks of beds. Some of the nurses major concerning is coming to work and make their money from the dead bodies when ever the deceased families arrive at the facility. Instead the NPP government and his Ministry of health doing what is best for Ghanaians society, they have used the nation’s resource to create a division of class among the whole nation. We must join together to stop this abuse of power meant to divide us as a nation