Opinions of Sunday, 18 December 2022
Columnist: Let Truth Be Told Alliance
The World has experienced one of the most lugubrious and challenging adverse economic moments since its existence, resulting from the perilous COVID-19 Pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian War.
It is conspicuous that the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise in late 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei province.
According to "Our World in Data", all-time cases and deaths sum up to 651 million and 6.66 million respectively. This is an up to date data. It is also obvious that the pandemic had an adverse effect on world economies.
Down the lane, the Russo-Ukrainian war sprang up in early 2022. Although it has been ongoing since early 2014, its adverse effect has been experienced recently.
According to Reuter, at least 41,295 people are dead, non-fatal injuries are 54,132 with at least 15,000 people missing, approximately 14 million people displaced, at least 140,000 buildings destroyed, and property damaged is approximate, 350 billion USD.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war have had a ginormous effect on global economies, distorting global commerce and global supply chain management.
Ghana has suffered the effect of those global challenges although the government of the day has been performing meritoriously.
Ghana's Agricultural sector amidst these global challenges has been one of the best on the globe. The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto did his best to help with the economic situation when things went wrong and never complained nor blamed anyone for it.
He worked around the clock by proffering and putting in place adequate measures which helped mitigate and other times alleviate the negative effects of the dire economic situation the country went through.
The Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative by the Agriculture Minister under the Akufo- Addo led government has brought an abundance of food to the country but was not reflected on the market until the introduction of the PFJ market by the Agriculture Minister which exposed the mischief in the supply chain.
This act clearly indicated that there is an abundance of food in Ghana, but it is rather the outrageous pricing of foodstuff on the market by sellers and suppliers for extreme profit that was affecting the chain of supply. Sellers and suppliers are the cause of higher food inflation causing economic woes in the country.
In Ghana today, there has been a significant reduction in the price of fuel. It keeps on dropping day in and day out but the effect of it is not felt by the citizens, all because of the unpatriotic nature of some citizens. Motorists do whatever they like with regard to transportation fares.
Recently, a clash between a motorist and a passenger led to the demise of this passenger who never had the opportunity of bidding his family farewell. This is all due to the unpatriotic and nonchalant behaviors of some Motorists in Ghana. They focus more excessively on huge profits than the lives of their passengers.
It is also conspicuous that the Ghana Cedi is appreciating in value. In recent times, it is one of the best-performing currencies in the world. It is rather unfortunate that it is not being experienced in the lives of citizens because of the attitude of some irresponsible citizens.
It was very sad, to see the minority in the Parliament of Ghana employing a motion of censure against the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta to cause his removal from office. Some MPs from the majority caucus in Parliament also called for the removal of him while the Vice President completely disassociated himself from whatever might have caused the economic downturn. Through it all, the President stood firm by him because He knew the capacity of His selected Minster of Finance.
It is known that there is abundant food in Ghana, a significant reduction of fuel prices, and appreciation of the Ghana Cedi but most Ghanaians are not making it manifest in the cost of living of the country.
The Ghanaian citizen is the main cause of the economic woes in Ghana currently, but not the Honorable Ken Ofori Atta, the one the President has charged to manage the economy of Ghana.
It is time for the citizens of Ghana to pragmatize the "I promise on my honor, to be faithful and loyal to Ghana my Motherland" and Ghana will develop.
SeLaH!!!