Opinions of Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Columnist: Sourcesradio Tv
UNITED FOR CHANGE MOVEMENT..UK
After NDC/MAHAMA's six years in office, Ghanaians were expecting the NDC/MAHAMA to properly account for the huge oil revenue, huge taxes this government has burdened us to pay, the huge loans the government has borrowed both internally and externally, the income from our cocoa, gold, diamond, timber and many more.
Most Ghanaians have been expecting and waiting patiently but eagerly for the NDC/MAHAMA government to categorically list the projects they have used these huge sums of money to finance.
We were not expecting them to talk about the economic growth, inflation, real GDP, our debt to GDP ratio though because we knew there was/is nothing good for them to talk about in that sector and the NDC/MAHAMA government did exactly that by running far away from it.
Ghanaians in various places in Ghana and outside Ghana actually thought perhaps the NDC/MAHAMA government was actually using their money for some infrastructural development elsewhere in the country so they were patiently waiting for its accountability but unluckily and saddenly, it seems they have read and heard the contrary after the NDC's release of the projects they have used the money for.
On the 7th day of January 2015, strangely enough, the NDC and government communicators on various social platforms outlined 50 reasons why Ghanaians should retain the NDC after their 8 years term of office which ends in 2016.
Frankly speaking, some of the projects they listed do exist, others ongoing while others don't also exist.
Projects like NHIS office at Tamale, NCA Tamale office, Burma camp Road, Kumasi international airport rennovation do exist.
Others including the CAPE COAST SPORT stadium, the KOTOKURABA market and the building of the 200 SENIOR HIGH schools are also on-going.
On the other hand, there were projects such as the Yamoransa road and others which do not exist.
Our heart saddened after we read those 50 listed projects because after Ghanaians paying huge taxes, entrusting our oil revenue into your hands, cocoa , gold, diamond, timber etc into your hands, is the NDC telling Ghanaians to retain them
because of an NHIS office built? or because of an NCA office built? or because of an on-going building of a stadium and a market?
What happened to all those huge sums of money that are now in their care that could have been used to build numerous hydro electicity power dams, power plants to solve our power crisis, build more industries to reduce our unemployment and others.
If one could buy a tuber of yam in an unrennovated market at 1.50 gh cedis then but now pay 5 gh cedis for the same quantity of yam whiles his/her salary remains unchanged in a rennovated/upgraded market, then how does that bring help to that individual?
If you are building a new teacher training college to train more teachers when already there are trained teachers you have not been able to absorb into the classrooms and even the few you have been able to absorb you have not also been paying their salaries for about three years now then what is the use of that new training college to be built or being built?
We do not even see the need to go on that path of comparing projects because construction of roads, building of schools, provision of water are the very basic things that every government ought to do. Altruistically, it is actually the primary responsibility of every government.
From analysis of facts available, there is no denying fact that, the NPP did better in the areas of infrastructures than the NDC. O yes.
So we expect them to come so we rather tie them down harder with issues of the economy since NPP has already flawed them when it comes to infrastructure which aide in the development of any country but since the NDC prefer infrastructure argument first, we will also tackle it from there first.
Below are some few of the infrastructure, the NPP undertook from 2001 to 2008 during its eight years rule under J.A Kuffour and Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
WATER SECTOR
REGION, PROJECT TITLE, TOTAL COST, DATE COMPLETION
EASTERN
Akwapim. Ridge $10 million 2002
Six Towns Water $10 million 2004
Akim Oda Water C289,000 2005
New Tafo Rehabilitation C145,000 2005
Koforidua Expansion €38.5 million 2009
New Tafo Rehabilitation $16.82 million 2009
Kwahu Ridge Expansion $60.0 million Awaiting Funding Approval
CENTRAL
Winneba Expansion €7.65 million 2002
Kwanyaku Expansion €24.1 million 2007
Bawjiase Water Extension C500,000 2005
Water Impr (schools) C4,547,000 2005
Brimsu Dredging €2.5 million 2006
Baifikrom Expansion €25.8 million 2009
Cape Coast Expansion €37.0 million 2008
WESTERN
SEK/TAK Expansion €29.0 million 2005
ASHANTI
Kumasi Expansion €37.8 million 2009
Mampong $20.0 million Awaiting Approval
Konongo $21.8 million Awaiting Approval
GREATER ACCRA
ATMA Dist. Impr. €30.0 million 2005
Teshie Impr. C78,100 2005
Adenta Impr.(Dodowa) C2,000,000 2007
Ashalley Botwe €6.5 million 2006
ATMA Rural $71.0 million 2011
ATMA Expansion $200 million Awaiting Funding
BRONG AHAFO
Sunyani Expansion $85.0 million Awaiting Parliament Appr.
Techiman Expansion $60.0 million Awaiting Cabinet Appr.
NORTHERN
Tamale Expansion €45.0 million 2008
Damongo Expansion $15.0 million Starting 2009
UPPER EAST
Bolga Expansion $15.0 million Awaiting Cabinet Appr.
Tolon Pipelines C100,000 2005
UPPER WEST
Wa Expansion $58.0 million Awaiting Financing Appr.
VOLTA
Ho Rehabilitation $5.6 million Awaiting Financing Appr.
Kpandu Expansion $15.0 million Awaiting Financing Appr.
Thus far, the total cost expended by the NPP government for the various water projects listed above are as follows:
1. Financing in Dollars ------------------------------------------------------- $ 581.82 million
2. Financing in Euros ------------------------------------------------------- € 283.85 million
3. Financing in GHANA Cedis ------------------------------------------------------- GHC 7,659,100
This list is by no means exhaustive and the Government is still negotiating for financing more water expansion and rehabilitation projects in the Urban Water Sector.
The NPP government is also financing the Rural Water Sector and will be covered as a separate report.
PROJECT LOCATIONS (COVERAGE)
1. Akwapim Ridge ----------------------- Anum Boso, Adukrom, Pawbe, Awukugase, Akropong,
Mampong, Peduase Lodge
2. Six Towns Water Supply ---------- Koforidua, Asamankese, Nsawam, Nkawkaw, Akim Swedru,
Anum Boso
3. Kwanyaku Water ----------------------- Agona Kwanyaku, Swedru, Bawjiase
4. Bawjiase Water Extension ------- Mankrong, Peduase, Donkonitwe, Ayensu Starch Factory
5. Water Impr. In Schools ------------ St. Augustines, Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Aggrey Memorial,
6. Wesley Girls, Ghana National, Univ. of Cape Coast, Ankaful Hospital
MAJOR ROADS
1. Accra-Yamorasa(137km)
2. Accra-Aflao (81.3km)
3. Jasikan-Brewenkes(57km
4. Manso-Asankagwa(34km
5. Axim jn- Tarkwa(62.4km)
6. Abuakwa - Bibiani(74km)
7. Tinga-Bole (253km)
8. Pantang- Mamfe(29.4km
9. Kpando-Worawora/Dambai- (50km)
10. Wenchi-Sampa(30km)
Tamale- Yendi
11. Malam interchange
12. Tetteh Quashie interchange
EDUCATION
1. 56 model schools started and completed 31
2. 130 classrooms for politechnics
3. 31 lecture Theatres built at various university
campuses apart other facilities
4. Medical school at UCC
5. 76 vehicles supplied to colleges of education
6. Making UMAT full fledged university
7. Telecom University
8. Introduction of distance education
9. Upgrading Teacher and Nursing Training to
Diploma awarding institutions
10. Setting up of twifo praso nursing school
11. 224 vehicles supplied to various second cycles
12. Dunkwa on offin health and nursing training school
ENERGY
1. Discovery of oil
2. Kpone Thermal power plant-220MW
3. Siemens power plant- 49.5MW
4. VRA Tema Power Plant -126MW
5. Mining Reserve power plant -50MW
6. Tema Osorno Power Plant -100MW
7. The emergency Power Plant-126MW
8. Bui Hydro Power Plant -400MW
HEALTH
1. Efutu Clinic
2. Karaga policlinic
3. Kpandai.......
4. Tatale.....
5. Buipe......
6. Janga.....
7. Chereponi...
SPORTS
1. Tamale stadium
2. Takoradi Stadium
3. Kumasi stadium refurbish
4. Accra stadium refurbi
5. construction of theodora Okoh hockey pitcht
MAJOR SOCIAL INTERVENTION
1. NHIS
2. Mass Cocoa Sprayn
3. School Feeding
4. Capitation grant.
5. Metro Mass Transit
6. MASLOC
7. Free busing of school kids
8. Provision of school uniforms/bags/exercise bks
9. NYEP now Gyeeda
10. Highly subsidized fertilizers for farmers
11. Free Maternity health care
And the wonderful part is, the NPP achieved all these with only 5 billion dollars in 8years as compared to the amount of 27 billion dollars the NDC used in 6 years
Going forward we also want to tell Ghanaians how the NDC/MAHAMA government have mismanaged Ghana's economy.
Below are outlines of some of the economic indicators inherited by NDC/MAHAMA and how disastrous PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA and his NDC government have made it by worsening it now;
1. Commercial Bank Borrowing prime rate;
he inherited 22%,currently, it has shot up to 30%.
2. Businesses Confidence;
he inherited 104 bases, currently, it's has dropped to it's lowest of 40%.
3. Consumer Confidence;
he inherited 105 bases, currently, it has also dropped to a whopping 38 bases.
4.Treasury Bill;
he inherited it at the rate of 8.8%, however, currently it's at the rate of 25.7%.
5. Growth Rate;
he inherited an effective growth of 7.6% but currently, it stands at 4.5% and analysts are even predicting a further decline to 3.9% by close of the first quarter of 2015.
6. Debt Stock;
he inherited a debt stock of 35.9 billion thus representing 48% of Gross Demostic Product(GDP) but as at September 2014, it has shot up to above 60% of GDP.
7. Debt Servicing;
he inherited it at 9.5 billion gh cedis, currently it stands at 70 billion gh cedis.
8.Currency;
he inherited it at GH 1.9 cedis to a dollar, haven returned from the wilderness, thanks to the cocoa syndicated loan and eurobond, currently it stands at GH 3.2 cedis to a dollar.
This is just to mention but a few areas of the economic indicators and to prove the point that when it comes to the economy which is the life line of any nation that's worth its salt, Mahama and his entire team of ministers are absolutely bankrupt of ideas and a more reason why they should be vehemently kicked out of power come 2016.
Pax vobiscum(Peace be unto you)
#KICK MAHAMA OUT
#May God be praised always