The electorate have cause to worry about the increasing dishonesty during political campaigns. Political leaders who trade in deception to win votes seem to ignore the fact that lying to the electorate undermines the trust of the people they seek to govern.
A wave of irritation has filled many, ever since the Akufo-Addo led government read its first budget which serves as unquestionable evidence that expectations of Ghanaians would be cut short very soon; and I hope and pray that the new government do not make the people of Ghana angrier than they are already. I need not remind you that the NPP has never changed, and that deception and violence have always been their true vocation. But it remains to be seen if this tactics of deceit can be sustained this time around.
I have an overpowering feeling: and my instincts are screaming at me that Ghanaians should brace themselves for tougher days ahead. There is going to be a waterfall of broken promises, and the consequences of these will be not just irreparable but mind boggling. We should expect a hockey stick moment; we don’t need a prophet of doom to tell us that we are heading towards troublous times.
The 2017 budget is very deceptive, and has no far-flung benefits. I will elucidate. For example, the reduction of street light levy from 5% to 3% is useless and can never ameliorate the suffering of Ghanaians. Before the elections, Nana Kweku Addo and the now perceived Second Vice President told us that electricity bill is higher than the cost of renting a house, and that they are going to drastically reduce it if given the opportunity to rule this country.
But you see, reality is like a cold splash of water; and what we are experiencing in this country under President Akufo-Addo is a harsh, cold one. Assuming someone pays GHC50 as electricity bill a month, what the 2% reduction in the street light levy means is that he or she is going to receive an insulting relief of GHC1. I mean ONE GHANA CEDI! As against the impact of free-fall of the cedi, incessant rise in fuel and gas prices; and transport fares.
Agriculture employs 53.6% of Ghana’s population, and contributes 54% of the country’s GDP; and since government intends to create more jobs through agriculture, which I think is laudable, I expected it to give more relief in the agricultural sector rather than abolishing tax on spare parts just to please a few.
Other evidence is not far to seek, and I’m going to give a more lucid account. But, walahi talahi, I can’t think far – the content of the budget is slipping through my mind like water running down a grate. President Kweku Addo’s slapdash and crappy 2017 budget is full of contradictions. It complains about limited fiscal spaces and high debt levels yet promises heavy spending, while at the same time abolishing many taxes without substance on alternative sources of revenue mobilization.
Also, how can government allocate GHC2.6 billion to 6 ministries: Roads and Highways; Aviation, Communications, Transport; and Works and Housing whereas the Office of the President alone is receiving an outrageous budget of GHC1.5 billion for 2017. This seems to me quite untenable, and I’m wondering whether our president wants to have more money than God!
Laa ilaaha ilaa laa, has the Akufo-Addo led government been cursed with plagiarism? Most of the content of the budget was picked from India Narendra Modi’s budget for 2017, while most sectoral polices were lifted from NDC’s previous budgets without due credit.
It is now obvious that the NPP is cheesing it from their campaign promises, and each day sends a sharp stab of pain in the hearts of the distressed and disappointed Ghanaian electorate. Contractors who were promised to be paid within 100 days in office were not mentioned in the budget.
Reduction of driver’s insurance and the fee for acquiring driver’s license, payment of DKM customers and others are all yamutu. Chai, National Service Persons, have your allowance increment been paid? You were not mentioned in the budget oo. Kikikikikiki, I want to remind the Finance Minister that he forgot to include in the budget the US$21.9 million they purportedly paid to the South African economic consulting firm, Mckenzie to help manage the economy of this country.
Chai, Yaanom dey like South Africa papa, them bring mercenaries from South Africa to train the Invisible Forces, our budget too be prepared by Mckenzie from South Africa. Eiwooo, no wonder people dey call the budget 419 and xenophobic.
In all these, I know the truth. And the truth is that the NPP is being exposed by their campaign lies; and it is now certain that the economy of the country is about to keel over. The electorate are now in a fit of temper, and nothing will please them anymore; nothing will tamp down their ire in 2020. Ghanaians must prepare for the worst without wincing. And the fact remains that posterity will have constant reason to thank my friend, H.E. John Dramani Mahama.
As I sign out, I want to request “Medofo adaada me” by Awurama Badu for the people of Ghana.
