I find it astonishing that John Mahama, who as President could not organise public lectures to defend his woeful economic management record, is now seen jumping from one public forum to the other critiquing the economic management record of others.
Is it the case of desperation to return to power after his rejection by Ghanaians in 2016 and 2020?
Or it is that his failure then as President to proudly defend his economic management record was an admission of incompetence? Or better still, his recent feeble attempt to portray the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government in bad light is because he still holds the view that “Ghanaians have very short memory” to forget his abysmal record?
One thing that John Mahama and National Democratic Congress (NDC) need to come to clear terms with is the fact that, they cannot run away from John Mahama’s abysmal economic management record for which Ghanaians convincingly voted against in 2016. There is no escape route for them from this fact.
They should not think the recent globally induced economic challenges will all of a sudden cause Ghanaians to forget the hardships they went through under the leadership of John Mahama at a time when there were no global economic challenges.
To the honest Ghanaian who does objective criticism, please be assured that Government is doing a lot to make lives comfortable and bring the economy back on the track of prosperous growth. With the political football and dishonesty Mahama seeks to play, confronting him with his record of dishonesty, failed promises and incompetence is not and cannot be an exercise in mediocrity as others may say. It is the only way to put things in the right perspective.
Hoodwinking Ghanaians
For instance, Mahama’s desperate promise of repealing the E-Levy in 2025 can only be much appreciated as a plot to hoodwink Ghanaians if;
- Ghanaians are reminded that Mahama in his 2012 manifesto promised “an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of at least 8% per annum with a single digit rate of inflation.” However, at a period without any global pandemic, he failed to attain the average GDP growth rate he promised. Furthermore, aside his first month in office in January 2013 after hoodwinking Ghanaians to vote him, his tenure barely witnessed any single digit inflation.
- Ghanaians are reminded that John Mahama as running mate together with his Presidential candidate in 2008 made a promise that they were going to abolish the communication service tax. On the contrary and after hoodwinking Ghanaians to vote them, they betrayed Ghanaians when they turned around and increased the rate of the same tax they said they were going to abolish.
- Ghanaians are reminded of NDC’s pledge in opposition in 2008 and in the President’s State of the Nation address as a Government in 2009 to implement a one-term premium payment for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). They failed woefully and still shy away from this subject anytime it is mentioned.
- Ghanaians are reminded that former president Mahama in his 2012 manifesto promised to build 10 Colleges of Education for which not a single one was completed by the end of his 4-year mandate.
The above, though not an exhaustive list, is enough to highlight how Mahama and the NDC have always used promises as a way of hoodwinking Ghanaians into voting them. But they are sure to fail this time!
