Whenever the two year old Akuffo Addo’s administration is accused variously of under-performing, inefficiency and gross neglect of the basic needs of ordinary Ghanaians, flags immediately go up and counter-accusations are trotted out, praising the government’s achievements in the areas of education, economics and social cohesion.
But available evidence and data do not support the contention that things are moving in the right direction and that the lives of Ghanaians have been markedly altered in the process.
The much touted free SHS education program is just limping along, characterized by policy missteps, overcrowding, inadequate financing, but more importantly, it is infected by a huge drop in the morale of students, teachers and support personnel. It is not a pretty picture in our schools.
On the economic front, circumstances aren’t much better either; in fact, there is nothing to write home about; hyperinflation hovers over the country; prices of consumer goods are increasingly out of reach of ordinary people except of course, the super-rich and politically connected.
Unemployment still remains stuck in the stratosphere; the rate among young Ghanaians is insanely and depressingly high. Our currency, the cedi, continues to suffer humiliation at the hands of the dollar, the pound and regional West African currencies.
And, the creation of six additional regions will only make matters worse; the national expenditure certainly will skyrocket by this politically motivated move.
Ghanaians and businesses have complained bitterly about the difficulties they are facing but to no avail. There is no hope on the horizon. Suffice it to say, things have not turned up exactly as planned by Mr. Addo and his lieutenant, Dr. Bawumia.
Politically, things aren’t so rosy. Partisanship is slowly tearing the country apart and political violence has suddenly reared its ugly head.
The two political behemoths are at each other’s throat and the primary instigator of all the tensions and instability that we are witnessing today is the ruling NPP.
Part of the party’s overall agenda and political strategy is to intimidate, bully and terrorize its main opponent, the NDC, all in an effort to maintain dominance of the political landscape. This does not augur well for the health of our nascent democracy and for the cohesion of the Ghanaian society as currently constituted.
Yes, governance is not exactly a walk in the park as Mr. Addo and others have realized to their chagrin. It takes concerted effort, careful planning and cooperation with even your worst political enemies to get things to run smoothly in a country as diverse and pluralistic as Ghana.
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