Akufo-Addo’s Prolonged Silence on Economic Hardships Unconscionable – Political Analyst

By News Ghana 

Jul 14, 2022

Political analyst and journalist has described as unconscionable the prolonged silence of the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo regarding the current economic difficulties in the country.

Mr. Francis Kobena Tandoh says he is surprised Nana Akufo-Addo is speechless at the time many Ghanaians expected him to show leadership.

Speaking exclusively to News Ghana, the Political Analyst observed many were those who expects the president to take decisions that shows he is in control.

He said, “It is quite unfortunate President Akufo-Addo has been quiet for a long time concerning the economic challenges Ghanaians are facing regarding the skyrocketing inflation, uncontrolled fuel increases, labour agitations among others and I believe this is unconscionable based on what candidate Akufo-Addo told us before the 2016 general elections.”

Consumer inflation in Ghana accelerated to 29.8 percent in June, 2022 from 27.6 percent in May, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) announced on Wednesday, shattering another record. Inflation last hit 29 percent in January 2004.

The June prices were driven by fuel, bread, with prices of imported goods rising more than domestically produced ones for the third month running.

Transport, which includes fuel, registered the highest growth at 41.6 percent. Diesel saw 99.7 percent year-on-year inflation while petrol prices were up by 69.4 percent.

Housing, which includes water, electricity and gas, saw a 38.4 percent increase and food inflation rose to 30.7 percent. Bread prices went up by 44.5 percent.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Ghanaian capital, Accra, last month to register their protest against high inflation, weak growth and a deteriorating local currency.

Four teacher unions including the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers -Ghana, (CCT-GH) announced a strike on July 4, to demand the payment of a 20 percent Cost-of-Living-Allowance (COLA) to cushion them against the excruciating economic conditions.

Other unions within Organized Labour including the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU), the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) have also threatened to strike if a 20 percent COLA was not paid to their members.

After assurances of not returning to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by appointees, the government early this month announced it was seeking support from the Fund with its enhanced economic programme.

The government has blamed the country’s economic crisis on a combination of external factors including COVID-19, and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Mr. Tandoh commended the president for the able manner with which he handled the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country and urged him to do same within the midst of the current economic difficulties.

“People all over the world commended our president for the manner with which he exhibited leadership when we had COVID-19 in our country. I will suggest Nana Akufo-Addo take the bull by the horn by telling Ghanaians the true state of affairs and provide regular economic updates on measures the government has adopted to ameliorate the suffering of Ghanaians,” he added.

The Political Analyst observed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by Nana Akufo-Addo has lost considerable goodwill and that something drastic needed to be done to save the sinking image of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition ahead of the 2024 polls.

He suggested to the president to as a matter of urgency reshuffle his ministers by dismissing Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and others, reduce the size of his government drastically, suspend the construction of the national cathedral and the agenda 111 projects, as well cut down on profligate expenditure.