Story by: Ishmael Barfi
The Akufo-Addo administration has strongly been criticized for its economic performance since it took power from former President John Mahama in 2017.
According to Isaac Adongo, the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, the country’s economy has been in shambles, and Ghanaians are in dire hardships.
Isaac Adongo made these remarks during a lecture at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
The lecture, titled “Ghana’s economic mess; Victim of poor economic governance?” raised concerns about the government’s effectiveness in addressing the nation’s financial struggles.
Highlighting the mismanagement of the economy, Adongo specifically emphasized the rising national debt, uncontrolled inflation, and a perceived lack of transparency in economic management.
He further argued that the government Economic Management Team led by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has attempted to deflect blame for these issues onto external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
However, Adongo claims that these challenges were exacerbated by pre-existing weaknesses in fiscal management and high debt levels, citing findings from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Furthermore, Adongo criticized Dr. Bawumia for shying away from accountability for the decisions made by his economic team, potentially contributing to a lack of budget credibility and transparency concerns.
He also emphasized unfulfilled promises made by the governing party, questioning the implementation and effectiveness of key initiatives like the “One Village One Dam,” “One Million per Constituency,” and the “Zongo Development Fund.”
He therefore described Bawumia’s “driver’s maten mindset” as a ploy to appeal for sympathy and deceive the public.
According to Adongo, Bawumia, who is also the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has neglected to address the current economic challenges, leaving Ghanaians to cope with the hardship.
Stressing that, Bawumia has metaphorically “checked out of the office” and is using the prevailing difficulties as leverage to secure support for his presidential ambitions.
During Bawumia’s speech outlining his vision for Ghana on February 7, 2024, he reiterated his comparison of his role in the government to that of a ‘driver’s mate,’ emphasizing that, if elected president, he would assume the driver’s seat with constitutionally mandated authority.
In conclusion, the Bolgatanga Central Member of Parliament Isaac Adongo urged Vice President Bawumia to acknowledge the role policy decisions may have played in the current economic situation and actively seek solutions to alleviate the burden on the Ghanaian people.
He challenged Dr. Bawumia to reflect on past promises and the effectiveness of implemented initiatives.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
