The Deputy Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to prioritise accountability over making additional promises to Ghanaians.
He argued that instead of making new commitments, the ruling party should focus on delivering on its current obligations and providing transparency to the public.
“We are in the manifesto season, so all political parties will discuss their manifestos. But when you are in government, your priority should not be just a manifesto but rather accounting to the people. It is time for accountability,” he said in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, August 19.
Mr Gbande explained that Ghanaians elected the NPP with the expectation that the government would address their issues and alleviate their suffering. However, he pointed out that even the NPP acknowledges the hardships ordinary Ghanaians face today.
His comments come in response to the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who during the unveiling of the party’s manifesto, made several promises of what the NPP would deliver if re-elected.
Criticizing the NPP’s manifesto, Mr Gbande claimed it fails to address the major challenges facing Ghanaians.
He questioned the credibility of the party’s promises, such as job creation, especially in light of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) programmes shortcomings.
He further described the manifesto as a “recycled plan of deception, lies, and dishonesty.”
“If you measure, according to NAPO, that when we came to power electricity was cheap in terms of dollar. So you have a running mate who measures the standard of living of the people in dollars when in Ghana, we don’t even transact in dollars as a medium of exchange, then clearly you see that it is misleading,” he added.
Mr Gbande noted that Bawumia’s promise to complete the Agenda 111 project indicates that the NPP has a track record of failing to fulfill its promises.
“They promised that when they come, they will build hospital infrastructure, today what has happened to their Agenda 111 project? They said they have built about 40 clinics and hospitals and over 200 health centers.. the question Ghanaians are asking is where do we find these hospitals and health centers?” he asked.
According to him, since the NPP is still in government, if they are genuinely committed to their promises, they should begin implementing them immediately rather than making more pledges for the future.
His comment comes at a time when the General Secretary of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Thomas Musah, has called on the government to honour its promises to teacher unions.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Monday, August 19, Mr. Musah stressed that the government had promised affordable housing for teachers in 2022, yet two years later, the promise remains unfulfilled, yet the promise has been made anew, adding that government needs to revisit this commitment.
“We’ve been here before and I think that we cannot easily progress without looking at what had happened in history. Two years back, we engaged the government and they promised us that they were going to ensure that we get affordable housing.
“When you look at the budget statement, page 105 and paragraph 589 it is there that government will engage the teacher unions specifically NAGRAT to ensure that affordable housing is put in place .. so this is a nice opportunity to give a reminder,” he said.
Mr. Musah also urged the government to expedite action on other promises, such as promoting teachers from the rank of Deputy Director to Director 2 and 1, addressing issues faced by teachers in deprived areas, and delivering on the “laptop per teacher” initiative.
Source: myjoyonline.com
