General News of Sunday, 20 May 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-05-20
NDC flagbearer hopeful, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah
Former Trades Minister, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has given an underwhelming assessment of the New Patriotic Party government’s performance, saying it is struggling to fulfil promises made in the run-up to the 2016 elections.
Highlighting challenges the NPP government is struggling with, Mr Garbrah said: “They have made promises that they have had difficulty in fulfilling. The banking sector is in turmoil over attempts to increase the capital liquidation ratio which is affecting almost all other businesses. People who have had contracts that have been abrogated, others whose contracts have not been abrogated have had a pile-up of bills that the government is not paying.”
“Free SHS has been introduced, but when they[government] realize that they do not have enough money for putting free SHS across the board, they said the first year come and take your free SHS, and even with that, they could not pay the amounts to the schools for more than half the term. Only 20 percent was paid for almost till the end of the term. Matrons and headmasters struggled very hard to balance their books. All that was very ridiculous.”
‘We’re fulfilling our promises’
Mr Garbrah’s assessment of government’s performance is at variance with Dr Mahamadu Bawumia’s, who believes the government has delivered on its promises made ahead of the 2016 elections.
“We made many promises to Ghanaians, and we are working day and night to fulfil them. Some of them we have already been fulfilled. For instance, we promised Free Senior High School Education and true to our word, we have started. Today, finance is no longer a barrier to access to education for Junior High School graduates. That is a great burden lifted off the shoulders of parents by Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.”
The Vice President, who enumerated some fulfilled promises at various events in the Volta Region said the government is on course to meet its part of the social contract.
“We promised to pay closer attention to the developmental needs of the Zongos, and for the first time in the history of Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo has not only appointed a Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development Affairs but has set up a Zongo Development Fund and set aside budgetary allocation of Ghs100 million for it. Just last week we appointed a CEO and his two Deputies to run the Zongo Development Fund. This is evidence that when we make a promise, we keep it,” Dr Bawumia emphasised.
‘Corruption reducing’
President Nana Addo during his Brong Ahafo regional tour also said corruption had reduced under the NPP administration.
“The rot and corruption are gradually reducing in Ghana. We are no longer a subject of corruption on a massive scale- that is no longer a part of the reality of Ghana today,” said the President.