Weak Leadership in National Crisis – Nana Akufo-Addo’s case

Fellow Ghanaians Covid-19 has come to expose the kind of weak leadership we have in this country. Long after covid19, we will remember the cluelessness of our leadership, we will remember the short sightedness of our leadership, we will remember the visionlessness of our leadership. We will all be certain that President Nana Addo was nothing but an overrated politician, Nana Addo was the best thing Ghana never had until he became president.

Whilst in opposition, he had the best cure for every problem in Ghana until he became president. This brings us to the saying that everyone can talk but no one knows what it takes to do the job until you are sitting beside the desk; everyone can tweet, but no one knows what it takes to do the job until you are sitting beside the desk; everyone can lie but no one knows what it takes to do the job until you are sitting beside the desk! This is the classic case of President NADAA.

At a time we are asked not to politicise covid-19, I am shocked to always see the president not living up to his promise, every platform the president gets since the outbreak of covid-19 in Ghana, he tries to score cheap political points. Well I have this to say to him, _practice what you preach or keep mute else we all decide to join you in your diabolic games.

Fellow Ghanaians, the same government which turned a promise of 1 District 1 Factory into 1 district 1 old factory; 1 Village 1 Dam into 1 village 1 hand-dug well; and 1 constituency $1 million into 1 constituency zero money, is telling you that they’ll give tax relief to “frontline health workers” and you’re jubilating? Wait until we start looking for the meaning of “frontline”. This is nothing but a hoax! Shocking enough, the President doesn’t even know who are his front line men. I over heard Dr. Appiah-Denkyira trying unsuccessfully to bail him out on TV3 evening news. Isn’t a shame that a whole President announces a policy which turns out to be unthoughtful?

The president promised yet again of free water for the next 3months, this is to bring some relief to the struggling poor Ghanaians who survive on daily hustles and are finding it very difficult to cope with the lockdown and Assibid wants to know; Who’s the biggest beneficiary of the 3 months free water? The rich who has a house and a pipe.

The poor man who’s renting and doesn’t own a pipe but buys from those with pipe will still pay and buy from those with pipe. You know why? Most of those who sell water depend on it as a source of livelihood. Its a lockdown, he’s not going out, he’s selling water small small to feed his family. Now Nana says he should give it out free, do you think he will comply?

I hear Ghana water company is saying the President’s offer doesn’t include people who owe them, like seriously? Another evidence of a policy formulated on the podium! Maybe, they need some sought of education in this regard, and I will offer them that; the offer means Ghana water company should not charge anyone for usage of their water in the next 3months, taps should be regularly running, and those without access to Ghana water taps should be supplied with water in tanks, it’s as simple as that!

By the way, I want to know who it is that advises Mr. President, do you think free water is what Ghanaians want to survive this lockdown? They need free rent, they need free electricity and they need foodstuffs to survive not free water that is so cheap and they can afford.

In conclusion, I find it strange that we are helpless in terms of getting funds to fight covid-19. This situation is so serious that government is trying all possible means to drain our stabilization fund, the fund that should be used to get our economy on track after covid19 which will certainly destabilize our economy. If the president and his finance minister don’t know what the stabilisation fund is meant for, they should consult experts, they at the moment seems so clueless. There’s a contingency fund element in our national budget every year, what is the use of that fund except for contingencies like covid19? Parliament did well to approve GHc1.2bn from the fund. But a caution here. This money must be accounted for. It must not end up in NPP hands for political campaign.

At this time the bloated budgetary allocation to the presidency must be cut down. Again, downsizing government by reducing the number of ministers to 60 will save this country millions of cedis for more important things at this point of our political dispensation. Moreover, government, has a $100 million to construct a needless Cathedral of doom, can’t that project be abandoned and its funds allocated to covid19 funds?

Last but not least, government has $800million to embark on a new voter’s register, that new voter’s register is even needless in the first place, can’t government allocate that money to covid19?

Fellow compatriots, it’s now abundantly clear that government is having the solution to our current problem but is rather searching for a problem. Borrowing a $100million from IMF at this moment in time when we have several home grown options is certainly unacceptable. By the way is it not the same IMF we said we will never go to again. We are eating back our vomit!

Thank you all for your time.

Assibid Dauda
The Binduri Youth Activist