As the world experience yet another tumultuous shake-up in its economic and humanitarian architecture, Ghana in semblance of her peers is not spared the corrosive impact of the ‘agents’ of the prevailing global economic and humanitarian crisis. I am unable to proceed without acknowledging the rare resilience, patience and fortitude of the Ghanaian people in these rather hard times. Same will not be out of place to pat the management of the Ghanaian economy in the back for their unrelenting resolve to weather the storm and sail Ghana to an even more safer, sweeter and prosperous destination.
Over the last year or more, there has been much hue and cry over the challenges of the Ghanaian economy. More so when they had experience some respite, rapid growth rate and a flourishing economy that was the envy of the world. The era of economic mismanagement was burnished for good, our anemic, nosediving micro and macro indicators were resuscitated with ‘fresh blood’ with the right nutrients, unemployment suffered a stroke and inflation was curbed; all by dent of capable hands bringing prudent management to the fore.
Unfortunately, the global crisis did bite been hard and continues to bite not only Ghana but the world in its entirety. That is the incontrovertible fact that even the National Democratic Congress (NDC) admits. It is thus mind boggling to find some people already declaring an economy that stayed afloat even at the apex of the world crisis as having crushed. As if to say that was not enough, the likes of the NDC celebrates the global disaster that has inflicted such pain on the people of Ghana as a political victory; what a sad phenomenon. According Micah 7:8 the Bible posit that ‘Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me”. It is the height of insensitivity for any one not at the helm of leadership seeking to score political points of our current situation. More so when it is those who contributed in colossal terms in creating the wounds and fractures to our economy. I mean those whose track record leaves much to be desire. In fact, those whose only way of being credible in the international financial market is to go to the Bretton Woods and when they exit, they refuse to go home and make things work but will be perambulating the corridors of the IMF waiting for another opening. You doubt what I am saying? The NDC accessed the fund more than any government in the history of Ghana; 1983, 84, 85, 86, 87, 87, 88, 88, 2012, 2015. Just bear in mind that Ghana has accessed the fund some seventeen times (17). So, tell me if you can call your farther a responsible dad if all he can do is always waiting for his neighbor to vouch for his credibility almost every year to cater for the family? That is the record of those insensitive group of people who will do all in the power to seek political office. It is apt to say that the Candidate Nana Addo’s postulation of the NDC and their Leader as those thinking of the next election and not the next generation was prophetic and true.
Let me further apprise you with facts regarding only two other macro indicators that proofs that the NDC right from their inception did not and still does not have the competence and experiential knowledge in dealing with managing of the economy. Focusing on the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1996 when the NDC was in power, the growth rate was 4.6, and dwindled to 3.7% in the year 2000. When the NPP took over in 2001, they grew the economy by 5.6% and 9.1 between 2001 to 2008. The return of the NDC in 2012, saw a sustained 9.3% and by 2016, their incompetence manifested again with an abysmal 3.4% of growth. That is the NDC for you folks, having them around the leadership of this country has always been catastrophic and Ghana must allow them stay in opposition to understudy the NPP on the proper management of the economy and other governance.
Another indicator that the NDC shamelessly talk about is rate of inflation. Since 1996, recorded an inflation of 45.56%, then managed to half that number by 2000. The NPP on the contrary was able bring inflation to 12% and even to a single digit in subsequent years.
The advent of COVID 19 and the raging war in Ukraine have rocked the global supply chain, isolated economies and rendered small window economies of the likes of Ghana to struggle. The IMF admits that the aforementioned global issues are and will remain an albatross around the neck of developing and vulnerable economies like our own. This is thus the time to close our ranks, eschew the needless polarization and be nationalistic around the factors that binds us as a people. We might not be facing an invasion like Ukraine or bombarded with sanctions as Russia but what we are going through will not be out of place to describe as an economic invasion brought upon us by external and natural factors. We watch with admiration the synergy between opposing parties in Ukraine laying down their differences and collectively defending their country.
The NPP is in power today but Ghana is for all, if we fail to stand shoulder to shoulder in birthing solutions and solidarity, we risk becoming enemies of the state. Ghana is our homeland, she is all we have, she is our heritage and pride, we must defend her with or without colours.
If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm.” (Frank Lane). We are weathering the storm and Ghana will win again, Ghana will rebound again, Ghana will rise again and Ghana will take her rightful place at the world stage again.
I reiterate that Ghana is in crisis as all other countries but not CRUSHED and will never CRUSHED.
