Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has criticized President Akufo-Addo for running out of ideas in addressing the current economic challenges in the country.

According to him, the consequences of the poor management of the country by government can be seen in the “economic catastrophe” which has affected every sector of national life, particularly education, health and infrastructure.

Addressing members of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) today, November 7, 2023, Mr Mahama lamented that the government has no grasp of the magnitude of the economic suffering that Ghanaians are going through.

He highlighted that government is unwilling to make the necessary adjustment to resolve it despite the economic sitation.

“They also appear unprepared to improve the general governance of our country and end corruption, nepotism, politicization and the weakening of state institutions. They are oblivious to our country’s failing state of education and healthcare and remain fixated on poorly implemented programmes that have thrown the sectors into crisis. We also have a President who has run out of ideas on how to solve the economic challenges we find ourselves in…”
John Dramani Mahama

Justifying his stance, Mr Mahama noted that by President Akufo-Addo’s recent declaration during the NPP flagbearer election, his “focus and last energies are going to be expended on installing his anointed successor” as the next President.

With this, he emphasized that Ghana could have avoided the “unpleasant” economic situation, because the signs of these crises were there for all to see.

“A conflicted Finance Minister, whose interest was to borrow endlessly and mire our economy in a quagmire of debt was obvious as far as from 2019. A President whose budget was creatively crafted to hide huge liabilities in order to present a favorable economic outlook to the world so that he could borrow more from the international market was evident for all to see.”
John Dramani Mahama

Furthermore, the NDC flagbearer stated that appointments of “family and friends” into various positions in government, brazen interference to “obstruct the fight against corruption, reckless abuse of the public purse, arrogance, and luxury in the conduct of public officers”, have all been characteristic of this administration since its inception in 2017.

NDC vows to pursue policies favorable to working class

Touching on the role of the NDC in ensuring a thriving economy when elected, Mr Mahama extended appreciation to the TUC for the opportunity to dialogue on national issues.

He revealed that the NDC is better aligned to pursue policies favorable to the working class.

“We firmly and openly ascribe to the tenets of social democracy, believing that the state and the market can work together to ensure economic expansion and equitable sharing of the fruits of economic growth. We understand that our collective wellbeing as citizens resides in sustained economic growth through high productivity in sectors where we have a comparative advantage. We therefore welcome any opportunity to engage organised labour in the pursuit of these objectives continuously.”
John Dramani Mahama

Moreover, John Mahama expressed his commitment to bringing economic stability to Ghana should he be elected in the 2024 general elections.

He explained that his party is committed to implementing practical economic policies focused on reducing public debt, addressing inflation, and limiting the central bank’s financing of the government through the Bank of Ghana.

Additionally, the NDC flagbearer underscored the need to halt the ongoing economic decline and restore stability to the country’s financial landscape.

He expressed his dedication to alleviating the inflationary pressures that have eroded the income of Ghanaian citizens and working people.

“There must be an end to this decline and the restoration of stability to the economy so that Ghanaian citizens and working people can brief a sigh of relief and not have their already inadequate income eroded by inflationary pressures. In the last few years, I have been outlining policies that the NDC will implement and the aim is to stop the steep decline in the economy, turn it around and stabilise it.”
John Dramani Mahama

Furthermore, Mahama pledged to enact stringent measures to safeguard the rights of workers, reflecting his commitment to the welfare and well-being of the labour force.