The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has described the latest promise by the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama – to revive Ghana’s economy with a US$10 billion infrastructure plan – as wishful thinking.
Mahama over the weekend announced his infrastructure plan, called the Big Push.
It is the core of an effort by his National Democratic Congress to create jobs and drive an entrepreneurial agenda if Mahama is elected as president in the December 2020 general election.
The former president says the money will be used to complete projects for dualising roads and erecting 200 community day senior high schools. An NDC government will also finish hospital projects that have been abandoned and build more bridges to facilitate easy movement of goods and people.
Credibility problem
But speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on the Asaase Breakfast Show about a wide range of issues, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful described the move as mere talk.
“The credibility of the person making the promise is very crucial, because earlier on we had the promise of a Hope City to revolutionalise how things are done in the tech space and to create jobs – which did not materialise,” she told Asaase Radio.
She also questioned John Mahama’s promise to pay depositors whose funds have been locked up in bankrupt or collapsed financial institutions, adding that the Akufo-Addo government is clearing the mess created by the previous government.
The minister said Mahama is deluding himself about how successful he was during his time in government and that he “seems to be living in an alternative reality”.
Populist about-turn
“Ninety-eight per cent of depositors have been paid [by the Akufo-Addo government under the programme of banking sector reform]. So, he is coming to pay the 2%.” She added that the former president is just cashing in on the sentiments of a few Ghanaians who are dissatisfied. “And he thinks it’s a campaign promise?’’ she asked.
She was equally surprised by the former president’s sudden change of mind about the New Patriotic Party’s flagship Free Senior High School policy, which he now says he will not scrap.
“The person who sponsored 40 adverts against Free SHS, saying it was not achievable, now turns around and says NPP has done Free SHS – so when [he comes he] will make university education free,” the minister said.
Fred Dzakpata
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