The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government's request for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, according to former president John Dramani Mahama, is a glaring example of how it has failed to keep the economy on track.
He asserted that attributing the economic harm on COVID-19 was untenable because the epidemic and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict also had an impact on all of the nation's neighbours.
However, he claimed that none of those nations had achieved an inflation rate of 30%.
Retreat
Yesterday, Mr. Mahama said the current status of the economy emphasised the need for more examination of the administration and more effective exercise of supervision. He was speaking at the conclusion of a three-day retreat for members of the Minority Caucus in Parliament in Ho. He emphasised that the frequently quoted GH25 billion spent on the cleanup of the banking industry was a self-inflicted decision driven by politics.
"ESLA is one of the results of this effort; to far, it has given this government roughly GH23 billion, and this should be sufficient to significantly alleviate the sector's financial issues.
No amount of finger-pointing, according to the former president, could change the fact that the current economic predicament was caused by "reckless election-related expenditure, mismanagement, inefficiency, and lack of effective leadership."
Accountability
He reaffirmed the NDC's commitment to keeping the government accountable and providing workable alternatives.
In addition, he stated, the NDC and the Parliamentary Minority would not be backing the extremely pricey $1 billion syndicated loan arrangement that had been presented. "Our stance on the $250 million component remains the same since it is excessively expensive and detrimental to Ghana's economic interest due to unfavourable terms including the $40 million insurance payment and cumulative interest of more than $80 million.
Accra Card
Regarding the Ghana Card, which is the sole form of identity required for continuous voter registration, Mr. Mahama claimed that it was being utilised as a political weapon to prevent many Ghanaians from voting in the 2024 elections.
According to Mr. Mahama, the National Identification Authority did not register every eligible Ghanaian or provide all the cards to those who had been registered in their system.
"Space must be created for individuals who have not yet been served to exercise their democratic rights of voting until full and comprehensive coverage is achieved in the roll out of the Ghana Card.
The disenfranchisement of Ghanaians for no fault of their own would weaken the democratic foundation of the nation, according to the minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu.