Democracy is for the people by the people and with the people. So, Democracy thrives on the will of the people and not the will of Sovereignty because Sovereignty emanates and resides in the will of the people. Therefore, Democracy thrives on the principle of “Social Contract” between sovereignty [civil power/ government] and civil society [people’s power]. For which reason, every government have a social contract with the people who elected them to power to better the lot of citizenry and improve the wellbeing of society politically, socially and economically. So, the “social theory of need” comes into play when citizens elect their leaders where government have the responsibility to provide the basic needs of the people who elected them at the point of need and not at the time of need.
But Contrary to the above narrative of democratic principles of governance, the recent Fitch and Afrobarometer Reports suggests that the NPP government under Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr. Bawumia have used Democracy to suppress the will of the people, stifled media freedom and as well, institutionalized corruption within state institutions, a mantra that has created disaffection among citizens against the government. According to these reports on opinion polls conducted recently by these organizations; Fitch and the Centre for Democratic Development [CDD], democracy under the NPP government is declining. The Report states that the refusal of the government to investigate Electoral violence during the 2020 general elections to bring perpetrators who killed 8 innocent citizens erodes the democratic principle of accountability of state institutions. CDD Report states that “Even Ghana’s much heralded reputation for clean elections have been tarnished by increased violence with 8 fatalities during 2020 Presidential elections and President Nana Akuffo Addo has grown increasingly heavy-handed, stifling the media and eroding the accountability of state institutions”
Further, According to Prof. Agyeman Duah, a former UN Advisor on Governance, former Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana and a fellow with the CDD Stated in an interview with TV3 ON July 18, 2024 that Ghana’s democracy is going in a wrong direction buttressing the poll report of CDD that about 87 percent of Ghanaians thinks our democracy is going in a wrong direction under the NPP Government. According to the Prof. the President is being too legalistic on matters of national interest especially the fight against corruption which has increased within state institutions and the government of the NPP. The report also suggests that preference for military rule against democracy has increased, It has dropped from 86 to 68 percent. Support for democracy has also declined as compared to the past decade 2012-2022 by over 6 percent, from 82 to 76 percent. Satisfaction with Democracy has dropped by 23 percent, from 74 percent to 51 percent. On Corruption and Corruption perception index in Ghana, 77 percent of Ghanaians believe corruption has increased in state institutions. Corruption at the presidency has also increased according to the CDD Report. 75 percent of Ghanaians believe corruption exist at the seat of Government. 55 percent believe all persons at the Presidency are corrupt whiles 40 percent believe not all are corrupt.
So, in assessing these Reports and placing the findings within the context within which these polls were conducted, it is clear that the NPP government has used democracy to suppress the will of the masses, stifled media freedom and democratic development as well as institutionalized corruption among the political elite of the NPP government. In the light of these developments, it can be said per the outcome of the polls that “The government has failed to deliver on its mandate and manifesto promises to address the challenges confronting Ghanaians especially economic freedom and fight against corruption within state institutions and government”. The survey suggests that here is deep seated corruption in state institutions and the Presidency and the lack of political will to bring the situation under control is quiet worrying trend. The Report also suggest that The NPP government has subjected Ghanaians to social repression, economic hardship, high cost of living and high unemployment rate especially among the youth which according to the CDD Report, 2 million youth are unemployed with 55 percent of the youth living in abject poverty and cannot afford 1 square meal a day. The political elite of the NPP government are involved in corrupt practices according to the Report. In recent times, a Cabinet Minister applied to buy SNNIT [Workers Property] and the SNNIT Board approved the sale of SNNIT Hotels to the Cabinet Minister without recourse to stakeholder’s approval and consent and abuse of due process to sell these Hotels. It took months of agitation between SNNIT, Organized Labour who are bonafide owners of these properties, People’s Power and intervention of a seating Member of Parliament to get the deal revoked as results of public uproar and diatribe. About 58 million dollars has been spent on the National Cathedral project with nothing to show. Till date the National Cathedral remains the biggest manhole in Africa. It is also alleged that About 12 million dollars has been paid to a contractor by the government to construct the Pwalugu Dam to support irrigation of farm lands in the north but nothing to show. It is alleged that the contractor has absconded with the money. There have been instances of other corrupt practices associated with the Nana Akuffo Addo government. It is alleged that 12 million and 2 million dollars was spent on non- existing Agyapa and Sky train deals respectively which amounts to causing financial loss to the state. In the recent corruption expose, it is alleged that the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, 5days before he exited the Finance Ministry, awarded a contract sum of 34 million dollars to an amateur company belonging to the daughter of the President for the supply of ambulance spare parts to maintain the National Ambulances. This scandal is corroborated by the Auditor General’s Report which cited that the company involved in the contract award to maintain ambulances is not fit for purpose. For the first time since 1960, the Bank of Ghana went Bankrupt under Nana Akuffo Addo government. The BOG at the time had printed currencies over billions of dollars without Parliamentary approval which led to an unprecedented rise in inflation to about 54 percent. It is also alleged that the BOG bought wrist watches to the tune of 2million to its Board Members and spent 250 million dollars in building a new edifice for the Bank at the time when the Bank was in financial distress. The PDS and PPA scandals have come to pass with no political will to prosecute those involved in those scandals.
So, clearly, these instances of corrupt practices within the Nana Akuffo government corroborates the Fitch and Afrobarometer Reports which suggests that the NPP government under Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr. Bawumia’s government is the most corrupt government under the 4th Republic. The Office of Special Prosecution has failed to fight corruption within the government as results of political interference in his work. Institutions of state that are also mandated to investigate crimes and corrupt practices such as the Ghana Police Service, EOCO, Attorney General etc have failed to exercise their mandates as results of political interference. This is the more reason why the CDD and Prof. Agyeman Duah stated that the President has been more legalistic on issues of national interest especially corruption within his government. The economic indicators also suggests that the National debt stock stands at GHC 742 billion as at July 2024 according to the mid- year budget report read on the floor of Parliament by the Minister of Finance. The debt stock was GHC 120 billion in 2016. There has been a high increase in taxes and petroleum prices that has affected the livelihood of Ghanaians. The government promised Ghanaians in it manifesto that it will move the economy from taxation to production and today it is the other way round. The government has rather burdened citizen with nuisances’ taxes such as E-levy, Covid and betting taxes as well as taxes on petroleum products which has affected the production and distribution of goods and services in the country coupled with high food inflation resulting in high cost of living as results of high increases of food prices and essential products on the Ghanaian markets.
To, this end, it imperative to note that there is the need for change in these narratives and the direction the country is going which the CDD report suggests that Ghana is going in a wrong direction and the only way to change this narrative and direction is to vote for change in the upcoming December 7 general elections. This year’s general election is indeed not about the NDC against the NPP. It is about Ghanaians against bad governance of the NPP government that has failed to address the numerous challenges confronting Ghanaians. The government has failed woefully in improving the sustainable livelihood development of the ordinary Ghanaian for which reason; Ghanaians have the opportunity to change these adverse narratives through the December ballot. It is a passing torch and who fix it knows. Ghana is at a cross road.
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