2016/2020 Promises; Gabby vrs McDan

I have a feeling we aint seen/heard nothing yet.

I can prophesy that the embarrassing radio/TV play-backs of unfulfilled political promises made yesteryear by presidential aspirants of the two major parties will continue menacingly. 

This is the political meltdown and it is dredging up some really nasty reminders of insincere promises in the past. Some of them, as we have heard, may not have been promises, as such, but empty criticisms of opponents’ policies that have returned to bite the critics. 

Listening to these promises will take your breath away. Did Bawumia really promise “one constituency one million dollars”!!! That’s one million dollars multiplied by 275 constituencies!

Given the state of the economy at the time, how was this going to be possible?

Had Ghana ever been so infrastructure-rich to the point where we could promise that “two years from now (2017), there will be no village in Ghana without toilet facilities and water?” And we believed it?  

Until the NPP resurrected the issue recently, many Ghanaians had either forgotten or were not aware that John Mahama was determined to sell part of our bauxite concession to his brother. He owes us an explanation.

To qualify to campaign on Free SHS, Mahama must, first, apologise to Ghanaians for swearing in 2016 that Free SHS was not possible till 20 years later. He not only has to apologise; the apology must be preceded by a statement of candour, that “I got it wrong”. 

Excessive borrowing

And now to the scare words, “excessive borrowing”. In 2016, it was the scare word on the campaign trail. In 2024, it is the scare-word on the campaign trail.

What it tells me is that all the bleatings in Parliament, the big talk by our Presidents, their perks of office, including a life-time of free accommodation, free household staff, free driver, free airfare to whichever destinations in the world – mark it, both in office and in retirement – did not take us one step beyond where they took office!

The performance has been so abysmal that in eight years (from 2016 to 2024 – under NPP), the national debt has ballooned from GH¢120 billion to GH¢763billion. Between 2008 and 2016 (under NDC), our total public debt increased from GH¢35.1 billion to GH¢122.6 billion.

So what is reckless borrowing? The answer is blowing in the wind.

Friends

My next topic is on the news that two great friends, Dr Daniel McKorley, popularly known as McDan, and Gabby Okyere-Darko, the President’s cousin, have fallen apart.

For the sake of the youth and students of today, I wish McDan had not opened his mouth to say what he is reported to have said at the November 7 Ghana CEO Presidential Gala Dinner. 
Reports are that he expressed frustration over the challenges local businesses face in Ghana.

In a swift rebuttal, Gabby Otchere-Darko, of the NPP, expressed surprise at the businessman’s criticisms. Writing on X, Gabby said, “I am perplexed! This is from an entrepreneur who enjoyed the full support of government to own the largest salt concession in Africa.”

But Gabby’s words seem to be only the first rumbling of a volcano about to erupt. At a press conference in Kumasi, the NPP Member of Parliament for Subin, Eugene Boakye Antwi, openly blamed Gabby for McDan’s remarks — in an election year.

As a writer, my interest is in what he said next. The MP disclosed that MacDan was given the domestic terminal at Kotoka International Airport to operate, in addition to the Anomabo sea project.

“Under this NPP government, McDan has received about $200 million in contracts,” he revealed.

How did he qualify for such state largesse? Hear the MP: “MacDan intentionally made friends with Gabby to get what he wants.”

You may ask, as I have been asking myself: Does Gabby give out contracts? Every Ghanaian knows – and he himself proclaimed it early last year, during the Frimpong Boateng Galamsey Report brouhaha – that he does not occupy any elective or appointed position.

I won’t pretend that influence of relatives and friends are new in Ghana’s politics, but why should we continue to tolerate situations where our presidents are so powerful that their relatives determine which Ghanaian qualifies for what contracts?

Of interest to me is the very credibility of the man. It will be painful if the youth of Ghana learn that the brains behind the McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge did not sweat to acquire his wealth, after all.

The harm on the youth will be equivalent to the impact the jailing of William Ato Essien, Capital Bank, had on the psyche of the youth. They trusted him.

Yours truly’s interest is not in the NPP boiling or not. My interest is in how these goings-on affect the morale of hard-working contractors and other qualified Ghanaians.

They work so hard only to be shunted aside because they have no access to the President’s brother, niece or nephew.

Is it all that politics means?