CPP challenges NPP's current 'transformation programme'

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) says the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) current transformation programme is a reflection of the party’s neglect while in power for the very values it is now claiming to uphold.

A statement signed by Nii Armah Akomfrah, Director of Communications of the CPP, said proof of this could be found by analyzing some of the points under the programme such as “we have one of the lowest savings rates in the world, we have unreliable energy supply and we work too hard for too little.”

It said it was quite ironic that the NPP said that they now wanted to transform Ghana with an agenda, which “means changing our systems, processes and outcomes to that of a modern country where things work for all”, with an economy “driven by knowledge, value addition and industrialisation that will create jobs”.

“Ghana expected the NPP administration from 2000 to 2008 to have put processes and systems in place, and to have embarked on value addition and industrialization,” the CPP said in the statement.

Touching on education, the statement said, the NPP seemingly agreed with the CPP’s analysis on the crisis confronting the country’s educational sector as captured in the CPP’s manifesto, “at least on falling standards, BECE failures and low numbers of children reaching Senior High School.

It said however that, the NPP failed to adequately note the need to improve the overall school environment including water and sanitation facilities, “to make our schools safer, healthier and friendlier places for children”.

“The CPP has long recognised the need to provide incentives for teachers in rural and other ‘deprived’ areas, as well as improve working conditions of teachers, including timely payment of salaries for new and current teachers and attractive home-ownership packages for teachers who serve a minimum number of years. This is again captured in our current manifesto,” the statement said.

It said the NPP had lifted virtually to the letter the CPP plan for a free and compulsory integrated school system and the expansion of the basic school system to Senior High School.

The NPP commitment to Science and Technology and Scientific Research is not expansive enough, the statement said.

On Health, it said the CPP understood fully that the problems confronting the sector were mainly unequal distribution of health resources; shortage of health professionals among others.

It said the CPP on the other hand, linked the environment and the lack of proper water sanitation to health which explained why the CPP‘s Health Policy is multi-sectoral addressing the issues of safe water, good nutrition, physical health and environmental sanitation. “In contrast, the NPP policy does not go far enough in an understanding of the link,” it said.

“We propose for example one egg per day as part of one meal for every child in school to help meet the Millennium Development Goal targets. NPP focus seems only on sanitation,” it said.

On housing, it said the CPP had always believed that affordable housing (both in terms of ownership and rental), was one of the most important aspects of a responsive social policy. “Yet, successive governments since the 1970s including 10.5 years of NPP government have failed to provide such housing.

“Landlords continue to exploit workers and small-business owners. If the NPP now believes in social housing, they need be realistic about what they can achieve. Given their failure to complete 5,200 in 8years we fail to see how their promise to build 100,000 homes can be achieved as compared to the CPP’s proposed 35,000 per year,” the statement said.

“Our Housing Policy also links provision to the training of local artisans. The CPP has a track record of providing social housing and our Housing Policy better meets the needs and challenges of the sector,” it said.

On the economy, it said the NPP seemingly agreed with the CPP analysis of Ghana’s economy, but failed to note that they had been in government for 8 years recently and thus were part of the failures they had noted in their manifesto.

“They have been at the helm of affairs which has led to the collapse of our manufacturing sector to only 3% of GDP, and the failure to add value or industrialise Ghana,” the statement said.

It said the CPP manifesto noted the need for a Sustainable Economy based on self–reliance and local resource mobilisation.

“Whilst the NPP recognizes the need for planning they do not propose a Long Term Development Plan necessary for a coherent approach to economic policy and economic management.”

It said a CPP Government would restore manufacturing sector’s growth to a 20% contribution to GDP in 4 years and provide State’s assistance to Ghanaian businesses.

It said the NPP on other hand was vague on the “support” it would give to businesses.

“The NPP notes a lack of accountable and responsible public financial management creating a system where corruption is rife, and the question has to be asked again on what they did in 8 years to correct this state of affairs? Can Ghana now believe them on any reforms they now propose?”