The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the pre-election survey conducted by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) that revealed seven out of every 10 Ghanaians believed government was steering the country in the wrong direction, confirms that the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has worsened the plight of citizens.

The survey also identified that Ghanaians wanted political campaigns ahead of this year’s general elections to focus on how to resolve the issue of unemployment.

Speaking on Inside Politics on Class91.3FM on Wednesday August 10, Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah, said the survey was a true reflection of the failure of the John Mahama-led administration.

“We are OK with the report. All Ghanaians have been vindicated, we are concerned about the way this economy is being run and how our scarce resources are being mismanaged and also how young people coming out from school… (Teachers and nurses) have also joined this whole hopelessness. So, for us, it is a good report. We are supposed to take it seriously and our manifesto will also be able to capture some of these things. But let me be honest with you and let us admit that indeed this country is suffering, and that is the fact,” he stated.

“If a survey indicates that seven out of 10 Ghanaians are complaining, especially about the economy, corruption, and [lack of] jobs, then any serious political party must take it as a serious concern. … The fact is simple; that this government for the past eight years that we’ve given them power, have not been able to [govern] well to fulfil the aspirations of Ghanaians and that whatever they said before they came to power in 2009, they have not been able to fulfil them and that it’s been a total disaster and Ghanaians over the past eight years have seen unprecedented levels of deprivation and hopelessness.”

But in a response on the same programme, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Koku Anyidoho urged Ghanaians to dismiss the report, labelling it as an attempt to divert attention from the woes of the NPP.

“Some of us would have been very surprised if the CDD didn’t come up with this kind of report to attempt to divert attention from the gross ignominy and the gross shame that has engulfed the NPP, its flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo and the running mate, who was going to be used to pursue the NPP’s agenda of churning out lies to try to create the false impression that Ghana is on the brink of collapse.

In 2005, because the CDD sought to work in the direction of the NPP, the NDC in its collective wisdom severed links with the CDD – that’s how come the CDD is suffering and tottering and they haven’t been able to position themselves properly as a credible civil society organisation,” he said.