The Convention People’s Party (CPP) stated over the weekend that the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo are not taking Ghana forward.

In a response to Nana Gyebi – PRO of the NPP UK & Ireland on Maurine Donkor’s News Review show, the CPP‘s UK and Ireland Chairman Nii Armah Akomfrah disputed Nana Gyebi’s assertions that the NPP was moving Ghana forward saying “ they and their sympathises should stop the propaganda because Ghanaians fully understand the reality of NPP rule”.

Mr Akomfrah said that under the NPP:

• Ghana’s Human Development has declined according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

• Labour productivity has become unacceptably low.

• Ghana’s economy has been de-industrialised, with manufacturing share of our GDP declining year on year from 9.02% to 8.1%, and manufacturing share of busuness credit has fallen by 50%.

• Robberies have increased by 224%, because growing inequality and diminishing economic opportunities have led to an unprecedented increase in crime.

• Inflation was now nearer 20%

• We have uneven economic growth which benefits only a handful of people and companies

The CPP Branch has since issued a statement in what it called “Alerting the Public to the True Reality of NPP Rule”

The statement among other things notes that:

• In 1999, a new born child could expect to live to 63.1years, but by 2006 the figure has fallen to 58.5years.

• The number of children who die before their first birthday has risen under the NPP as a result of poverty.

• The number of women who die in childbirth has increased from 186 per every 100,000 live births in 2004 to 244 per 100,000 live births in 2007.

• Lack of investment and arrogant corruption have compromised quality and left us in another state of crisis with the continuing problems in the energy sector and the poor state of our roads, even newly constructed ones.

• Agricultural neglect and decline - agricultural business credit between 1997 and 2007 has fallen from 12.8% to 4.2%, with 63% of the budget for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture coming from donors.

• Ghana is importing $200million of fish every year, despite a vast shoreline.

• There is under the NPP no comprehensive framework for the conduct of social policy. • Over 1,000,000 teenagers have been thrown out of our Education System, effectively ending their young lives. • 500,000 children still not enrolled at schools.

• Ghana’s Technology Ministry closed at a time when all parties agree we need to place science and technology back at the centre of national development.

• Housing deficit is at 1,000,000 houses and increasing by 100,000 each year. • No National Cultural Policy. To end the crisis of youth.

• Market women are being robbed at dawn and most businesses have stopped working at night due to the menace of armed robbery.

• Ghana is now known as a “narco state” because we have become a haven for drug trafficking.

• Growing Indiscipline in society.

• Growing social exclusion.

• No National Youth Policy to promote youth development.

• No coherent approach on economic policy and economic management.

• Failure to achieve single digit inflation.

• Wide spread abuse of the tax system

The CPP asked if this amounts to taking Ghana forward and asked Ghanaians not to believe in the NPP’s self proclaimed achievements and propaganda underpinned by the President awarding himself the highest state honour.

The Statement said the electorate should critically examine the record of the NPP and NDC against that of the CPP and not to be guided by sentimental attachments but whether Ghana is really making the progress it needs to make to transform the lives of the majority of Ghanaians and not the elite few. The Party said that the statistics show that NPP rule has been and will continue to be hell for the vast majority of our population.

The CPP statement further said that unlike the other main parties it has spelt out its plans to deal with all the important issues and problems plaguing our nation, offering bold solutions. That the NPP and NDC are making loose and fantastic promises to the electorate, but are yet to table a comprehensive policy document for scrutiny by Ghanaians.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana. Forward Ever - Backward Never

Communications Directorate – www.cppuk.org info@cppuk.org cppyouth@gmail.com