NPP's 24 questions for President Mills

As President Mills prepares to meet editors, media owners and senior journalists, on Friday January 7, the opposition New Patriotic Party although does not fall within the category of participants, has taken it upon itself to forward what it says are questions on the minds of Ghanaians to the President for answers.

“The office of the New Patriotic Party has been inundated by questions from the general public which they wish to ask the President if they had the opportunity as used to happen under the New Patriotic Party”.

“We have, accordingly, compiled and summarised these questions, 24 of them, which reflect the first twenty four months of the Mills-Mahama administration in the opinion of the members of the public who contributed. These are listed below for the attention of both the mass media and the Presidency, said the party in a statement.

Mr President, according to the public:

1. Half of your presidency so far has been characterised by, among other things, hypocrisy, deceit, incompetence, broken promises, and weak leadership. So by prophesising that ‘Action’ will only begin from this year are you not admitting that the first two years of your administration have been, frankly, a waste of time? Don’t forget that in your manifesto you stated categorically, “an NDC government will take over an economy in a state of total paralysis.” So, you gave all your promises after ‘believing’ that the “economy was in crisis”. Can you then still use the 7.3% economic growth you inherited as an excuse for your under-performance?

2. What do you understand by Social Democracy? This is important because the masses have suffered more under your Presidency and businesses are also suffering. Has your social democracy not failed Ghanaians by its equal distribution of poverty among the masses?

3. In the 2008 NDC Manifesto, you promised ‘A Better Ghana’ because in your own words, “the current rulers have failed us miserably. In the areas of the economy, employment, the environment, health, education, the utilities – you name it – failure is the best mark that can be given to the Government.” What marks would you award yourself this time? Another 80%? Do you agree with John Tia, your Information Minister’s remarks that 80% of what you set up to complete in 2 years have been achieved?

4. You promised to care for the people. You promised to create prosperity for all. You promised to “relief the sufferings of the masses”, do you agree with the World Bank that Ghanaians have gotten poorer as a result of the policies of your first two years in office? What have you done to show that you actually meant your campaign message of ‘I care for you’? Why have you broken your promises to the masses? Do you have any specific solutions to bring economic relief to the Ghanaian people?

5. You promised to reduce fuel prices drastically and yet have increased it drastically. How much was the TOR debt when you took office? How much of that has been paid since you took office? How much of that debt has been added since you took office?

6. How much did your Government spend on hedging crude oil prices last year and how has that benefited Ghanaians?

7. People accuse you of being a hypocrite because you say one thing and do another or watch your party people and government appointees do the other. You said at the commissioning of the Accra-Tema railway line in Tema on Thursday, October 28, 2010.“My brothers and sisters when you switch on our TVs, or our radio, you will think that Ghana is at war. Many of us are engaged in politics of insults…[but] insults will not help us to produce…water, insults will not create jobs, insults will not bring about the peace and harmony that we need to develop,” Is it not hypocritical when a President who speaks so loudly against insults ends up appointing people who are known for insulting others and that even when his Ministers insult he looks the other way? They say that you are the President who preaches virtues but hears no evil and sees no evil when his operatives and supporters insult and vilify political opponents for just speaking their minds. What do you say to the charge that you have made hypocrisy the philosophy of Government? Are people wrong to accuse you of being a hypocrite?

8. You promised to introduce a one term insurance premium within two years. Have you given up on it and if not when should Ghanaians expect you to fulfil that promise?

9. Do you agree with the international community that Laurent Gbagbo must go?

10. You promised in your Manifesto that: “Tax policy will be used to encourage people to work. Individuals should be taxed less to create adequate incentive for work and increased productivity. People should decide how to spend their money. The NDC’s tax policy will be to increase the disposable income of individuals…” You also said in your Manifesto, “As a Party of modern social democrats... the new NDC government will not introduce any new taxes.” So why have you broken these promises?

11. You said that after two years Ghanaians should expect “decent wages for the working people.” Two years have come and gone and Ghanaian workers have gotten poorer as wages have not increased in accordance with the rising cost of goods and services. When are teachers, nurses and other public sector workers to go on the Single Spine Salary Structure and get decent wages and salaries? Would that happen under your four-year term in office?

12. Your administration has been perceived as incompetent. This has not been helped by the problems that bedevilled the national census exercise and the District Assembly elections. It has not been helped by promises that have not been fulfilled. Top 50 Achievements that include uncompleted projects projected as part of completed projects, etc. When a football team continues to lose matches do you send the misfiring striker to defence and the error-prone defender to attack or get a new coach? Could that explain the eagerness of some party leaders to challenge you in 2012? And, how do we ensure that, as leader of your party, these growing internal party difficulties would not distract your attention from matters of critical national interest?

13. “Ours will be consensus driven agenda, and in building that consensus we will recognize the contribution of our compatriots in other political parties,” you said upon taking the oath of office. Two years down the line, why has this promise been broken? Why did the Presidency go against its own considered policy and bill, after a national consensus, on not allowing oil revenue to be used as collateral for loans? Is that what you meant by consensus building? Does this not add to charges of incompetence?

14. “I have always said that I will be President for all Ghanaians whether they voted for me or not, and without consideration for which part of the country they come from,” you said on January 7. Does the rampaging lawlessness of your footsoldiers against officials of NYEP, NHIS, etc, the selective arrests of alleged rioters in Tamale, Gushiegu, Agblobloshie and others show that you were serious about fulfilling the promise to be President for all? Why have you not been able to act against this rule of the mob?

15. The drop in SSNIT contributions support the fact that jobs are being lost than created under your Presidency. Instead of creating new jobs your Government has been sacking people and replacing them with your cronies. Or these appointments have been made on His Excellency’s blind side? When are you going to bring in policies that can create jobs for the Ghanaian youth?

16. You again said on Jan 7, 2009, “It will be my duty as President to heal wounds and unite our dear nation. I have no wish to carry out political vendetta of any kind.” Can you show what specific measures you have taken to heal wounds and unite our dear nation? Or were these just nice-sounding words for the ears?

17. You said in your New Year Message, “As President of Ghana, a great moment of joy for me last year, was the presence of my predecessors, former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor at the launch of our First Oil in Takoradi. The presence of the former Presidents at such an all-important national event, gave the ceremony its right and proper Ghanaian identity and Ghana is grateful to them. United we stand, divided we fall!” And, yet, you refused to invite the current Presidential Candidate of the biggest opposition party in Ghana to the First Oil event. Is leaving Nana Akufo-Addo out that which constitutes your great moment of joy?

18. In your Feb 25th 2010 State of the Nation Address you said: “Let me put it very bluntly! The spectacle of homeless people and street children in our urban areas is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated! Beginning this year [flash 2010], in addition to whatever the Central Government is doing in the Housing sector, we shall expect our Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to invest a sizeable proportion of their District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) in rental housing for lower and lower-middle income groups. To make sure this happens, the Assemblies will be directed to commit a substantial portion of their Common Fund allocations to rental housing. A National District Assemblies Rental Housing Project Task Force will be established to oversee the project and make sure that this problem is given the highest priority.” What have you done to tackle the spectacle of homelessness? How can that be done when DACF will be cut this year by 30%, alongside GetFund and NHIS levy?

19. “We will not pursue a policy that sees Ghanaian industries suffering from unfair competition,” you said also. How do you reconcile this with STX? Ghanaian businesses are suffering and closing dowb, do you have any far-advancing plans for them?

20. Also on Feb 25thyou said: “There is one other Governance issue that is close to my heart – Corruption. Even if we cannot totally eradicate corruption and we must try - we must at all cost reduce it to the barest minimum and make the penalty for corruption so high that it will become something to avoid at all cost. We are adopting two approaches. First, we will strengthen the anti-corruption Agencies of State to make them more effective, rigorously enforce the provisions of the Whistleblower’s Act and vigorously prosecute all past and present officials of State who fall foul of the anti-corruption laws. Secondly, we will wage a massive education campaign against corruption.” What has happened to all these promises in light of corruption scandals such as Armajaro, M&J, and the Director at the Sports Ministry who was victimised for blowing the whistle?

21. You said on Feb 25th: “We do not also want to wake up daily to find the front pages of our newspapers and the airwaves inundated with news about drugs and drug barons.” Are you more concerned about the public spectacle of drugs or the actual drug menace? Is that why you requested for a scanner to be installed at your presidential suite at the airport for a quiet search of your government officials and to avoid ‘surprises’?

22. Did you say to the American Ambassador that you know already some of your Government officials have been compromised on drugs? And, if so who are those who have been compromised and what have you done about it?

23. According to the IGP, Paul Tawiah Quaye, "Robbery statistics for 2010 showed significant increases in the Ashanti, Northern and Upper West Regions.” He also added that for 2010 “car snatching and highway robberies have increased by 31.3 per cent and 9.3 per cent.” What happened to your inaugural address promise and what are you doing to resource the Police so that Ghanaians may sleep soundly as you promised?

24. What message do you have for the parents who are struggling to make ends meet and pay for their children’s education; the youth who have seen no jobs but 1.6 million ghost jobs created at the Information Ministry; what other action can they expect this year beyond more propaganda, lies, dishonesty, hypocrisy, incompetence and hardships?

Thank you, Your Excellency