NPP, NDC propaganda battle won’t solve our problems – Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Junior has lashed out at the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NDC) for engaging in what he describes as a “propaganda battle” in discussing national issues.

His comment comes in the wake of the blame game between the two major political parties with regards to the GYEEDA report.

“In the campaign for the 2000 elections, the NPP had made a promise to the people that they will resolve the unemployment problem. The party came into power and there were some agitations about its failure to address the youth unemployment problem.”

“So very quickly an announcement was made that people should register…people joined long queues across the country and nothing was happening. So national security drew attention to the fact that nothing was being done to fulfill the promises and that it was important to do something urgently,” he noted.

According to Mr. Pratt, the NPP instituted the National Youth Employment Programme as an adhoc stop gap measure without a legal framework to address the issue of youth unemployment.

His worry is the rate at which the two major political parties have attempted to blame each other for the woes of GYEEDA.

“All ministers of state who handled that assignment failed the nation; both NPP and NDC ministers. How come that such a monumental failure has become a game between the NPP and NDC when the report indicts both parties? It has now been reduced to a propaganda contest between NPP and NDC and we are allowing it to continue,” he bemoaned.

Mr. Pratt expressed surprise over the manner in which contracts were awarded to individuals and private entities when state institutions could have handled the project with adequate funding.

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper called for reforms in the systems and structures of the country’s economy.

“If we don’t change the structure of our economy, if we don’t change the systems we are running today, NPP can come to power tomorrow, the problem will persist. NDC can stay in power for 2000 years the problem will not be solved. CPP can come to power; the problem will still be there. PNC will come to power, the problem will still stare us in the face. It’s a systemic and structural problem and unless we see it as such, we are beating about the bush,” he lamented.

He spoke on Radio Gold’s current affairs programme, Alhaji and Alhaji hosted by Alhassan Suhuyini, Saturday.