By K. Badu

Let’s face it, though, Ghana may never realise any meaningful economic advancement, so long as the current economic managers are struggling to come up with advantageous policies and only hiding behind the ‘easily done’ infrastructural projects.

If you may recall, prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections, President Mahama and his NDC Party besought the good people of Ghana for the electoral mandate, and in return, they guaranteed everyone protection of life, property, provision of social amenities, better socio-economic standards of living and to a certain extent liberty.

Moreover, President Mahama and his NDC Party gave a cornucopia of Manifesto promises, inter alia, making dumsor a thing of the past, putting money in Ghanaians pocket, creating more jobs for the jobless, stabilising the economy, protecting Ghanaians from the menaces of galamsey and Fulani herdsmen, bringing an end to dubious judgement debt payments, fighting the rampant sleaze and corruption, working with ‘lean’ government, getting rid of the filth in Accra within 100 days, introducing free SHS, implementing one-time NHIS premium etc.

Consequently, the good people of Ghana were somehow magnetised by NDC’s Party Manifesto promises and then gave them the needed electoral mandate in the 2008 and 2012 general elections.

It was then left with President Mahama and his government to honour their part of the social contract by implementing their Manifesto promises.

It is, therefore, necessary to stress that social contract is an important aspect in human existence. Social contract theorist, Thomas Hobbes, for example, observed: “Man has a natural desire for security and order”. “In order to secure self-protection and self-preservation, and to avoid misery and pain, man entered into a contract.

“This idea of self-preservation and self-protection are inherent in man’s nature and in order to achieve this, they voluntarily surrendered their rights and freedoms to some authority by this contract, who must command obedience.

“As a result of this contract, the mightiest authority is to protect and preserve their lives and property”.

Even though President Mahama and his NDC Party promised prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections that they were going to put money in Ghanaians pockets, they turned their back on the electorates after clasping the ultimate power.

All the same, the impoverished Ghanaians rightly queried President Mahama over his failed promise. President Mahama then bizarrely turns round and replies: ‘there is no president on this planet (earth) that will physically put cash in people’s pockets’ (See: ‘No president will put money in your pocket’-Mahama; atinkaonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 13/10/2016).

Dear reader, tell me, if this does not amount to dishonesty, what is it then? Since when did President Mahama and his NDC government realise that it’s not the government that will put money in people’s pockets?

Again, President Mahama and his government failed abysmally to provide the youth of Ghana the jobs they promised in their Manifesto. The youth wondered why. His Excellency President Mahama shockingly retorts: ‘where are your employable skills and qualifications? So don’t you lots know that you lack the requisite employable skills and qualifications?

If you may also recall, the NDC Party promised not to pay any dubious judgement debt. However, they went ahead and paid dubious judgement debt in a tune of over GH850million to people who had no entitlement, including the dubious payment to Wayome.

Given that the mass degradation of our rural areas by the recalcitrant illegal miners is a bother to all discerning Ghanaians; it was a welcome news when President Mahama and his NDC Party promised to thwart the activities of the illegal miners. However, President Mahama failed to honour his promise once again.

Clearly, President Mahama is wholly unaware of the seriousness of the destruction in our rural areas, hence his refusal to circumscribe the activities of the unscrupulous illegal miners.

In addition, President Mahama and his NDC government promised strongly that they were going to get rid of the filthy conditions in the streets of Accra within 100 days. They failed to do so. Ghanaians complained and they lividly retorted: stop being a nation of grumblers. Filth has been in existence since Adam’s era. It cannot be cleared in just 100 days.

That is called dishonesty. How do you then trust such individuals to turn Ghana’s fortunes around?