John Mahama’s records on infrastructure are unmatched [OPINION]

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Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has cautioned H.E. John Mahama to always refer to the data available to make his case or risk embarrassing himself. He also said no government has delivered as much infrastructure in its first term than the Akufo-Addo led government. So President Akufo-Addo led government has performed better.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had his PhD in economics from Simon Fraser University in 1995 with dissertation titled: “STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, ECONOMIC WELFARE AND ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR IN THE 1992 GHANAIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION”. Dr. Bawumia’s thesis on Ghana SAP doesn’t feature any economics theory to be acclaimed as an economics guru. He was appointed Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana in 2005 with no practical experience as an economist. I am therefore not surprised to hear Mr. Ayariga questioning him if really is an economist at all or had only passed exams? Because all his analysis and presentations are half true. In one of his famous Town-Hall meeting where he was trying to detract his own theory of “If the fundamentals are weak, the exchange rate will expose you” to “…There could be other external factors causing the exchange rate depreciation” In juxtaposing his own theory tickled Prof. Gyan Bafour, at Ministry of Planning to laugh.

Dr. Bawumia on several occasion talks about data, “the data” as if he sees differently from what an average Ghanaian sees. Prior to 2012 general election, he accused NDC government of inheriting huge amount from J.A. Kufour administration when in fact he used the existing dollar exchange rate denomination. To his supporters, Dr. Bawumia was a hero which indeed was just tactical tricks.

Ghana like any modern country needs physical addresses, such as street naming and numbering. Street naming and number is an important function that allows the local government to maintain a comprehensive and accurate address database covering all properties within the cities. Street naming and numbering are helpful in emergency services to find a property quickly and efficiently; post and delivery services to deliver goods and services efficiently; visitors to locate their destination; allowing district assemblies to locate resources efficiently, and helping Statistics Services, NIA and EC to make their jobs easy. But to our disappointment the so-called Ghana economist guru used US$12.5 million to buy Google digital address which was already offered for free.

Similarly, Dr. Economist wasted over US$21 million on drones when he knew very his government was not ready to complete hospitals John Mahama started. Drones had to deliver medicines or blood to hospitals to be administered on patients. I believe Dr. Bawumia does not crosscheck the data and does anything anyhow. If Dr. Bawumia is abreast with data, he could have known that any country whose imports exceeds exports, there will always be demand for foreign currencies and therefore depreciation. Dr. Bawumia is economical with the truth and he has made Ghanaians believe the lies when there is there the truth. He kept on saying he and President Akufo-Addo led NPP government has performed better. These are blatant lies coming from the so-called economist. In effect, there are no scintilla of evidence.

I wonder if he checks with Ghana Statistical Service data before talking or he thinks no one will check? From Ghana Statistical Service data with 2013 as a based year, agriculture recorded 6.1% growth in 2016/17 in NDC regime, while the highest growth in NPP was 4.8% in 2017/18. Growth in crop recorded 7.2% in that year while NPP had his ever highest 5.8% in year 2017/18. Comparing data, Dr. Bawumia should know that, NDC era recorded the highest purchase of cocoa since the 4th Republic. In 2010/11 annual crop season cocoa purchase was 1,012,839 metre ton, and in 2016/17 cocoa purchase was 969,510 metre ton (source: www.cocobod.gh)

Under NDC in 2016/17 cocoa grew 9.2% which NPP highest was 5.4% growth in 2018/19. NDC recorded livestock growth of 5.7% in 2016/17, while NPP did it best of 5.4% in 2018/19. NDC recorded fishing growth of 8.5% in 2014/15 and NPP highest so far had been 1.7% growth in 2018/19 (source: www.statsghana.gov.gh).

Now looking at industries, the overall best growth performance was 2016/17 when it recorded a growth of 15.7% and NPP regime recorded 10.6% in 2017/18. Manufacturing recorded 9.5% growth in 2016/17 and 6.3% in 2018/19, while electricity expansion grew 19.4% in 2016/17, in 2018/19 it grew 6.0%. Water supply in Ghana grew by 13.9% 2014/15, it has grown -4.4% in 2018/19. In the construction, 2014/15 recorded a growth of 9.5% while recorded a growth of -4.4% in 2018/19. In the financial and insurance sector 2013/14 recorded the highest in Ghana’s history of 21.4% as compared to 1.6% in 2018/19. The data indicated that Ghana’s GDP at basic price recorded 8.4% grown in 2016/17 as compared to 6.5% in 2018/19. Although Ghana’s GDP current stands at US$66,984 million and non-oil GDP stands at US$64,138 million in 2019, in 2013 NDC recorded US$64,401 and US$60,858 million for non-oil. But up till now, Ghana had the highest per capita GDP of US$2,434 as compared to US$2,212 in 2019 (source: www.statsghana.gov.gh).

Under H.E. John Mahama era, 17 hospitals were built, if not completely built, at least more than half completed. Besides more than 1,600 CHP were built.

1. University of Ghana Medical Hospital (600 beds capacity)

2. Upper East Regional Hospital, Bolga

3. Upper West Regional Hospital, Wa

4. Abetifi District Hospital

5. Kumawu District Hospital

6. Ofankor District Hospital

7. Ashanti Regional Hospital, Sewua

8. Fomena District Hospital

9. Kumasi Military Hospital, Afare

10. Tepa District Hospital

11. Shai Osudoku District Hospial

12. International Maritime Hospital, Tema

13. Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ridge

14. Bekwai District Hospital

15. Bank of Ghana Hospital

16. Takoradi European Hospital

17. Tamale Teaching Hospital Expansion

Still under infrastructure; Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport was built to modern airport standard; 3 local airports were upgraded. Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and Kasoa Main Interchange were completed. Besides, 123 E-Blocks school buildings were started of which more than half were completed at the time H.E. John Mahama was leaving office.

To paraphrase late Prof. Adu-Boahen, there is absolutely no doubt that, qualitatively if not quantitively, H.E. John Mahama has produced the greatest work of infrastructure in a short period of time since Ghana’s independence.

Written by Lewis Kwame Addo, Amsterdam Email: gyaps@hotmail.com | The views expressed by the writer are solely his and do not represent the position of Daily Mail GH