Member of Parliament for Tano North, Dr Gideon Boako, has said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are now waking up to the reality that the COVID pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have had a huge impact on the global economy, including Ghana.
Dr Boako notes that when the NDC was in opposition, they did a lot of propaganda against the then governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) when the administration cited the negative effects of the pandemic and the war on the economy.
However, he said, with just a few months into office, the NDC are beginning to realise the reality.
“You can spread all the propaganda and make all the noise when you’re in opposition, but eventually, reality will catch up with you. Today, my friend in the NDC, Murtala Mohammed, is claiming that we must blame COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war for Ghana’s economic challenges.
“Yet, just a few months ago, he and the NDC appeared on national television and dishonestly criticized the NPP administration for citing those very same reasons. We did not mislead Ghanaians, nor were we trying to evade responsibility when we explained that our economy was thriving before these two external shocks caused a downturn. However, our opponents chose to ride on cheap propaganda, ignoring the significant and ongoing impacts on the global economy.
“Now, reality has indeed caught up with them. Like a witch undergoing exorcism, they are beginning to confess—left, right, and centre. Time indeed vindicates! They are waking up to reality, and it’s not a pleasant sight. Fortunately for them, the NPP government was able to restore the economy back to the pre-COVID-19 era before leaving office. We recorded a growth rate of 5.7%, and in nominal terms, a historic GDP of over a trillion cedis – unprecedented in our history. We await how this government will build on this solid milestone,” Dr Boako wrote on his X page.
His comments come at a time when the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) never said that the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war did not affect the global economy, including Ghana.
He said that what they refused to accept was an attempt by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to blame the entirety of the challenges on COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine War
In a post on his Facebook page, he said “I hear our incompetent and corruption-infested friends in the Micro minority are saying that I admitted in my speech in Geneva that COVID 19 and Russia-Ukraine war had been the cause of the economic challenges we faced in Ghana under their watch in an attempt to justify how grossly incompetent they managed the economy of Ghana. I do not know whether I should cry or laugh. Even in their attempt to lie, they demonstrate crass incompetence.
“For the purposes of emphasis, i want to be very clear, we have never said that those two incidences never had an effect somewhat on the global economy and that of Ghana, what we refused to accept, was when they desperately attempted to blame the entirety of the mess they created on CIVID 19 and the Russia-Ukraine War.
“And we did so, pointing to other countries, particularly our neighbors who faced similar challenges yet managed their economies far better than they did.
“Perhaps, the current Trade war between America, China and Europe, which I referred to was also there. These dudes are not learning at all.”
Prior to his Facebook post, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed had said that the ongoing trade war between the United States and its partners poses economic challenges to countries, including Ghana.
In a speech delivered at an event in Geneva on Monday, April 7, he noted that when two elephants fight, it is the grasshopper that suffers.
He further stated that the broader effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be lost on any country, including Ghana.
“The recent global challenges, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war and the unfortunate trade wars, which started as a suspicion and how we are living the reality, and taking into consideration the popular saying in Ghana that when two elephants fight, it is the grasshopper that suffers. So we do know the challenges that will be confronting us,” he said.
The Tamale Central lawmaker added, “The broader effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be lost on any country, including Ghana. Despite these global challenges, Ghana has devised several plans and strategies towards achieving the SDGs, leveraging on science, technology and innovation.
“It is gratifying to note that Ghana is one of the foremost countries to have developed a science, technology and innovation roadmap for the attainment of the sustainable development goals, a blueprint to showcase the application of SDI in the areas of agriculture, digital innovation, industry, among others.”
The post Impact of Covid, Russia-Ukraine war: NDC did propaganda in opposition but are now waking up to the reality – Boako first appeared on 3News.
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