With video snippets teased from as far back as when Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, stood at the Polo Grounds in Accra to declare the country’s independence in 1957, to many others by past presidents, the sitting government has produced what many people believe is a shot in the foot.
Posted on Twitter by the official account of President Akufo-Addo, the 2 minutes 19 seconds video explores portions of speeches made by past Heads of State, as well as a voice narrative message calling on Ghanaians to rally around the president to solve the current economic hardships.
This is coming only hours after the president addressed the country through a recorded televised video on the current economic challenges.
In his address of October 30, 2022, President Akufo-Addo admitted the fact that the country is facing difficult times, while outlining some 12 measures the government intends to explore in dealing with the situation.
The measures are restoring macroeconomic stability through ab IMF-supported program, tackling cost of living by working to stabilize prices of petroleum products through new supply arrangements, encourage traders to tone down profiteering which is contributing to inflationary pressures, restore debt sustainability by reducing debt to GDP ration to 55% by 2028, and improve national resources and liquidity by raising revenues from 13% to 18%-20% of GDP.
The rest are to pursue inclusive growth while protecting the poor, energy sector reforms to reduce the risk of the sector to the budget, reduce budget rigidities by capping statutory funds, continue with efforts to reduce central government expenditure through budget cuts of 30%, start the process of discouraging importation of rice, poultry, vegetable oil, fruit juices, etc; tackle currency speculation to limit volatilities to the cedi, ensure no haircuts to treasury bill holders in the debt restructuring strategy.
In what appears to have been a re-affirmation or a continuation of the president’s address, the new video reminded Ghanaians that the country has been at its worst before.
“We have travelled down this path before, where we joined forces. When we came together as one people with a common destiny, we rose. In the early 1980s, there was famine, our people were sent back from Nigeria. Food was scarce and there were queues and we survived because we stuck together.
“In the 200s, we went HIPC and struggled but again, we stuck together and rose together,” the video said.
It went on to restate the global economic challenges that have contributed to the current economic challenges being faced in Ghana, calling on Ghanaians to once again come together.
“Due to a combination of global economic challenges: COVID-19, the Russian evasion of Ukraine, and supply chain challenges, we are in a difficult situation. Once again, the forces are pulling us together. Let’s unite around our common challenges and rise together,” it added.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians that he would, as he has done before, turn things around for the country.
Watch the president’s video below:
Fellow Ghanaians, as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. #HopeForGhanaEconomy #ResolvingTogether pic.twitter.com/Ep5XoMbccp
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) October 31, 2022