A lecturer at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Dr. Bernie Asher, has questioned how much time the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) needs to ‘reset’ Ghana’s economy.
His comments come in response to Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr. Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, who argued on Joy News that demands from the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU-TUC) have not been met as the government is still working to restore the economy.
According to Dr. Pelpuo, the economy handed to the government by former ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was in a very poor state, and he described it as below C-.
He stated, “This year is not a good time for anybody to want to go on strike. It is when we finally understand whatever is happening, appreciate their concerns, take them up and are running with them and the economy that they should be worried when we’re not responding to their needs.”
He further noted that many of the current demands were carried forward from the last administration.
“That should have made them appreciate the fact that you’re carrying over a demand that has been sent to a government that had run for eight years and didn’t solve them. Then a government that is running for six months cannot solve them as easily as they would’ve wished. But we are willing.”
However, Dr. Bernie Asher said such explanations only highlight a culture of political excuses rather than solutions.
“TEWU are employees like any employees in Ghana and they feel like their demands have not been met and therefore they feel a strike action is the only way to pursue their demands,” he explained.
Questioning the minister’s position, he asked, “How much time does it take to reset the economy? And did they tell the people that when they come into power they’re going to need some time?”
Dr. Asher argued that this is another example of the hypocrisy that often shows up in governance.
“Where we use politics to get into positions of power and now we are faced with stark reality. The same thing that’s happening with the galamsey where promises were made about how swift action is going to be taken.”
He also pointed to other unfulfilled pledges, including those made on passing LGBTQ laws.
“It is important that the Ghanaian population wakes up and appreciates some of the rhetorical speeches that these people make and take them on,”he said.
Dr. Asher stressed that if government insists it needs more time, it must provide a clear timeline rather than indefinite promises.
“These people that you’re telling to wait are angry. And if you’re angry and you’re being told to wait you don’t have the time to wait.”
Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Asah Asante, who also joined the discussion, said the government’s explanation was even more worrying given its previous experience in office.
“I wanted to find out from him whether his government did receive handing over notes. Did they examine the economy? Did they take into consideration some of these things? When they were in opposition did they factor into their calculation that things of this nature will pop up and what was their solution to this problem?” He asked.
He explained that any government coming into power must prepare to handle existing problems.
“The preparation is part of the exercise you will do by knowing our problems and how you want to deal with them,” Dr. Asante said.
Dr. Asah Asante added that the NDC is not a party that has not been in power before and urged the administration to stop lamenting and focus on finding solutions.
