Feature Article of Friday, 17 July 2015
Columnist: Nana Akua Tweneboah-Koduah
Opinion
Sometimes in my quiet moments, I weep when I ponder over the destructive, unpatriotic, diabolic, and cold-hearted utterances and antics demonstrated by some group of people who call themselves New Patriotic Party (NPP) on radio, television, and newspapers across the country. To them nothing in Ghana is good except when it comes from them. No one is better than they are, is their mantra.
Certainly, we live in dangerous times and surrounded by dangerous people. And Ghana our only point of destination is being hounded and gradually destroyed by these dangerous people calling themselves the NPP.
Indeed, Mother Ghana will continue to suffer under the destructive tendencies and intensions of this destructive elephant family. Just consider the following.
Why does the NPP pray unceasingly that something bad happens in Ghana every time? And any time something goes wrong in the country look at the way they pour out in droves on radio, television to celebrate. They hypocritically tend to feel for Ghanaians on the power outages in the country, but their daily fervent prayer is that President Mahama should fail to solve the issue head on before the 2016 election.
I will like to draw the attention of Ghanaians to the current appreciation of the cedi against some major foreign currencies notably the Dollar, Pounds Sterling, and the Euro among others. We all saw the free fall of the cedi this year and the anxiety of many Ghanaians. I remember we started the year 2015 when 3.2 cedis was changing for a dollar. Then the cedi started falling against the dollar and other currencies. We all saw the way the NPP came out to condemn the government for not putting in measures to curtail the fall.
The NPP behaved as if they have the country at heart. They portrayed themselves as the only economic gurus who can turn things around in seconds if given the mandate by Ghanaians to govern in 2016. How wrong.
For the past three weeks, the hearts of many Ghanaians have been gladdened following some good economic events. Following the announcement by Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BOG), Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah, that the BOG is intervening in the foreign exchange market with a daily supply of $20 million and is going to allow foreign investors to participate in short-term debt instruments, the cedi has rebounded positively against major foreign currencies.
At the time of this major announcement through an interview with the Daily Graphic 4.5 cedis was changing for a dollar with so many Ghanaians feeling the heat and unease. Currently, the cedi has appreciated so much that 2.9 cedis is changing for a dollar, an appreciation of 35.6%.
In case you missed the current happenings at the financial and black markets, I have this news for you. Many people are suddenly running away from the dollar due to its free fall against the cedi. And if you are indeed a patriotic citizen who has the country at heart, and you are witnessing this sudden appreciation of the cedi, would it not be appropriate to celebrate? Or to put it this way, if you are a member of the NPP, whose members are deep-rooted businesspersons and women who own chains of businesses in Ghana, will you not be happy that the cedi is holding its own against major foreign currencies?
You may be happy as a Ghanaian to see that for the past three weeks the cedi continues to appreciate except only if you are a member of the NPP. In opposition, the NPP certainly does not want to see any good thing happen in Ghana. To them any good thing in Ghana works against their diabolical plans.
Therefore, like radio and television paratroopers the NPP people are all over crying foul about the appreciation of the cedi by giving magical interpretation to the whole issue. If you do not have any campaign message to win the hearts and souls of voters this diabolical, unpatriotic posture becomes your daily and permanent mantra.
Ghanaians should know that the NPP people are not happy that the cedi is appreciating. All they want is for the cedi to continue to fall against major currencies until, “thy kingdom come”. They do not want anything good to come from Ghana or the ruling NDC government. It has been negative, negative, and simply negative. If something does not come from the NPP, it is simply not good. I strongly believe that if an NDC person should today volunteer his head to save an NPP person, the NPP with impunity will say that, “it just okay, but the head was not severed well enough”.
The NPP again is not happy that the appreciation of the cedi is leading to the reduction of petroleum products this week.
The NPP is simply trying to run the country down. They continue to say President Mahama has not done anything, yet they used the good roads in the Upper East and West not long ago to bury their late Chairman Mahama and campaigned in the Talensi by-election.
In this world if you do not see anything good about somebody, certainly nothing good can come from your quarters. Imagine the way NPP folks celebrate when the Black Stars lose competitive matches. Some of the members shamefully say it on radio and television that they are happy when Ghana loses competitive football matches so that the NDC does not get any credit. Credit?
Ghana will certainly not tank under President Mahama. I will devote some ink in the coming days and weeks to inform Ghanaians about the many projects ranging from schools, roads, hospitals, and clinics that are springing up all over the country. Indeed President Mahama is not sleeping under the watch. He is certainly working to make life a lot better for not only Ghanaians but also future generations.
The hoarding of dollars by some NPP folks to destroy the economy and turn Ghanaians against the ruling NDC government did not happen. They were even bold to predict that 10 cedis will change for a dollar by December 2015. This did not happen so they are unhappy. Most of the dollar hoarders have lost big time and instead of them licking their wounds in peace, they are trying to turn the tables by questioning the rationale behind the appreciation of the cedi.
Ghanaians should note that this is the party, which is scheming by all means to rule the country in 2016. We must be careful not to make the mistake of letting this bunch of unpatriotic fellows see power ever again. I greet Ghanaians!