Covid brought GHS30bn to Akufo-Addo but has been wasted in election-related spending – NDC

The Covid-19 pandemic brought into the pocket of the government an amount of GHS30 billion, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said.

However, Mr Asiedu Nketia accused the government of wasting the funds on election-related spending.

Delivering an address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) auditorium on Monday, March 20, “Covid-19 brought the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government a windfall of about GHS30bn to manage and mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Unfortunately, this was wasted in election-related expenses.”

He stressed that Covid-19 became a “Corruption bonanza and a milking cow.”

He further accused the government of not being truthful to Ghanaians.

He said the President assured him that there was not going to be haircuts on investment but Ghanaians are witnessing it.

Also, he said, the government constantly told the people that they would not go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support but they are now seeking a deal with Fund.

All these, he said smack of untruthfulness.

Johnson Asiedu Nketia further indicated that the manufacturing sector of the economy has declined, dropping from 7.9 percent in 2016 to 4.4 percent in 2022.

In his view, this calls into question the “impact of much-touted One District One Factory.”

He added, “Construction also declined from 8.4 percent in to 4.2 percent despite the government’s claim of borrowing to build roads and other infrastructure.”

He further told President Nana Add Dankwa Akufo-Addo to accept blame for the economic challenges and not to heap blame on factors such as the Covid 19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.”