“The Akuffo-Addo Administration Squandered The Covid-19 Relief Money On Elections Campaign” – Ex President John Mahama
Former President of Ghana, President John Dramani Mahama has in recent times been leveling allegations on the current Akuffo-Addo administration. According to him, the Akuffo-Addo led government had used some Ghc33 billion, meant for Covid-19 relief, for their elections campaign activities.
Speaking on how Africa can move past the effect of the pandemic at the 24th African Business Conference organized by Harvard Business School, John Dramani Mahama made these allegations, while highlighting the impact of the pandemic on Africa as a continent.
John Mahama did not hold back from praising the efforts of countries that are are slowly but steadily working their way up through this crisis, stating emphatically that Ghana is no good example.
Ex Prez John Dramani Mahama, at this year’s 24th African Business Conference, Harvard
“Data from the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA), shows that Covid-19 created the world’s worst recession in 50 years with real GDP shrinking July an average of 3% in 2020. Before the pandemic, poverty reduction was already a major challenge.
The pandemic is estimated to have dragged about 55 million more people into poverty in Africa and exposed another 46 million more to hunger and malnutrition. Indeed, 70% of hunger in Africa, which has already been on the rise since 2014 is directly attributable to this pandemic.
Like governments a over the world, it became necessary for African governments to take action to shield their population from the effects of the pandemic. This meant in many cases an increase in deficits due to unbudgeted expenditures. This has devastated many African economies and sunk them deeper into unsustainable debts and economic downturns.” He stated in his speech.
In the case of Ghana, Mahama made it known that the current administration was not proactive enough to lay down measures to ease the troubles of the Ghanaian people during this pandemic.
“In my country Ghana, our economy has emerged in extremely poor shape from the Covid experience. The ballooning deficit, double-digit inflation, the nose diving currency, and increasing debt distress, are some of the symptoms of a very ill economy. Ghana’s fate was easy to predict with the cavalier handling of the economy by the current administration. We went into the pandemic without adequate buffers, and have emerged with terrible battered economy.
To make matters worse, the pandemic windfall of over Ghc 33 billion which could have cushioned the economy remains unaudited and is believed to have been used largely in the quest to win the 2020 elections at all cost.” The former President said.
Watch the video below.
