A political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology says President John Mahama has lost credibility due to the many broken promises to the people.

That notwithstanding, Dr Richard Amoako Baah insists it will be prudent for the president to address the whole nation and assure the citizenry of the steps government is taking to address issues to do with the high cost of living.

The lecturer was commenting on Thursday's nationwide demonstration embarked on by organised labour which saw thousands of aggrieved workers hit the streets to protest fuel price hikes, utility price hikes, fall of cedi, rising food prices and general economic meltdown.

The Employment Minister, Haruna Iddrisu received a petition from the aggrieved workers and promised them government would address their grievances.

But Dr Amoako Baah says the assurances by the minister are not enough.

He told Joy News' Francisca Kakra Forson, Friday, the minister only spoke to suffering workers in the formal sector but there are millions others in the informal sector, such as 'kayayei' (head porters) who are worst hit by the economic crisis and whose concerns must also be addressed by the president himself.

When asked what the president's nationwide address will do to a hungry man or woman, Dr Baah said:

"Normally I would say it will reassure people. But the problem is that the president has given so many promises he has not kept that I am afraid he has lost that credibility. Maybe that is why he doesn't come out to do those things. But nonetheless as long as he remains president he should be forward looking and tackle the bull by the horn."

He was surprised that the president did not intervene in the issue relating to the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and waited till the angry lecturers declared a strike.

"It is not always about money. It is important for the president to diffuse the anger by talking to people.

"If you don't have money... you don't sit and wait for the fire to come up before you send the fire brigade over there. Talk to people to be proactive" he stated. 

 

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