The Minority Leader has painted a gloomy picture of the one year anniversary of the New Patriotic Party government describing the president as a lawless leader superintending over lawless vigilante groups.

According to Haruna Iddrisu the Akufo-Addo government, the most vindictive government spent the better part of its one year in office dismissing all civil and public servants perceived to be NDC.

So vindictive was the government that even NPP persons who showed the traces of being NDC were sent home, the Tamale South MP alleged.

This is a betrayal of national values and the promise by the president to create opportunities for all Ghanaians, Iddrisu told Joy News’ Elton John Brobbey on the one year anniversary of the New Patriotic Party government.

Haruna Iddrisu

The NPP government has experienced a topsy-turvy one year in office, scoring high marks in the macroeconomic indicators but considerable low marks in security with a rule by vigilante groups.

The fight against corruption as promised by the president during the 2016 campaign is yet to zoom into full gear with the government yet to appoint an independent prosecutor, the major vehicle it wants to use in the fight against corruption.

Assessment of the government has been mixed with civil society groups, security experts, individuals and political parties proffering varying conclusions on how the government has performed.

But the Minority NDC has little or no kind words for the governing party.

Haruna Iddrisu said he has many examples of competent Ghanaians who were sent home by a government that promised opportunities for all.

He cited the NVTI boss, National Data Commission and Minerals Commission bosses all of whom were sent home on account of the change in government.

Vigilantism

Delta Force 

The Minority Leader says vigilantism has assumed absurd levels with the coming into office of the NPP government.

He did not understand how the Delta Force vigilante group, with allegiance to the NPP, marshaled forces and stormed the courts to free their colleagues who were on trial.

That he said was the height of lawlessness in the country.

But it wasn’t only the vigilante groups who were lawless. According to Haruna Iddrisu the president is himself a “walking lawlessness” after he failed to ratify the stay of the two GITMO fugitives who are being sheltered in the country.

“Akufo-Addo swore to uphold the constitution…” he said, adding, “He should explain why he should not be cited for contempt.”

The two detainees were smuggled into the country in 2015 by the John Mahama administration with no approval by Parliament.

The Supreme Court said their two-year stay could only be legal if ratified by Parliament. With the initial two years up, the Minority leader said the president must send the two GITMO detainees back to where they came from or he must come to Parliament to ratify their continued stay in the country.

Free SHS

On education, Haruna Iddrisu was less than impressed with the performance of the NPP government.

He said the famous free senior high school education policy was a “rushed introduction of a noble policy” with a lack of adequate policy blueprint and funding arrangement.

For a country that was yet to fully implement a free basic education, as enshrined in the constitution, have arrears in school feeding, arrears which he admitted were left by his party, Iddrisu said the country was not ready to implement the free SHS policy the time it did.

He was however magnanimous with a praise for the NPP’s foreign policy initiatives over the last 12 months.

Rebuttal

In a reaction to the claims by Haruna Iddrisu, a Deputy Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says a recent poll conducted by the University of Ghana political science department betrays the position and assertions by the Minority Leader and his party.

The poll suggested that 52% of Ghanaians were ready to vote for the NPP if elections were held in December 2017.

The poll even gave the NPP government a 62% approval rating.

On the GITMO two controversy Mr Oppong Nkrumah quoted Article 75 (2) of the 1992 Constitution, insisting it is Parliament that has the responsibility to ratify the stay and not the president.

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