Dear Seth Tekper,

I want to believe you are doing well, despite the challenges the economy is facing. By the way, is Allotey Jacobs, NDC Central Region Communications Director, still appearing in your dreams? Remember him? He was the guy who questioned your ability to stir the country out of the economic mess. His argument was that most of the policies implemented by you would cost the party a lot, during the 2016 elections, because most jobless party footsoldiers were (and maybe still are) choking on hardships.

I must however say he was not the only one, though he led the chorus. There were others who believed your handling of the economic situation was nothing short of incompetence. I’m not sure of what they mean by ‘your incompetence’, even though I also believed some of your justifications for the hardships were, at best, deadwood ideas. Empty talk!

I am sure you remember the president’s own revelation that some party bigwigs were jostling for you to be sacked. It was startling. Do you know those bigwigs? And do you know why they wanted you out? Maybe I could hazard a guess, or?

They claimed that you refused to dish money out to them anytime they visited the ministry. According to them, you even got your secretary to walk them out of the office, insisting that “the ministry is not an extension of the party headquarters”. And that you told them to know their limit because you have a reputation to protect and will, therefore, not dabble in silly rakishness of monies from the public purse. You didn’t fall for that stupid culture and I commend you for that. You are a technocrat, right?

Seth Tekper deeply reflecting on the latest love affair with the IMF

But truth be told Seth, things are difficult. The economy is not doing well at all, contrary to your continuous preaching of the “fundamentals are strong.” I must say anytime I hear you say the fundamentals are strong, I get upset. Which “fundamentals” do you say are “strong?” Maybe I’m living in cloud cuckoo land but the fundamentals, most people will agree, are weak. Prices of goods and services are skyrocketing on a daily basis and yet you talk about the fundamentals being strong. What??

How can the fundamentals be strong when you are deeply locked in a romantic affair with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout? Does it make sense? How did you arrive at those fundamentals? I get pissed off anytime I hear you say that. It would be better for you to admit that things are tough and that you need the IMF’s support to get them back on track, instead of living in denial. That attitude sucks, Seth.

There are several struggling state agencies including the ministries, schools, and many more which are failing, begging for funds, and yet you talk about “fundamentals” being “strong.” I think it’s very deceptive for you to say that, Seth. Desist from that talk and be real. The economy is wobbling. Maybe YOUR fat paycheck is telling you something different but those of us in the lower ranks are struggling to feed ourselves and our families. So please end this talk about strong fundamentals. It is not helping.

But Seth, why this love affair with the IMF? Are these not the same guys whose previous policies grounded the economy? Their policies brought untold hardships to us and so, to resurrect a dead love affair with them confirms accusations that you have reached a dead end. Already, we are being told their proposals will hurt us and particularly the poor in the society, whose interests your government say they support, will be overburdened. Most of them are living on a knife edge and so to accept conditions from the IMF means condemning them to death even before the trigger is pulled on them.

these are the rings signifying the love affair between Ghana and the IMF

Seth, those who know you say you are an astute chap with a fine brain. That I do not doubt. However, for you to sit with the team from the IMF most of whom you have worked with and performed better than in your earlier career, and permit them to tell you how to run the economy betrays that praise. What specifically are they telling you that you have not already been told by folks in this country? To cut spending or what? That is nothing new. I’m not an economist but I know that the government has overspent and that is one of the reasons why we are where we are.

Then you have corruption raging through the nation like the spread of cholera, which took many lives recently, or like the deadly Ebola virus ravaging the sub-region. You will admit that monies have been thrown into dead rivers without any return. That is something you don’t need the IMF to tell you. Remember the fund is neither Father Christmas nor Santa Claus, they require that you dance to their tune. And their tunes have always been bitter, they have always impoverished us.

It is shocking that you don’t see that, Seth. What advice did you give your boss about the IMF that he suddenly dashes to their door with a ring to renew a love affair that was long dead? Are you that desperate for a romance, Seth?

So far as talks with the IMF are on the card, please don’t tell me about “fundamentals” being “strong.” I’ll not accept that, neither will most Ghanaians. Show us some respect, Seth. Most of us may not be economists but our brains are not screwed out of position; we can think for ourselves, so please please show us some respect.
I personally don’t see anything good coming out of the IMF meeting but all the same, do enjoy it.

Your Pessimistic Countryman