President Akufo-Addo has refuted claims that he is capitalising on the Covid-19 pandemic to make excuses for the country’s ailing economy.

His dismissal comes on the heels of frequent accusations by members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that government's bad decisions and mismanagement of the economy is the cause of Ghana’s current economic woes.

But reacting to the claims publicly for the first time, the President described the criticism as a political necessity by his opponents to stay relevants.

Delivering a speech at the University of Ghana, he noted that the Covid-19 crisis has had a devastating impact on economies worldwide.

Thus, he sees no reason to “hide” behind the pandemic as the opposition is alleging.

“There are some who claim that the difficulties currently confronted by the nation has nothing to do with the effects of the pandemic of Covid-19. They say they are purely Ghanaian phenomenon which are due to economic mismanagement.

“I’m not disturbed by this contestation because the facts of the situation do not bear it out. But I do recognise the political necessity for them to sustain these falsehoods,” he said on Tuesday.

He added, “Covid-19 has derailed the economic progress being made not only in Ghana but also in countries big or small in the world. It’s not to look for an excuse but to state the obvious reality. It is unfortunate but it is true.”

The President further touted the interventions his government has implemented to cushion the citizenry amidst the pandemic.

According to him, despite the global loss of jobs pushing many into extreme poverty, his government ensured that the public sector did not experience job losses or salary reduction.

“In Ghana, the pandemic has impacted on every sector of the economy, the agriculture sector being the least, thanks to the success of Planting for Food and Jobs,” he stated.