I WILL NOT LET
YOU DOWN . I WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER TO
LIVE UP TO YOUR HOPES AND
EXPECTATIONS
GHANA ' S POLITICAL FOES BET ON AGRICULTURE
THE PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION HAS HAUNTED MAHAMA ’ S ADMINISTRATION
AND HIS ACCEPTANCE
OF A $ 100,000 VEHICLE FROM DJIBRIL KANAZOE , A BURKINABE CONTRACTOR
AKUFO-ADDO CAMPAIGNED ON THE PROMISE OF CONSTRUCTING
OF AN IRRIGATION DAM IN EVERY
VILLAGE OF THE THREE NORTHERN
REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY
I WILL NOT LET
YOU DOWN . I WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER TO
LIVE UP TO YOUR HOPES AND
EXPECTATIONS
It is the impatience of Ghanaians that outgoing president Johm Dramani Mahama was only given one term . A worsening economy . Critics have claimed that his victory in 2012 , was a sympathy vote following the death of John Atta Mills a few months before the polls , and that he has failed to convince in the top job .
Eight years of the National Democratic Congress rule has been dogged by a decline in global commodity prices and perceived economic mismanagement and corruption . Economic growth has become stagnant while employment has remained stubbornly high , frustrating Ghanaians .
The perception of corruption has haunted Mahama ’ s administration and his acceptance of a $ 100,000 vehicle from Djibril
Kanazoe , a Burkinabe contractor , who was awarded a $ 650,000 contentious deal to build a security wall at Ghana ' s embassy in the Burkina Faso capital , Ouagadougou showed terrible judgment , according to anti-corruption campaigners .
The footholds in the beginning
However , new oil and gas is set to come onstream in 2017 and 2018 from a $ 7.9 billion offshore field being developed by Italy ' s ENI which the NDC government says will boost revenue and help resolve power deficit that has dogged Ghana in recent times . But the incoming administration has criticised the deal , and argue that Ghana will overpay for its gas
A recovery in gold prices in the past year should help Ghana ' s major gold producers . In agriculture , cocoa farmers say they are bracing for a strong 2016-17 crop . Also , Ghana is emerging from a fiscal crisis under the supervision of an International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) programme .
Akufo-Addo campaigned on the promise of constructing of an irrigation dam in every village of the three northern regions of the country namely Northern , Upper East and Upper West Regions . This he believes will improve food production in an area seen as the breadbasket of the country .
Indeed , the agricultural sector has been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy but its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) has declined over the years , as it is beset with lack of inputs and high post-harvest losses because of the inability of farmers to transport their produce to major commercial centres , a consequence of
2016 | Business Times Africa 29