By Godwill Arthur-Mensah/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, May 19, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus has raised concerns about the state of the economy and the re-emergence of intermittent power outages, popularly known as “dumsor,” urging government to take decisive action.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Frank Annor Dompreh, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, said the current hardships had exposed what he described as the “lofty promises” of the government.
He added that the NDC government was “fast becoming unpopular faster than anticipated,” noting that, the return of economic crippling dumsor showed that “problems are not solved by promises but deliberate effort to improve the system.”
The Minority Chief Whip further criticised the recent reduction in cocoa producer prices, describing it as “the biggest deceit” of the government and failure to cushion cocoa farmers against negative market forces as distasteful.
“We cannot sit back: The cocoa farmer is wailing, teachers are crying, nurses are wailing, public servants are crying, market women are crying,” he lamented.
He stated that the situation required practical measures to address the challenges, particularly in the energy sector, to ensure stable power supply.
The workshop, which precedes the resumption of Parliament on Thursday, May 21, aims to equip members of the Caucus with strategies to enhance their parliamentary work.
Topics for discussion include Institutional Memory and Strategic Alignment, Reconciling Internal Factions for External Impact, Maintaining Electoral Support, Legislative Relevance in a Changing Environment, 2024 Elections – The Data, the Lessons and the Hope, and Perception Management: The Role of the Media in Political Engagement.
Resource persons include Professor Smart Asomaning Sarpong, Director at the Institute of Research, Innovation and Development, Kumasi Technical University; Dr George Domfeh, Development Economist and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana; Mr Joe Ghartey, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; and Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, political strategist and lawyer.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, NPP Flagbearer for the 2028 elections, is expected to address the Caucus on Wednesday, May 20.
Meanwhile, Mr Annor Dompreh expressed confidence that the NPP “carries the hopes and aspirations of Ghanaians” to rescue the nation from economic decline in the 2028 elections.
He commended members of the Minority for their efforts in Parliament, urging them to remain united and resolute in holding government accountable.
Over the past year and a half, the Minority Caucus has consistently mounted pressure on the government, exposing what it claims are misleading statements while demanding transparency and accountability.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporters: Godwill Arthur-Mensah/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]