NPP Flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has issued sharp and precise instructions to Minority MPs on how to interrogate the NDC government in Parliament, urging them to “demand figures, insist on implementation details, and strip every government announcement down to its measurable outcomes.”
Addressing the Minority Caucus ahead of Thursday’s resumption of Parliament, Dr. Bawumia rejected what he described as a culture of vague governmental announcements passing without scrutiny, and told his MPs that the Ghanaian people are no longer moved by slogans.
“Where the government makes a claim, ask for the numbers. Where the government announces a programme, ask for the budget, the implementation architecture, the timelines, the beneficiaries, and the measurable outcomes.”
The NPP Flagbearer identified a range of specific issues he wants the Minority to train its scrutiny on in the coming session, including the 24-Hour Economy policy and its actual cost and implementation plan; the credibility of the NDC’s job creation promises; the rising pressure on household budgets; the return of dumsor; the future of Ghana’s cocoa farmers; the fight against illegal mining; the management of natural resources including lithium; and the use of statutory funds such as the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Stability Is Not Enough
Taking direct aim at the government’s macro-economic narrative, Dr. Bawumia argued that the NDC’s claim to macroeconomic stability, while legitimate as far as it goes, is insufficient as a yardstick of governance performance. He reminded MPs that the road to stability began under the NPP’s watch after the twin crises of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war-induced economic disruption.
“Stability is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end,” he told the Caucus. “The end game is how that stability is maintained and translated into relief in the cost of living for our people.” He challenged the Minority to ask how macroeconomic stability is reaching the market woman, the teacher, the nurse, the young graduate, the farmer, the trotro driver, the small business owner, and the unemployed youth.
On the 24-Hour Economy
Particular attention was drawn to the NDC’s flagship 24-Hour Economy policy, which the government has positioned as its answer to youth unemployment. Citing Afrobarometer data indicating that jobs are the most important issue on the minds of young Ghanaians, Dr. Bawumia directed the Minority to choreograph a sustained series of activities that mainstream the jobs conversation and expose what he described as the NDC’s continued deceit on the jobs question.
Smart Opposition, Not Blanket Opposition
While pressing for aggressive scrutiny, Dr. Bawumia cautioned against an opposition that opposes everything and is therefore heard by nobody. He urged the Caucus to come to the table with credible alternative propositions, improve legislation rather than block it reflexively, and reserve walkouts and boycotts for only the gravest of matters.
“I want this Caucus to be known as a serious, prepared, and patriotic opposition: tough but not reckless; firm but not disorderly; principled but not bitter; and always ready to put Ghana first,” he said. “That is how we win back trust.”
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