Ablakwa: Why we say Mills’ achievements are unprecedented

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Information Minister Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Saturday enumerated achievements he said the President Mills-led administration has achieved in the space of three years. He was speaking on Alhaji and Alhajion Radio Gold. The achievements, he said, include; 1) GDP growth rate of 13.6% (highest in Ghana’s entire history) 2) Longest sustained single digit inflation (more than 20 months and now at 8.6%) 3) Highest ever Gross International Reserves and Foreign Direct Investment 4) 1 million metric tonnes of cocoa production 5) President signing up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Open Government Partnership 6) Establishing the Public Interest Committee to oversee the Oil Sector and its independent membership like Mr. Kwame Pianim and Prof. Addae Mensah 7) 2 new public universities being established at the same time in the Volta and the Brong Ahafo Regions 8) $3 billion dollar CDB loan: biggest ever loan to Ghana and any African country from China. This is a loud attestation of the level of confidence in the Ghanaian economy 9) Founder’s Day declaration 10) Constitution Review Process successfully underway 11) Over 60,000 computers and laptops distributed freely 12) 4 Navy Ships (After more than 32 years of appeals), over 150 Fire Tenders and Fire Fighting Equipments to the Fire Service, First ever ultramodern forensic laboratory for the Ghana Police Service together with hundreds of vehicles and other equipments and massive retooling and aircrafts for the Army 13) Electricity Expansion: From 54% nationwide coverage to 72% nationwide coverage under 3 years. (Represents 18% addition in 3 years compared with NPP’s 11% in 8 years). 1,700 communities have therefore been connected to the national grid 14) Street lights in all regional capitals including Tema Motorway 15) Meeting all 4 convergence criteria of the West Africa Monetary Zone 16) Mobile Number Portability (First time in West Africa) 17) Anti-Corruption: - Right to Information Bill moves from the Executive to the Legislature for the first time - SFO strengthened with additional powers and logistics as it becomes EOCO - Handling of Woyome Case – No cover up like we saw in the case of Harona Esseku, Dr. Richard Anane and what President Kufuor said in Cape Coast that he would not allow his government to be embarrassed in fighting corruption. In sharp contrast, President Mills says when it comes to fighting corruption, “it doesn’t matter whose ox is gored” 18) 97% approval rating within President Mills’ party the NDC and within the international community as attested by UN Secretary General, US President, Ivorian President, Chinese President etc. 19) Fastest packaged social interventions in a first term: in President Mills' first year; Free uniforms, Free exercise books, 50% increase in capitation grant, Elimination of Schools under trees and the Mathematics, Science and Technology Scholarship Scheme (MASTESS) had been rolled out as compared to the NPP’s school feeding which was started in 2005, Capitation Grant in 2005/2006 academic year, Metro Mass in 2003, NYEP in 2006, Metro Mass Pilot in 2003, Health Insurance in 2004 and LEAP in 2008 20) Wage Bill more than doubles under 3 years (From about 2 billion Cedis to over 5 billion Cedis) President Mills has therefore put more money in the pocket of Ghanaian workers who are better off today than they were. 21) Life Expectancy has shot up by 11 years from 53 years to 64.2 years according to the latest United Nations Human Development Index 22) Special Funds: - Media Development Fund – 1 million Cedis - Creative Industry Fund – 2 million Cedis - Science, Technology and Innovation Fund – 2 million Cedis 23) Industry receiving phenomenal boost: - Resuscitated the former Akwatia Diamonds which had collapsed. Now the Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Company Ltd. - Revamping of Ayensu Starch Factory - Revamping Pwalugu Tomato Factory - Revamping the Cotton Industry - Establishing a Sheanut Processing Factory at Buipe - Aviation industry booming with over 20 international and domestic flights introduced coupled with expansion projects at the Kotoka Airport and similar plans for domestic airports 24) Establishment of the National Buffer Stock Company Limited: It has guaranteed ready market for farmers, ensured stable prices and contributed tremendously to food security. In 2010 the World Food Programme relied on the National Buffer Stock Company for its purchases to address Famine in Niger. 25) Upgrading of the Tamale Regional Hospital which is helping improve health delivery in the Northern Sector and ensure that UDS Medical Students go through their education without truncations and relocations to KATH or KBTH as used to happen in the past. This is in addition to several polyclinics which have been constructed in all three Northern Regions.