Ursula Owusu On Prez Mahama’s Greatest Achievement...

Ablekuma West MP Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has summed up President Mahama’s first term in office as characterised by ‘an institutionalization of mediocrity’. Moments before the President delivered his State of the Nation Address, the critical voice from the opposition party said key highlights of the President’s first term are based on the initiative of the former NPP administration. She told Joy FM Thursday, public transport company, Metro Mass Transit, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), NHIS, Capitation Grant were social intervention policies attributed formulated by President John Kufuor’s ‘far-sighted visionary government’. The MP explained the NHIS has collapsed. Hours later, President John Mahama during his State of the Nation Address contradicted this view by stating that usage of the health insurance scheme in 2015 was at about 11.2million – an “undeniable” statement of confidence in the NHIS. Ursula Owusu explained that the revelations of fraud uncovered at NHIS is evidence of a mismanaged scheme. . “If you talk about mediocrity, then they have done very, very well in that respect but if you talk about delivering development then there are huge question marks”. Although she acknowledged infrastructural development under John Mahama, she stressed that building roads, schools and hospitals are basic items on every government’s to-do lists. Popping champagne over the building of roads is a celebration of mediocrity, she suggested. According to Ursula Owusu, government has failed to address the utmost concerns of Ghanaian youth – employment. The Ablekuma West MP pointed out that there is a “sense of despair” among jobless youth which threatens the stability of the nation. “People have literally thrown up their hands in despair….You don’t know where the explosion is going to occur”, she said.

Source: myjoyonline