THE YOUTH MUST KNOW SERIES
The NDC, in a clandestine manner, has set in motion, a grand charade to revive the deceptive unprecedented infrastructure achievement mantra that failed to hoodwink Ghanaians in 2016.
It would be recalled that in the lead up to the 2016 general elections, the NDC captured fathom hospital projects in their Green Book and Manifesto ostensibly to create a false impression in the minds of Ghanaians that Mr. Mahama has undertaken unprecedented infrastructural projects within 4years but fortunately, they were exposed badly.
This ineffective and scruffy strategy is being re-launched by the NDC in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the week, the NDC through Sammy Gyamfi, in a very arrogant bravado, told a palpable falsehood to the effect that the Mahama Administration (between 2013 and 2016) built over 3,000 Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds.
Ironically, the data available does not support this wild delusional claims. The number of CHPS Compounds constructed by the erstwhile Mahama led NDC Administration is captured in all the budget statements (2012-2017) presented to Parliament by the then Finance Minister, Hon. Seth Terkper and the current Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori Atta.
It must be stated that aside the budget statements, there is no other document presented to Parliament or any other appropriate quarters for allocations to be made for the construction of CHPS Compounds in the years under review.
In simple terms, the budget statements remain the only documents that captured the construction of CHPS Compounds by the Mahama Administration and same have been employed below to expose the NDC.
In the first year of the Mahama Administration, only 19 CHPS Compounds were construction. In Paragraph 730 of the 2014 budget, the government stated that “…19 CHPS Compounds were constructed whiles works on 24 new CHPS Compounds commenced. In 2014, the Ministry will begin the construction of CHPS Compounds to upscale maternal and child health care services.” This means that in 2013, 19 CHPS Compounds were built whereas construction of additional 24 commenced, summing up to 43.
In paragraph 630 of the 2015 budget, the government stated that “the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) concept remains the Ministry’s main strategy of bringing basic health services to the community level. In this regard, a total of 724 CHPS zones were made functional.” This presupposes that 724 CHPS Compounds were built in 2014.
There is no record on the commencement of construction and/ or completion of new CHPS Compounds in the 2015 fiscal year. The records show that, in 2015, the government focused on the revision of the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Policy and Strategy and completed same before the 2016 budget was presented to Parliament.
In paragraph 723 of the 2016 budget, the government stated that “the revision of the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Policy and Strategy as well as a model design for CHPS was completed. Government intend to construct 1,600 CHPS Compounds spread in all 10 regions with a good proportion dedicated to maternal and neonatal services over the medium term. In 2016, *the first 250 compounds will be constructed.”*
In other words, construction of 250 CHPS Compounds started in 2016. That notwithstanding, only 60 CHPS Compounds were completed before Mr. Mahama left power as captured in paragraph 658 of the 2017 budget statement.
Per the available incontrovertible data, the total number of CHPS Compounds completed and operationalized by the Mahama administration was Eight Hundred and Eight (808). It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the NDC and it’s surrogates, as characteristic of them, told plain lies ostensibly to hoodwink Ghanaians to believe that Mr. Mahama did well in building CHPS Compounds.
The Youth of this country must be reminded that in November 2013, Mr. Mahama announced a 10% pay cut for himself, his vice and appointees of his government and stated that the accrued monies will be used for the construction of CHPS Compounds across the country. Shamefully, it turned out to be the usual deception and lies that he is known for. When the Deputy Controller and Accountant General, Mr. Kwasi Owusu appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of parliament in 2017, he revealed that the then Chief of Staff wrote to the office to stop the deductions and release what had been deducted to the presidency. A paltry GHC896,459 had been realized by the end of 2014 when the Controller was ordered to release the money.
The NPP Government led by the most visionary President Ghana has ever had, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been candid with the good people of Ghana and has put up a sterling performance with glaring evidence in all sectors of the economy, including health.
Within three years, the NPP government has undertaken over 700 infrastructural projects, encompassing District Hospitals, Poly Clinics, Community Clinics, Community Health Centers, CHPS Compounds, Staff Bungalows among others. Aside these, 7 Regional Hospitals, 3 Infectious Disease Control Centers, 88 District Hospitals, 9 Poly Clinics and dozens of CHPS Compounds and Community Clinics have been earmarked for construction this year.
Truth shall at all times, triumph over lies and propaganda. The Ghanaian Youth is discerning and would vote to keep the candid, visionary and responsible leader, President Akufo-Addo in the Jubilee House beyond the 2020 elections.
Thank you.
Issued by NPP YOUTH WING
Source: BestNewsGH.com
