NPP stabs Ghanaians in the back — Ade Coker

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the boycott of the ongoing National Economic Forum by the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a stab in the back of Ghanaians for political expediency.

“For an opposition political party whose mandate must be to offer pragmatic alternative policies to the government, serve as a watchdog and provide a voice for a crosssection of the electorate,  to reject an opportunity to brainstorm on the national economy  is unfortunate.

“The posture of the NPP leadership affirms the perception that it has been destructive and is outmoded with regard to modern day politics,” Mr Joseph Kobina Ade Coker, NDC’s Greater Accra Regional Chairman, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Wednesday.

“Boycotting the forum means the NPP and its functionaries have no moral grounds to criticise the outcome of the forum or organise a surrogate press conference to pontificate on the national economy,” Mr Ade Coker stated. 

He said what an opposition party could offer Ghanaians was constructive criticism and active participation in government programmes and engagement at the highest level of leadership, which the NPP had rejected.

Mr Coker, who is the Chairman of NDC Regional Chairmen’s Caucus, classified the National Economic Forum as “a major platform to demonstrate politics of inclusion and build a national agenda for the wellbeing of Ghanaians.”

He disclosed that the NPP’s strategy was to boycott the major national activity only to monitor the event in the comfort of their homes and organise a press conference later to make unnecessary noise.

The four-day forum, which is on the theme: “Changing the narrative: Building a national consensus for economic and social transformation”, seeks to achieve consensus on policies, strategies and measures that are required to accelerate Ghana's transition from a lower middle income nation to an upper middle one with a sustainable path of development that will guarantee improvement in the quality of life for all Ghanaians.

Mr Coker said the NPP’s boycott was a tacit admission that they lacked men and women to provide proactive alternatives for solving national problems.

The NDC regional chairman, however, commended “Gallant patriotic citizens who honoured the invitation to participate in the forum to decide on the future of Ghana.      

Mr Paul Afoko, the NPP National Chairman, tagged the forum as a public relations gimmick calculated by the government to keep Ghanaians in the dark about the true state of the economy.

Meanwhile, scores of leading politicians, religious leaders, academia and economists have condemned the NPP for boycotting the forum. — GNA