Former Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has criticized the government for its failure to clearly define and explain key economic policies, particularly the much-touted 24-hour economy.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, March 4, Oppong Nkrumah took a swipe at the ambiguity surrounding the 24-hour economy initiative, stating, “Till date, we don’t have a single definition for the 24-hour economy programme. Everybody you talk to has a different definition—one programme, many definitions.”
He urged the government to focus on governance rather than propaganda, emphasizing that “the propaganda will not create jobs, it will not put food on the tables of people, it will not put clothes on the backs of people.”
“Spend time doing less propaganda and more time bringing your governance programmes so that Parliament can assist you and work on them,” he added.
The Ofoase Ayirebi MP also challenged the ruling government to move beyond political rhetoric and provide concrete policies to address pressing economic issues.
He questioned the government’s commitment to tackling rising transport fares, high electricity bills, and food inflation, stating that the President failed to outline any clear plans to address these challenges.
According to him, instead of the government proffering solutions to the issues he campaigned on, “all we heard was lamentation and blame on past leaders, just like in 2013.”
“The real issues that you [NDC government] campaigned on—the things that the millions of young people who were singing ‘kwen kwen‘ are waiting to hear you deliver on—get lost in the cracks. I want to remind you of what you campaigned on and the expectations people had when the President mounted the podium.”