Ghanaians Dying Of Poverty, TUC Tells Akufo-Addo, MPs

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and all the Members of Parliament to work hand-in-hand to deliver Ghanaians from poverty.

TUC noted in a statement that most Ghanaians are saddled with extreme poverty, a situation the union said requires immediate attention by authorities.

In a statement issued last Thursday on the inauguration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and all the lawmakers, the TUC said “We count on the new leaders to deliver us from mass poverty that has afflicted a significant section of the people of Ghana.

“As we have pointed out time and again, it is unpardonable that, almost 64 years after independence from colonial rule, millions of Ghanaians have no access to basic necessities such as clean water and sanitation facilities; 4.5 million Ghanaians have no access to electricity despite the fact that Ghana has excess capacity of electricity; a significant number of Ghanaian children and women of childbearing age are suffering from chronic malnutrition and anemia; many children are dying needlessly from malaria and other preventable diseases because of the unhygienic conditions and poor healthcare; our roads are comparable to war zones in terms of the number of people who lose their lives through preventable road accidents every day; many Ghanaians are living in streets because they have no access to housing; our national daily minimum wage is a paltry GHS319 per month; and young graduates cannot find jobs many years after graduation.

“The task ahead is huge. In his Inaugural Address, the President acknowledged “the considerable amount of work that is to be done over the next four years in our drive to take our nation firmly onto the path of progress, prosperity and development following the havoc wreaked by COVID-19”.

“That is why we urge NPP and NDC to find a way of working together, not only in the parochial interest of their parties but, more importantly, in the supreme interest of the good people of Ghana.”

The statement added “The President gave some indications of his commitment to lead us away from poverty to prosperity in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) and his Inaugural Address.

“He promised that his government will provide water and electricity to the communities without these basic social amenities, construct more hospitals to improve healthcare and provide more houses for the people.

“He reiterated his commitment to Ghana Beyond Aid with its emphasis on economic transformation, self-reliance, attitudinal change, and respect for core values including honesty, hard work, compassion, social partnership and patriotism.

“We believe that we can propel our country to higher levels of prosperity and progress if we pursue this vision more vigorously.”

“On Job Creation, in the State of the Nation Address, the President mentioned the recruitment of 95,000 health workers into the public health sector, which helped the nation to fight COVID-19. We note the recruitment of additional teachers, security personnel and the implementation of Nations Builders Corps (NABCO) as well as the state-sponsored entrepreneurship development programmes.

“We expect more of such initiatives to help address the employment crisis facing our youth. In the next four years, all efforts towards economic recovery and transformation must focus on job creation. We have to work together as social partners to create more and better jobs for young Ghanaians in both public and private sectors of the economy.

“We can make a huge difference if we work together to remove the numerous constraints in the way of domestic production including corruption, high-interest rates, ultra-liberal trade policy, and the deficit in our social and economic infrastructure.

“The One-District-One-Factory and the Planting for Food and Jobs, if pursued more vigorously, can strengthen the domestic private sector.

“These initiatives need rapid expansion and support from all social partners. They can make a significant difference in strengthening the industrial base of our economy for job creation, especially in rural communities.”