By Abdul Razak Bawa
Just imagine, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in opposition and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is in government and that have announced the introduction of this discriminatory tax called E-Levy.
This country would have turned upside down, the country will be ungovernable because they will not only fight it in Parliament, but they would have been series of demonstrations across the 16 administrative regions of the country.
But think of NDC in opposition and you will be disappointed. Thank to the omnipotent God, who sees tomorrow from today and so decided that, for the first time in the history of this country, we should have a hanged parliament because he knew the plans they have for his people, had they won absolute majority in parliament.
Only a man, who is not serious in life, will pray to God to give him a wife, and when his wish is granted, will go back to God to help him perform conjugal duties. That is the situation, unfortunately we find ourselves.
We prayed to God in 2020, to liberate us from the shackles of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his family, although we did not get all our wishes granted, we had the best results, when statistically speaking, a very important arm of government, was given to the people.
We were all witnesses to what happened in the lead up to the 2016 general elections. A lot of people, including civil society organizations were lying in wait for John Dramani Mahama to take the oath of office in 2013. We saw the mushrooming of pressure groups from 2013 to 2016, all in the spirited attempt to criticize, discredit, distort and make sure the NDC losses the 2016 elections, a result they got.
Former President Mahama, was buffeted on all sides, while the NPP was attacking from one angle, civil society organizations were firing from another side and people we considered elder statesmen were also not sparing him either.
Today, even when governance has been reduced to the worst form ever, the agitations we saw under president Mahama, is no longer there.
It is said that to whom much is given, much is expected. This government has borrowed more than all the governments put together since independence and yet has little to show for it.
Let me hasten to emphasize that, despite the initial disappointments by minority Members of Parliament, especially during the period of vetting and subsequent approval of ministers, I must say that, with the introduction of the E-Levy, they have discharged themselves creditably. Theirs is to debate the issues, it is the duty of the party (NDC) to hit the streets, as they did after the 2020 general elections.
The deafening silence on the issue, regarding mobilizing the people to send a clear signal to the government that, what it intends to do, is not in the best interest of the people, is really worrying.
Demonstrations are part of the democratic culture. It is a tool used in many parts of the world and in different times and under different circumstances to raise issues, especially with the government.
It beggars belief, why since 2017, the NDC, has not established any strong pressure group that the party can mobilize around, as it did with Committee for Joint Action. CJA was a force to reckon with, the government of John Agyekum Kufuor, was put on its toes by the sustained pressure from CJA, which felt the country was heading in the wrong direction.
The E-levy or MoMo Tax, cannot be justified under any circumstance. The concept of dipping your hands in peoples’ pocke is totally wrong, especially, when as a government you have not done anything to warrant, asking for the ordinary Ghanaian to bite another bullet.
The only way to defeat this government that has refused to listen to any reason is to mount a concerted operation, for them to know that they got us into this mess and must get us out without overburdening us with another tax.
We are going through the greatest economic challenge facing this country, since its flag independence from Britain in 1957. Never before has despair been seen across the country, with no end is sight.
Had the National Democratic Congress, lived up to its billing, we wouldn’t be where we are today, with these clowns in power.
As a first step to resetting our compass and lifting the dark clouds, perhaps we should be asking a few questions and making suggestions on the way out of the present morass?
First of all, the scrambling for excuses to pass the E-Levy, shows clearly that it was a knee jerk reaction to a problem they caused and yet don’t know the solution, so they should ask the NDC for solutions to the problem.
Secondly, for us to accept to pay any E-Levy, they should account for the monies they have borrowed since 2017, all in the name of fixing the country. The attempt since December last year to be flooding social media with ongoing road projects, won’t save the situation.
Thirdly, the NDC, should wake up from its slumber and mobilize the people to hit the streets. The NPP in opposition and the country would have been on fire.
The minority in Parliament should maintain its stance, it should not budge under any circumstance. A government that has shown that it does not have an inkling of sympathy for the ordinary Ghanaians, should not be supported to inflict more pain on the ordinary Ghanaian.
The NDC, should take the lead and rally Ghanaians to kick against the obnoxious E-Levy. I admit that the government needs to shore up its revenue base. This newspaper, however, frowns at the idea of burdening the masses who are groaning under excruciating economic conditions with more taxes.
The government, instead of putting more burden on the already stressed up population, should find ways of blocking leakages and corruption.
If the NDC, cannot mobilize Ghanaians to protest their pain, what kind of party and government in waiting are there?
Revolutions are usually waiting to happen if people only protests underground and that is what is happening presently.
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