Tain MP Sulemana Adama has said he was not surprised when the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ran to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic bailout.
“As a legislator in the august house, I knew the NPP government was billed to go back to the IMF on its knees after exiting an earlier IMF programme for policy credibility by the then-governing National Democratic Congress administration led by former President John Dramani Mahama in 20215,” he said.
He added the NPP was on schedule to go back to the IMF because the economic affairs were handled by family members and close friends of the president instead of competent people.
“This is what you get if you have your family members managing the economic affairs of your government,” he explained.
He said when Mr Mahama was going to the IMF, Ghana’s import cover could last for more than three weeks.
“What do we see today? Ghana’s import cover can only last for barely two weeks and very soon, Ghana will be joining the league of failed countries like Sri Lanka,” he noted.
The MP expressed this view on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, July 19, 2022.
“Why should the NPP wait for it to be driven in a wheelchair before going to the IMF for a bailout?” he queried, adding that he is waiting for an explanation from Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Kumah, who led the chorus to denigrate the IMF.
He warned that very soon, there will be no import cover for the importation of crude or finished petroleum products into the country.
He alleged that the head of the Economic Management Team, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has been prevented by the family and friends of the president from doing his job.
In his view, the Vice-President has been turned into an information technology man at the presidency, instead of playing his role as the head of the economic management team.