LAST Thursday, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia posted a list of the country’s problems which he claimed the Akufo-Addo-led administration had solved or was solving.
This was an apparent response to issues raised by a section of Ghanaians in the ongoing #FixTheCountry campaign on social media.
“We are four months into our four-year mandate. The job of government is to fix problems. This is what we have been doing since 2017,” the vice president said in the Facebook post.
In a tabular presentation, Dr Bawumia presented a list of the problems he claimed the Akufo-Addo-led government inherited and what the government had done about those problems so far. The list spanned different sectors including agriculture, the economy, viagra, health, and education.
In this report, Fact-Check Ghana verifies some of the claims made by the vice president and presents the following verdicts and explanations.
Claim 1
Problems Inherited: Weak food security. Ghana placed 78th on global food security index
What we have done so far: Ghana’s position on the global food security index has improved to 58th
Verdict: False
Explanation: Ghana’s current position on the global food security index is 77th out of 113 countries. The country has never ranked 58th since President Akufo-Addo came into office contrary to Dr Bawumia’s claim. Ghana’s best position on the global food security index under this government was in 2019 when the country ranked 59th. Below is the rank and score of Ghana on the Global Food Security Index from 2013 – 2020.
Year | Rank/ Position | Score/100 |
2013 | 67th | 45.4 |
2014 | 78th | 43.1 |
2015 | 75th | 46.1 |
2016 | 78th | 47.8 |
2017 | 76th | 47.9 |
2018 | 73rd | 50.9 |
2019 | 59th | 62.8 |
2020 | 77th | 53.0 |
Source: The Economist
From the Table above, there has not been so much difference in the positions of Ghana under the John Mahama-led government (2013-2016) and the Akufo-Addo-led government (2017-2020).
Claim 2
Problems Inherited: Low Declining Agriculture Output
What we have done so far: Planting for Foods and Job has increased food production. It has led to a 71% increase in the national production of maize.
Verdict: False
Explanation: First of all, it must be noted that the percentage increase in maize production quoted by Bawumia is different from what President Akufo-Addo has previously reported.
On March 9, 2021, at the State of the Nation Address, Akufo-Addo said, “there have been increases in maize and rice yields by one hundred and ten percent (110%) and forty-eight percent (48%) respectively.”
Thus, while Akufo-Addo reports 110%, Bawumia reports 71%. Nonetheless, both figures are inaccurate when compared with official data from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
The MOFA presented the data below on maize production to The Fourth Estate when it requested figures on the production of major crops in Ghana
Year | Production (In Metric Tonnes) |
2015 | 1,691,643 |
2016 | 1,721,911 |
2017 | 2,011,179 |
2018 | 2,306,384 |
2019 | 2,911,884 |
2020 | * |
Source: MOFA *There’s not a confirmed figure for 2020 but a forecast compiled by MOFA from September 2020 when the year had not ended.
From the Table above, contrary to the claim by Bawumia that production was declining when the current government came into power, production from 2015 to 2016 was actually rising.
Comparing the production of maize in 2016 (1,721,911 metric tonnes) with 2019 (2,911,884 metric tonnes), production has increased by 69%. While this is close to the 71% reported by the vice president, the figures are not the same.
Claim 3
Problems Inherited: Average Bank Lending rate at 32%
What we have done so far: Reduced average banking lending rate to 21%
Verdict: False

Explanation: At the end of 2016, when the erstwhile Mahama-led government ended, the average lending rate was not 32% but 31.2%. This was indicated by the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Ata when he read the 2017 Budget Statement in Parliament on March 2, 2017.
On page 16, paragraph 83, of the 2017 Budget Statement, Mr Ken Ofori- Atta said:
“The average lending rate moved up to 31.2 percent in December 2016 from 27.5 percent in December 2015.”
Banking lending rate is the rate of interest at which one repays a loan and a difference of 0.8% can be significant.
Claim 4
Problems Inherited: Parents problem of paying fees for TVET students.
What we have done so far: Government has implemented free TVET.
Verdict: Misleading.
Explanation: The government began the implementation of the Free Senior High policy in 2017.
However, the free SHS programme only covers a few Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions in the country.
There are over 300 public TVET institutions nationwide which, according to the Ministry of Education, are managed under 19 different ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, and the Ministry of Trade.
Currently, according to the National TVET advocacy team, only the 48 public TVET institutions which are under the Ministry of Education enjoy the free education policy. This has resulted in the advocacy team’s call on the government to ensure that the free SHS policy covers all TVET public institutions.

Then Minister for Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, admitted to this in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic when he said: “There is a bill in Parliament which is close to being passed to enforce the realignment of all TVET institutions under the Ministry of Education.”
He added that: “the bill, when passed, will mean that all TVET schools will automatically benefit from the free SHS programme. And so, to re-emphasise, TVET is currently free if the institution is under the GES. The bill seeks to allow those not currently benefiting to also benefit.”
Before the dissolution of the 7th Parliament, the reforms which are contained in the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill has been read twice since it was laid before the house.
The claim suggesting that the over 300 TVET schools enjoy free education is therefore misleading. Only 48 institutions are covered.
Claim 5
“Problems Inherited: Difficulty and inconvenience in buying electricity units for your meter
What we have done so far: Fixed it. ECG customers can now easily buy pre-paid electricity units from wherever you are from your mobile phone.

Verdict: Misleading
Explanation: While it is true that some ECG customers can buy pre-paid using mobile money or some other digital platforms following the vice president’s launch of the ECG Power App and the Company’s introduction of short codes for recharging credit, the opportunity is not available for all customers.
According to ECG’s customer care, the opportunity is available only to the customers who have the company’s new smart meters. These new smart meters with various brand names including Kamstrup Nuri and Smart G were introduced about three years ago, ECG’s customer care centre told Fact-Check Ghana.
Thus, a considerable number of people who have had their meters before 2018 are not able to buy electricity units through a shortcode or an App.
Meanwhile, according to the ECG, it would cost between GH₵ 400 and GH₵ 700, depending on whether it is a single or three-phase credit meter, for one to replace an old meter with a new smart one.
READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo’s Claim on Corruption in CNN Interview Completely False
Useless article or response by all standard!
Just look at a citizen !! You are the reasons 100s die because of the lies and corrupt ways of these politicians!
See don’t mind people like that. They are clearly party foot soldiers and don’t deserve the back and forth.
true talk bro
This is the definition of Journalism. Factual! I love The Fourth Estate for its impeccable breakdown of facts.
lovely
Great piece
Very educative…
Even the WiFi in public universities he mentioned is not true
Public universities had WiFi extensions long before Dr Bawumia came into power. Knust for instance had its WiFi setup in halls of residence and extension to places on campus since 2015
Hahaha… It was there before I completed KNUST in 2014…. These politicians just like deceiving the public….
Same as GIJ.
leave my bawuliar alone
Dr Bawumiah knows that Ghanaians don’t like reading that is why he keeps referring to the data. But thanks to the fourth estate his deliberately manipulated data would be challenged.
People still believe Bawumia in this country?🤣🤣
Hahaha😄😄😄😄
#FixThwCountry
Impressive!
If all media houses can do this kind of fact checking, it will help put leaders on their toes.
#FixTheCountry
Very pathetic as a Ghanaian. Talk is cheap paaa. We have pathalogical liars as leaders of my dear country.
Do people still believe vice President Bawumia? His credibility and integrity outlived it usefulness. Now we listen to him for comic!
I appreciate the research it mind-blowing. good work then I hope we can share this on various social media to alert the government we are not illiterate but we are defending Ghanaians
Truth is very essential in buílding a vibrant and progressive society. And this should start with the Leader, if the leader is known for fabricating stories to suit his individual and personal fulfilment then we are at risk. Dr. Bawumiah is not in the driving seat yet and hear we are. I am afraid if he is driving there will more accident and lose of life. #fixthecountry
Interesting read . I am not actually surprised
They are serious liars and quacks and they take the whole nation for granted. Imagine how much they spent on Asase GPS. Who uses this app in Ghana? We have voted for any continue to believe these people. Its a hopeless situation in Ghana.
Good job, keep it up. We can’t just be blinded by a post on FB.
Thanks Mannanseh Azure Awuni 👏
Very detailed! With references as well. Great piece
On the food security. I tweted days after the release of the least on my TL. We deserve the best. Even the 750,000 he claims to be created under this government is false. As at 2020, there were 702,538 workforce in Ghana and additional 750k means, there were no workforce in Ghana prior to 2017.
Article well written and elaborated.
Eeiii Ghana, so this is where we have gotten to….hmmmm
Hi Fourth Estate, check the claim that upon the freeze on employment by IMF, govt solved that by employing 750,000 people. In the 2020 budget statement page 234, the number of workforce is at 702,528. But that is not the matter of contention. The statement presupposes that prior to the freeze by IMF, there was no workforce and that it’s the NPP that has appointed 750,000 people
This is incredible! Good journalism, indeed the fourth estate.
This is what is supposed to be done by the opposition but they are busy doing otherwise. Problem ooo. Npp keeps throwing concocted data and half truths all over.
No wonder he is the biggest liar in Ghana. Who does he think he is deceiving? Hhmm.. God save us from these people.
#FixTheCountry
#AriseGhanaYouth
#GodSaveUs
#Liars
👍👍👍👍
This your analysis is rather misleading and riddled with unnecessary falsehood.
Dr. Bawumia won’t stop lying to Ghanaians. Dr. Bawumia always fabricating figures. Is this the kind of leadership he promised us. Dr. Bawumia’s incompetence is indeed legendary even his response to our problems is another problem 😂😂…eeeei Dr. Bawuliar
Is there a law to arrest and prosecute government appointees who present false information as facts and sort to mislead the cetizenry?
Good work done Azure, #fixthecountry
Great work. #4thestate ampa!
This is marvellous!. Clear concise fact-checking to debunk the lies Bawumia has been churning out there. More grease to your elbow #Fixthecountry.
May God richly bless u Sir
So in effect, Dr Bawumia lied in most of the claims made.
The Fourth Estate is our only hope now.