![FourthEstate](https://thefourthestategh.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/4thestate-log-2a.png")
In every election year, certain key issues are brought to the fore, highlighted, and given prominence in the media and other public spaces. This is because they largely determine which party will get the nod to form a new government for the next four years.
Election year 2024 is no different. Several key issues are dominating and shaping political debates and voters’ expectations. Illegal mining (galamsey), economic challenges, unemployment, Free SHS and other educational reforms, and public safety concerns are all front and centre on voter’s minds. These issues, our experts believe, will influence voters as they look to elect leaders who will provide solutions that improve their lives and communities.
Galamsey (Illegal mining)
Galamsey has become a significant and contentious issue in the country, sparking protests and intense debates. The environmental impact is severe, with illegal and unregulated mining activities contaminating water sources and damaging farmlands across the country.
“This is a genocide. This is an ecocide that is taking place and our leaders are either incompetent or they are complicit in it,” says Dr. Ken Ashigbey, Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey.
The illegal miners are conducting mining activities within protected forest areas, and the pollution, according to the Ghana Water Company, is contributing significantly to an increase in the cost of water treatment. As a result, several towns and rural communities are facing the risk of water shortages.
Recent reports by The Fourth Estate revealed that certain influential persons, including political and business figures with ties to the government, have acquired mining releases to mine in forest reserves. They include the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (popularly known as Chairman Wontumi), and Sam Pyne, the Mayor of Kumasi.
According to the story, this contrasts with a 2016 government policy aimed at reducing mining in forest reserves by 50% in 2022 and eliminating it by 2036. However, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has issued mining leases that extend as far as 2053. While almost all of these companies lack the required permits to mine, satellite imagery reveals significant damage to the forest reserves in which some of these companies got their concessions.
Dr. Ashigbey believes, Ghanaians should hold their leaders to account and demand to know how they intend to end galamsey before giving them the mandate to govern. So far though, he says, none of the major parties has been forthcoming on the issue.
“We wrote to the political parties’ presidential candidates to state their positions. We look inside their manifestos [but] there is very little they are saying about fighting galamsey,” he says rather forlornly.
Currently, the main political parties, NDC and NPP, have voiced contrasting plans to address galamsey. The NDC pledges a restoration initiative for degraded areas, focusing on ecological recovery and economic revitalization. The NPP, on the other hand, promises a tougher stance on illegal mining, proposing to regulate small-scale mining while protecting the environment.
Dr. Ashigbey emphasized the need for citizens to be educated about the health impacts of galamsey. He suggested that such awareness could help voters make more informed decisions.
Free SHS – To review or abolish?
The Free SHS policy—introduced in 2017—is famed for providing over 2.5 million Ghanaians with access to secondary education, according to a 2023 report by Africa Education Watch. This initiative has become a cornerstone of President Akufo Addo’s legacy and a significant reason for support among those in rural areas, who appreciate the opportunity for their children to attend senior high school. Despite criticisms regarding its implementation, Free SHS remains a key consideration for many voters. But it costs the nation a lot of money.
According to Eduwatch, from the 2017/2018 to 2023/24 academic years, a total of GHC12.88 billion was allocated to the Free SHS policy. Between the 2017 and 2021 academic years, the government spent a total of GHC5.3 billion on the Free SHS policy. This amount translates to an average of GHC1.06 billion per year over that period. During the 2021/22 academic year alone, the expenditure averaged GHC1.84 billion annually. This, clearly, is a hefty expense for a country with a struggling economy, raising concerns over the sustainability of the free SHS initiative.
“Free SHS policy is here to stay but requires a comprehensive review. The next government should focus on identifying sustainable funding sources for the policy|”, says Dr. Peter Anti, the Executive Secretary of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST).
“All the political parties are talking about getting a sustainable source of funding and that is where we are supposed to look at because a policy is as good as its sustainability. If there are no sustainability measures put in place, that policy will not last for a longer period of time.”
Dr Bawumia’s NPP has promised an expansion of the Free SHS policy to offer scholarships for students with disabilities. They plan to recruit more teachers at all levels, with improved conditions of service while continuing to develop additional infrastructure to meet increased student numbers. They also plan to offer financing to enable every interested teacher to buy at least one vehicle with engine capacity of up to 1,800 cubic centimetres.
On the other hand, the John Mahama-led NDC’s education policy promises to focus on accessibility and support for underrepresented groups. The NDC promises to improve the Free SHS programme by providing a dedicated and sustainable funding source, decentralise the procurement of food for Senior High Schools to boost local economies and abolish the double-track system to restore a stable one-track academic calendar.
Dr Peter Anti believes Ghanaians will want to hear from politicians about alternative approaches to the government’s current implementation strategy for Free SHS. He added that voters are keen to know how the policy can be improved and advanced to ensure they benefit from it before casting their votes on December 7.
Economy – Balancing growth and instability
Economic growth is key to ensuring national stability and public well-being. Ghana’s economy is currently facing challenges due to a surge in public debt, mainly due to fiscal measures adopted to handle external shocks.
As a result, Ghana has lost access to international financial markets. The country is now experiencing debt distress and rising inflation pressures.
To address these economic challenges, Ghana implemented a series of macroeconomic adjustments, supported by a $3 billion IMF Extended Credit Facility approved in May 2023. In an optimistic sign, the World Bank revised Ghana’s growth projections for 2024 up to 4%, despite high interest rates and drought challenges impacting agricultural output. Fiscal deficit estimates have been revised down to 4.2% of GDP, reflecting government consolidation efforts and stable GDP growth projections.
Dr. Richmond Atuahene, a banking and finance analyst, describes Ghana’s economy as being in a dire state.
“We have extremely, very high inflation, terrible depreciation, a high policy rate associated with a high lending rate, and that leads to low economic growth and also no economic growth, basically,” he stated.
“If anybody wants to vote, first, ask yourself, what is the value of money in your pocket? What was the value of your money in 2020 and the value of the same money in your pocket today?”
Dr. George Domfeh, a Development Economist and Research Fellow at the University of Ghana however considers Ghana’s economic challenges such as the depreciation of the cedi and reliance on imports, as the “usual challenges” of a developing economy. According to him, the economy was growing steadily between 2017 and 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this progress. He noted that the economy has been on a path to recovery since 2022 and continues to show signs of improvement.
The NPP has proposed tax reforms if retained in power, promising to abolish controversial taxes, including the e-levy (which they passed), to ease the tax burden on Ghanaians and promote a cashless society.
The NDC proposes a new tax system with the overarching goal of easing pressure on businesses. Additionally, the party believes that the 24-hour economy policy it is pushing will help address Ghana’s economic challenges by establishing a round-the-clock operational framework to increase productivity and economic output whiles reducing unemployment.
Unemployment and job security
Ghana’s high unemployment rate has led to economic insecurity and social discontent, particularly among the youth. Youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge, with many young people facing intense pressure from families and communities. The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reported in 2022 that the youth unemployment rate stands at 13.9%.
Dr. George Domfeh explains that there are not enough industries in Ghana to produce goods domestically, leading to an overdependence on imported products, which in turn contributes to rising unemployment.
“Now we have more training colleges training more teachers but at what point can the schools in Ghana absorb all teachers?” he asks. “So, this is where we have to begin to think so that we can export more teachers and nurses overseas. Ghanaian teachers and nurses are doing well there.”
The NPP has pledged to create thousands of new jobs if re-elected, including providing digital skills to one million young Ghanaians. Meanwhile, the NDC says its 24-hour economy model, aims to expand employment opportunities by increasing business operating hours in key sectors. Specifically, they intend to divide the working day into three shifts of eight hours each to ensure continuous productivity while creating well-paying jobs and expanding employment opportunities.
National Security and public safety
Recent events have brought the conduct of state security into the spotlight. Particularly, the Ghana Police Service has faced public backlash and scrutiny for their (mis)handling of several issues including peaceful protests, notably during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse and galamsey demonstrations, where activists were arrested and detained.
Both the NPP and the NDC have pledged to prioritize strengthening the security services and ensuring internal stability across the country. The NPP is committed to deploying 50,000 anti-crime cameras and equipping Police with body cameras, completing forward operating bases along borders to deter terrorism, expanding the National Cybersecurity Centre to tackle digital threats and also increase police visibility in all areas of the country.
The NDC, on the other hand, promises institutional reforms by removing militia elements from security services to restore public trust, increasing police patrols and visibility, particularly in high-crime areas, enhancing border security and counter terrorism efforts through international cooperation and also introducing a transparent, decentralised recruitment system for security agencies.
“Public safety is always in the minds of Ghanaians especially when election is coming whether it is parliamentary, presidential or by-elections because of the disparate interests and the nature of politics in the Ghana and in Africa as a whole,” says Dr. Ishmael Norman, a security analyst. “Ghanaians are really pinched up with respect to how safe they think they are going to be and they expect a lot more out of the government with respect to protection of them and their properties.”
Conclusion
Ghanaians are looking to elect leaders with clear, actionable plans on galamsey, educational reform, economic recovery, job creation, and public safety. As the candidates outline their visions, voters should be attentive and read between the lines to ensure that their choices align with the future they envision for Ghana.
YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
Illegal miners strike again: 75-Year-old widow scammed in farmland for 3-bedroom house deal
