Not All Saying ‘Times Are Hard’ Are Political Opponents

These days, ‘times are hard’ is becoming a politically incorrect statement to make; it is a statement that could make one get tagged as an opponent of the government in power, no matter how true or well-intended the statement may be.

Being tagged to belong to a political party, is in itself, not a wrong thing, but the cynicism and near-attacks that go with the tag is become problematic.

This defensive posture, is in itself, not helpful in getting leadership appreciate the true state of events and the realities on the ground.

To get vexed over the fact that someone or a group of Ghanaians say times are hard, is laughable.

Persons who take an exception to complaints of hardship have often asked since when did times become hard and whether the current cost of living is not better than what pertained in the past.

‘He who feels it, knows it more’ is a suitable adage that readily comes to mind because of the disagreements complaints of economic hardship generates especially in political circles.

The fact that times did not become hard today, does not mean that persons who are feeling the pains of economic hardship should be gagged from talking about it.

These are genuine complaints from people who wish to see a real positive change that can be felt in their pockets and no amount of public relation gymnastics can make a man forget the fact that the cost of living has gone up.

The solution does not lie in the Minister for Agriculture to get defensive and tell Ghanaians that food is in abundance and the prices at an all time low.
The public mockery that greeted his statement should be enough feed back to him that public relations answers do not cure hunger.

Let us stop pretending and rather tell leadership the truth that the current situation in Ghana is not what was promised the electorates before the last polls.

Leadership has blamed the hardships on the ripples of CIVID-19 for more than enough period; it is now time to take some strategic and creative decisions to further lessen the burden of Ghanaians.

The rising cost of fuel, the rising cost of utility, the weakening local currency, the high lending rate, the high cost of doing business, several multiple taxes and the likes have all ganged up to inflict the hardship Ghanaians are complaining of.

Playing the politics of equalization is not a solution. The solution is to fix the challenge and to fix it with a sense of urgency.

Road contractors all across the country are in tears because they have not been paid for works they have done. Works the contractors took bank loans to do. Bank loans that are attracting interests and sadly, no one seem to care!!!!

Meanwhile, delaying payments to road contractors holds back payments to a long chain of artisans and auxiliary workers.

Times are hard, in the view the New Publisher, is not a political statement that comes from only political opponents. It is a true statement that aptly describes the current economic situation in Ghana.