The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has clarified that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has never denied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war on the global economy, including Ghana.
According to him, the NDC’s position has consistently been that while these global events had some effect, the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration was wrong to blame the entirety of Ghana’s economic difficulties on them.
In a Facebook post, on Tuesday April 8, the Minister criticized the opposition for misrepresenting his remarks during a speech in Geneva.
He emphasized that the NDC rejected attempts by the previous government to use COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war as scapegoats for their mismanagement of the economy.
He argued that other countries in the region also faced similar global challenges but managed their economies more efficiently.
He further pointed to the ongoing trade tensions between the United States, China, and Europe as another global issue with economic implications for Ghana.
This, he said, underscores the complexity of global economic dynamics, which affect smaller nations.
Prior to his Facebook post Tamale Central MP in a speech on Monday April 7 in Geneva noted that trade conflicts between major global powers continue to create economic difficulties for countries like Ghana.
He referenced a popular Ghanaian proverb, suggesting that smaller nations often suffer when powerful ones clash.
He also acknowledged the broad impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on countries worldwide, including Ghana.
“The recent global challenges, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war and the unfortunate trade wars, which started as a suspicion and how we are living the reality, and taking into consideration the popular saying in Ghana that when two elephants fight, it is the grasshopper that suffers. So we do know the challenges that will be confronting us. The broader effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be lost on any country, including Ghana,” he said.
Despite these challenges, he highlighted Ghana’s efforts to navigate the crisis and push forward its development agenda.
He noted that the country has implemented several strategies aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leveraging science, technology, and innovation as key tools.
According to him, Ghana stands out as one of the leading nations to have developed a comprehensive roadmap for applying science, technology, and innovation in areas such as agriculture, digital innovation, and industry to advance national development.
