NPP ‘chopped the money’ – Gbande slams former gov’t over flagship programmes

Mustapha Gbande, Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), criticized the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). He accused them of mismanaging funds for key national programs. This includes the well-known Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.

“They promised us Planting for Food and Jobs. It was a brilliant policy,” Gbande said. “But they took the money instead of delivering results.” He claimed they did not even try to succeed.

In an interview with Bola Ray on Starr Chart, Gbande questioned the program's impact on food security. He suggested that poor oversight and mismanagement plagued the entire initiative.

“Go to the market today and ask for a bag of maize,” he urged. “What has this done for food security? Money was spent, but what do we see?” He noted that even regional ministers had to intervene, indicating poor supervision.

Gbande also criticized other government initiatives like One District, One Factory and Free Senior High School (Free SHS). He stated that while some policies were good in theory, their execution was lacking.

“One District, One Factory was a scam,” he said. “Free SHS was a good idea but poorly executed.” He argued it became more of a political tool than a social intervention.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Gbande expressed frustration over missed opportunities with Free SHS. “I struggled to pay my school fees,” he recalled. “Free SHS could have helped people like me.”

He pointed out issues like poor student nutrition, lack of infrastructure investment, and unmotivated teachers. "It was a good vision," he concluded, "but execution was politically driven."