Haruna Mohammed, Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has accused the government of using the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving as a distraction from a series of tax increases and price hikes that took effect on July 1.
In an interview with JoyNews monitored by Kumasimail.com, Mohammed acknowledged the spiritual value of the National Day of Prayer, emphasizing the importance of humility and gratitude to God amid challenges.
He stated, “It is good to thank God for all that we have achieved in Ghana, and no one can deny the power of the Lord in our existence.”
However, he quickly pivoted to a critical political analysis of the day’s timing and motives.
Mohammed stressed “If you look at politicking, if you read very carefully what is happening today and the rationale behind this National Day of Prayer, this is something that has been anticipated for a longer time.”
Mohammed argued that the National Day of Prayer was strategically used to divert public attention from the government’s implementation of several burdensome economic measures.
He explained “We all know that by 1st of July, VAT will be increased by 21.9%. We all know. By 1st of July, fuel will be increased. We also know that by 1st of July, 2.45% increments in electricity tariffs will also take effect. We also know that prices of all local manufactured plastic products is going to be increased by 7%, which is also 1st of July.”
He described this as a deliberate political maneuver, saying, “As smart politicians, they have used the National Day of Prayer to cover up the discussion on these issues.”
He warned that while Ghanaians pray for relief, they must remain aware of the hardships imposed by the government’s policies.
“The suffering that the people of Ghana will go through, what we have been confronted with, is being covered with the prayer. We will pray to God but we will also remind ourselves and let the people know, after the prayer, this is what we have been put under by a government that said that they were going to reset,” he lamented.
Mohammed criticized the government’s fiscal approach, highlighting that the budgeted expenditures exceed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan amount, signaling deeper economic difficulties ahead.
“We all know, that the 24hours that they have put us through, they have to go to take loan. They are budgeting money that is more than the IMF loan we took. $4billion, more than the IMF loan that they are asking, which is not incorporated in the 2025 budgets. So these are people that we have to be very careful.
“The government said they were going to reset, but instead, they are making things very difficult for us,” Mohammed said.
He called on Ghanaians to pray for a reset of the “resetters” so that Ghana can recover and avoid further economic suffering.
“What we have to do is to pray to God to reset the resetters so that Ghana can get back on its feet so that better things can be done for us and not these excruciating difficulties that is put on the people of Ghana,” he opined.
The National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, led by President John Dramani Mahama, was marked by nationwide interdenominational services, including Christian and Muslim prayers, aimed at uniting the country under the theme “One Nation Under God: Giving Thanks, Seeking Grace.”
The event was organized by a committee representing diverse religious groups to foster national unity and spiritual renewal.
Source: www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
