Fact Check: Bawumia’s 47 claims on government achievements at Hogbetsotso Festival true

At the 2022 Hogbetsotso Festival in Anlo on Saturday November 5, 2022, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as part of his address, spoke on the economy and the on-going challenges Ghana and other countries of the world are facing.

He acknowledged the increasing high cost of living, which he said, has been driven by high cost of energy and food across the globe.

"What is clear is that the world is experiencing a global economic crisis. This crisis has been driven by massive increases in the prices of energy and food. This has resulted in accelerating inflation and cost of living globally and Ghana has been no exception.
Between 2019 and 2022, Inflation in Ghana has increased five fold, Inflation in Togo has increased 16 fold, Inflation in Senegal has increased eleven fold, Inflation in Cote dÍvoire has increased seven fold and in the UK it has increased by eight fold," Dr. Bawumia said.

Dr Bawumia, however, observed that it is important to note that the NPP government under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has, notwithstanding the challenges, has undertaken several projects and made more social interventions "than any government in the 4th Republic.

It is these claims, numbering about 47 which we have vigorously fact-checked, and passed our verdict.

Out of the 47 claims the Vice President made on infrastructure delivery, policies and social interventions, we found all to be true, with verifiable facts and data from agencies backing them.

Take a read:

CLAIM: Created more jobs in six years than any other government in the fourth republic.

VERDICT: True. Data at the Ministry of Employment and Labour relations show that over 400,000 public sector jobs have been created between 2017 and 2022. Out of this are over 100,000 Teachers and 100,000 health personnel recruited. Others were also recruited into the security services and other government agencies.

CLAIM: More roads construction than any other government in the history of the fourth republic.

VERDICT: True. Data on number of kilometers of roads the Akufo-Addo government has constructed is truly unmatched by any government in the fourth republic.
For example, the erstwhile NDC government, constructed 581 km of highway roads, 1613 feeder roads and 2442 km of urban roads, making it a total of 4,636 roads in 8 years under the Mills/Mahama regimes between 2009 and 2016.

However, under the Akufo-Addo regime, between 2017 and 2022, data shows that the NPP government has built 1290.85km of urban roads, 7029.71km of Feeder roads and 3366.99km of urban roads, making it a total of 11,687.46km of roads in six years.

CLAIM: More interchanges constructed than any other government in the history of Ghana.

VERDICT: For example, data at the Ministry of Roads and Highways show that the previous NDC government between 2009 and 2016, completed 5 interchanges, namely; Kwame Nkrumah Circle interchange, Ring Road, Kasoa Interchange, Giffard Road and the Airport Hill.

Same Data shows that between 2017 and 2022, the current NPP Government is working on 12 interchanges with 12 completed, namely: Pokuase interchange, Trma Motorway Interchange phase 1, Obetsebi Lamptey Interchabge phase 1, Tamale Interchange, Suhum Interchange, as well as the East Legon underpass.

Ongoing ones are: Nungua Interchange, Obetsebi Lamptey Phase 2, Takoradi interchange, Kpong Barrier and Savannah interchange, Tema interchange phase 2, and Flower Pot interchange on the Spintex road in Accra. The Government has also just cut the sod for the Suame interchabge in Kumasi.

CLAIM: More bridges construction than any other government in the history of the fourth republic.

VERDICT: Data by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, just as on roads, confirm that the Akufo-Addo government had built more bridges across the country than any government in the 4th Republic.

CLAIM: More airports constructed than any other government in the history of the fourth republic.

VERDICT: True (the new Tamale airport, the massive expansion of the Kumasi Airport, as well as the expansion of the Sunyani and Wa Airports).

CLAIM: More railways constructed than any other government in the history of the Fourth Republic.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: More classrooms constructed in basic (800) and secondary schools (2,500) than any other government in the fourth republic .

VERDICT: True (data from Ministry of Education shows that the Akufo-Addo government has built 800 classrooms for basic schools and 2500 for senior high schools in six years - the highest by any government in the 4th Republic.

The NDC government completed 28 E-Blocks, 672 classroms in senior high schools and 350 classrooms in basic schools. The current government has so far completed 29 of the uncompleted E-Blocks it inherited.

CLAIM: More fish landing sites constructed than any other government in the history of Ghana.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: More fibre optic cable (93% of total) laid than any other government in the history of Ghana.

VERDICT: True (data from the National Communications Authority confirms this.)

CLAIM: More astroturf community centers constructed than any other government in the history of Ghana.

VERDICT: True (there were only 2 public astro turfs in Ghana before the Akufo-Addo government. Now there are more than 80 across the country.

Beyond infrastructure, the Vice President also made claims on what he called "transformational policies," which have been introduced by the NPP Governmen, "for the first time in our history." Our verdict continues:

CLAIM: Ghana has successfully issued a digital National ID card which provides a unique identity for all Ghanaians.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana has a Digital Property Address system

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana has implemented Mobile Money Interoperability between telcos and between mobile wallets and bank accounts. The first in Africa and has made Ghana the fastest growing mobile money market in Africa.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history Ghana has implemented a universal QR Code Payment system covering mobile wallets and bank accounts. This is the first in Africa.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history Ghana has implemented a bankwide mobile wallet known as GhanaPay. This is the first in Africa and probably the world.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, any Ghanaian who has a National ID card can open a bank account using their mobile phone without going to the bank or filling any forms.

VERDICT: True (a number of banks provide this service)

CLAIM: For the first time in our history the Ghanacard can be used as a travel document to board a flight from outside Ghana to Ghana

VERDICT: True
CLAIM: For the first time in our history, over 80% of adults in Ghana have Tax Identification Numbers versus 4% in 2017

VERDICT: True (data by the Ghaba Revenue Authority proves this)

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana is using drones for the delivery of critical medicines and blood to remote communities Ghana now has the largest medical drone delivery service in the world.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history people can buy electricity units on their mobile phone at any time of the day or night and even from abroad

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history Ghana is implementing One District, One Factory – Our government has facilitated the establishment of more factories than any other government since independence.

VERDICT: True (there has not been a countrywide industrialization scale of this magnitude)

CLAIM: For the first time in the history of the fourth republic we have established an automobile industry with vehicles like VW, Toyota, Nissan, Peugeot, Sinotruck, being assembled in Ghana.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana has paperless clearing of goods at the ports.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time, have digitized the process of passport acquisition

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana has digitized the process of drivers license acquisition

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana has implemented the Ghana.Gov platform. A one stop shop for public service delivery. 1018 agencies so far have been onboarded.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaians can renew their NHIS membership from their mobile phones.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaian students can apply for student loans without the need for a guarantor.

VERDICT: True (the policy has been launched, and students have started the processes for the next academic year.

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaians and law enforcement can find out the insurance status of any vehicle on their mobile phone using the Motor insurance database

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our post-independence history, government faced a global health pandemic (COVID-19) and earned global acclaim for the excellent management of the pandemic with limited loss of life.

VERDICT: True. Ghana's handling of the pandemic was widely acknowledged globally.

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaians were provided free electricity for life line consumers for a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaians were provided 50% reduction in electricity tariffs for non-life line consumers for a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaians were provided free water for a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Government has provided Free Wifi to most senior high schools, 42 colleges of education and 13 public universities.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghanaian pensioners can obtain their SSNIT pension 10 days after making an application.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana has implemented a Nationwide E-Pharmacy. We are one of a few countries in the world to have a nationwide E-Pharmacy platform.

VERDICT: True (government has launched the E-Pharmacy service)

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Government, has implemented a One Constituency One Ambulance program.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Ghana is implementing One District, One District Hospital (AGENDA 111).

VERDICT: True (the project, which has started, is building district hospitals at all districts without district hospitals)

CLAIM: For the first time in history we have facilitated the construction of an inland port in northern Ghana.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, Government has established a Zongo Development Fund.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, childhood cancers are now covered by the NHIS.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in history we have established a creative arts senior high school.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in history we are implementing world class STEM education with STEM focused schools and we have also established the first girls STEM school in box.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: We have increased the number of bilingual basic schools (English and French) from 5 to 50 across 9 regions.

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, we are implementing Free TVET (65,000 students and 139 schools have benefited) and have established the Ghana TVET service.

o 32 state of the art TVET centers established
o 17 Technical and Vocational institutes umgraded
o All NVTIs upgraded and modernised
o Dedicated university for training of TVET instructors (Akenten Appiah Menkah University for Skills Training and Enterprenuerial Development)

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: For the first time in our history, our Government has implemented Free SHS.

VERDICT: True