In his consuming desire to return to the Jubilee House, the Nationala Democratic (NDC’s) 2024 flagbearer, President John Dramani Mahama, gave all sorts of richly interesting, albeit unachievable promises, among other things, the seemingly nebulous 24-hour economy.
As I write, there are no meaningful measures or steps being put in place to implement the seemingly vague 24-hour economy promised by President John Dramani Mahama.
Whilst some of us do not want to acquiesce to the widely held notion that politics in general is a dirty game, one would not be far from right in suggesting that the political terrain is full of inveterate propagandists and manipulating geezers.
Prior to the 2024 general elections, I received an interesting telephone call from my Sister, a bigtime kenkey seller, who was somehow having sleepless nights over Mahama’s much-publicised 24-hour economy and wanted further and better particulars.
Without wasting time, I informed my dear Sister that, 24-hour economy is more or less a free market economy which draws its strength from the all-important supply and demand, with minimal or no government interference whatsoever.
In effect, no government on planet earth can legislate, coerce business owners, or have total control over a 24-hour economy.
Besides, with the evolving global economy and the advent of AI and digital transformation, industries and businesses won’t require a large workforce in order to engage in a 24-hour economy.
Take Ghana for example, with the advent of Bawumia’s all-important digital transformation, many businesses are engaging in 24-hour economy unbeknownst to some Ghanaians.
Indeed, the introduction of a programme such as the mobile money interoperability has ensured a 24-hour banking service in Ghana.
My dear reader, I am a living witness. Although, I domiciled in the United Kingdom, I am able to transact business around the clock, transfer money anytime from my MTN mobile money account to my bank account and vice versa.
Succinctly put, some industries and businesses are already engaging in a 24-hour economy in Ghana.
That being said, the idea of legislating or spreading the 24-hour economy to cover every business is virtually impossible, as a matter of fact.
Like my dear Sister’s 24-hour kenkey business, the emphasis is on supply and demand. Needless to say, my Sister cannot work around the clock without the needed patronage.
That is, my dear Sister has to keep improving on the quality and thereby increasing her customer base so as to work around the clock.
My dear reader, indeed, 24-hour economy is driven by supply and demand. Take for instance, many supermarkets in the United Kingdom have ceased their 24-hour services due to poor patronage.
And, aside of the supply and demand challenges, my dear Sister and many self-employers face other exigencies, most notably, dumsor(erratic electricity supply).
Honestly, no business or industry can blossom in the midst of erratic electricity supply(dumsor).
Suffice it to say, businesses and industries did not thrive in the midst of inexpressible dumsor during the erstwhile Mahama administration.
My dear reader, of all the abysmal performances I yet have witnessed in Ghana, it seems to me most unfortunate that the Mahama’s dumsor, which lasted for well over four years, remains the most appalling in contemporary Ghana.
In the days of the unspeakable dumsor under the Mahama administration, we witnessed the endless buzzing of generators all over the country. Most businesses folded up amid massive unemployment.
In those days, self-employers like my dear Sister, the kenkey seller, Hairdressers, Ice Kenkey Sellers, Butchers, among others, were the worst affected.
The annoying and costly buzzing of generators across the length and breadth of the country, unfortunately, went on for well over four years to the utter disgust of the good people of Ghana.
As I stated elsewhere, businesses do not need any massive interventions from government in order to offer a 24-hour service to their customers.
Needless to say, businesses rather need a conducive environment and the provision of vital services such as uninterrupted electricity supply.
My dear reader, please tell me, if I’m operating a successful restaurant, why do I need a government to coerce me to offer 24-hour service to my customers?
The 24-hour economy is not a policy, it is an economic system already being practised in most free market economies, including Ghana. So what is the big deal?
In fact, I was quite amazed to see booming business activities in some areas in Accra and Kumasi when I visited Ghana last December.
Evidently, the industrious Ghanaians including my dear Sister, the kenkey seller, and her minions, are blissfully engaging in 24-hour economy without any intervention from any government whatsoever.
Well, I would like to believe that President John Dramani Mahama was only trying his level best to hoodwink the unsuspecting voters. If that were not the case, how on earth would Mahama promise a 24-hour economy after bizarrely sitting on a common dumsor for close to five years?
If you may remember, it was the same NDC tradition, strongly imbibed with defeatist mentality, unpardonably sold Dr Nkrumah’s numerous industries, which were designed to augment Ghana’s economic growth.
You may believe it or not, it was the NDC tradition that peremptorily adopted a disastrous Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), under the auspices of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Regrettably, the vast majority of tangible national assets, including the state owned enterprises were allegedly sold to friends and families for pittance.
The apparent unfavourable Economic Recovery Programme culminated in a catalogue of hardships.
And, on top of the harsh programmes and policies which threatened the economic fundamentals, the population had to clutch itself for food shortages, a situation which the world press somehow ignored in favour of the concurrent Ethiopian famine that resulted in millions of deaths.
Indeed, their desperate attempts to initiate the Programme of Action to Mitigate the Social Costs of Adjustment (PAMSCAD) did nothing to improve the unfortunate situation as untold hardships permeated many households.
Starvation, destitution, and irreversible depression, so to speak, visited the vast majority of Ghanaians, and hence developing revoltingly ugly collar bones which the humorous Ghanaians renamed as “Rawlings Chain”. That was indeed the pernicious extent of the hunger.
My dear reader, I have always held a firm and unadulterated conviction that the NDC apparatchiks, who bizarrely take pride in the social democratic ideology, are not in the business of promoting the welfare of the masses, but they are rather on a mission to advance their parochial interests by persistently proselytising and hoodwinking the unsuspecting voters to gain electoral advantage.
The 24-hour economy is already being practised in some sectors in Ghana. So what is the big deal?
Apparently, the 24 hour economy exists in Ghana in the media-radio and television, the transport sector, some hospitals, some selected private businesses, among others.
The people who aspire to lead must rather learn to think outside the box and try to be innovative.
My dear reader, isn’t it quite unconscionable to hear that the same people, desperately pushing for a 24-hour economy unpardonably sold most of Dr Nkrumah’s industries, which were built purposely to boost Ghana’s economic growth?
Given the circumstances, we can understand the concerned Ghanaians genuine apprehension on the feasibility of Mahama’s 24-hour economy promise.
I’m afraid, the 24-hour economy promise is a sham, comparable to the one-time NHIS premium, promised by the erstwhile Mills/Mahama Administration, which was destitute with honesty and integrity.
Meanwhile, watch this concluding part of our sit-down with the 100-year-old World War II veteran, who was also present at the 28th February Shooting, below: