US-based Ghanaian economist Dr Sa-ad Iddrisu has expressed worry about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s partial speech on the IMF $3 billion loan facility among other social programmes.

On Sunday, 28 May 2023, President Akufo-Addo addressed the country in his 29th address to the nation since his last on March 27, 2022, a year ago.

He declared the Covid-19 pandemic over in Ghana. 

Reacting to the president’s address, Dr Iddrisu in a Facebook post said the address to the nation oddly focused on Covid-19.

According to him, “I was expecting him to touch on the social programmes like Free SHS and tell us what agreements the government made with the IMF on that. Which section(s) of the Free SHS is the government reviewing? I was again expecting him to touch on the IMF conditionalities such as the increment in taxes, electricity bills, etc, and tell Ghanaians the hardships to expect in the coming days, so we can start tightening our belts.” 

According to Dr Iddrisu, the president should have spoken to the country about China too as indicated in the IMF report to clear all doubts surrounding the deal.