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'I don’t sit far away behind my PC typing doom' - Gabby replies Prof. Hanke

26th September 2022 10:55:08 AM

2 mins read

Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University in the United States has gotten a response from Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a prominent NPP member.

Prof. Steve Hanke had tweeted that Gabby must be from another planet if she thought the government and Finance Ministry merited plaudits for managing the economy despite the current financial crisis.

Gabby's reaction focused on three distinct factors: his location, his opinions on the Ghanaian economy and inhabitants' living situations, as well as how he addresses the current problems.

In response to the 'living on another planet' jibe by Hanke, Gabby said in a tweet quoting Hanke's critique: "I live on the part of this planet called Ghana."

On the economy, he stated: "I see, I feel how tough things are, especially for the average Ghanaian. I see how tough it is for Govt and the constant struggle to keep bills paid, kids in school, our lights on etc.

"I don’t sit far away behind my PC typing doom," his post concluded.

In Prof. Steve Hanke's critique of Gabby's views, he posted a GhanaWeb story of Gabby's government deserves praise claims on Twitter and captioned it thus: "Leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)  says Pres. Akufo-Addo deserves praise for his handling of the economy. SPOILER ALERT: Otchere-Darko must be on another planet."

He added his usual inflation measurement which he said stood at 81%/y, a figure that is over 100% the official inflation percentage pegged at 33.9%.

The Ghana Statistical Service, GSS, recently announced that consumer inflation for August 2022 hit 33.9% from 31.7% in July.

This is the highest rate that has been recorded in 21 years. According to the GSS, food and transportation were the main drivers of inflation.

Professor Hanke who has taken a keen interest on economic issues of Ghana in a separate tweet said Ghana’s economy was tanking – an expression which means the economy is down and there are fears of a recession.

He has in the past blamed the Akufo-Addo-led administration for putting the economy in a dire situation.

“Ghana is in 8th place in this week's inflation table. On Sep 8, I measured Ghana's #inflation at a stunning 81%/yr--over 2x the official inflation rate of 34%/yr. #Ghana's economy is TANKING. To rein in inflation, GHA must install a currency board,” he tweeted on September 19.

“Today, I measure #Ghana's inflation at 81%/yr. As a result, Ghanaians don't know the price of anything anymore. When Ghanaians see their grocery bills soar, they can thank Pres. Akufo-Addo,” Prof Hanke added.