Liberal Institute For Policy Studies (LIPS), a new center-right Think Tank with leanings to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been launched in Kumasi.
Addressing the media at its maiden encounter today, Dr Keskine Owusu Poku, the Executive Director said the outfit aims at using intellectual research backed by facts, evidence and figures to shape the development and politics of the country.
He noted that the group plans to evaluate the performances of the two dominant political parties, the NPP and the NDC in terms of their delivery of development projects particularly in the Ashanti Region.
‘’We are a Think Tank whose preoccupation is to use research and data to evaluate the performances of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) particularly in the Ashanti Region as well as other regions in Ghana subsequently’’, the Executive Director noted.
Research:
Dissecting their research findings in the area of healthcare initiatives and interventions in the area of hospital infrastructure, the group noted that three variables formed the basis of the research.
These variables were, projects inherited, projects initiated and projects commissioned within the two term periods of the NDC (2009-2016) and the NPP (2017 -2024).
The group noted that the NDC did not complete any inherited hospital projects from previous governments in its Eight (8) years (2009-2016) such as the Bekwai, Konongo, Tepa, Sawua and Afari as well as the KNUST 800 bed hospital.
In sharp contrast, the NPP, according to Dr Owusu Poku, sought additional funding in 2019 to complete the age-long Bekwai hospital and commissioned the same for use in 2021.
Out of the four (4) Eurojet projects, the Executive Director noted that three have been completed with two, Konongo and Tepa district hospitals in use.
Initiated Hospital Projects:
The NDC, the group noted, did not complete nor commissioned any of the hospitals it initiated in the Ashanti Region from 2009 to 2016.
He noted that the NDC, however, initiated two hospital projects which were the Fomena and Kumawu District Hospitals under the NMS projects in 2014 but none was completed nor commissioned for use.
On the other hand, Dr Owusu Poku said the NPP in eight years has initiated 24 new hospital projects with 19 under the Agenda 111 and five under the VAMED project.
He stated that while the five (5) projects under the VAMED which are Sabronum, Manso-Nkwanta, Suame-Anomangye, Drobonso and Twedie are completed and handed over to government, the Agenda 111 projects are at various stages of completion.
‘’We can therefore say that in the context of health infrastructure for the Ashanti Region, the NPP stands unparalleled in same”, Dr Owusu Poku posited.
Group’s Make-up:
Founding Members of the LIPS Think Tank are Professor Dr Dr Otchere Addai-Mensah, President, Dr Keskine Owusu Poku, Executive Director and Victor Osei Poku.
The others are Director of Research, Mr Essel-Mills, Director of Administration and Finance and Jimmy Boahie-Ansah, Director of Policy Direction and Monitoring with Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Presidential Advisor on Health Services serving as Special Consultant to LIPS.
Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie,
Kumasi
