Claim: The running mate of NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, aka NAPO, said President-elect John Dramani Mahama had said he would bring the dollar rate to GHC 5 and the price of kenkey to 1 Cedi before the Dec. 7 elections.
Verdict: False! A thorough investigation by DUBAWA, including keyword research and a review of Mahama’s public statements and campaign communications, shows that Mahama has never promised to bring the dollar rate to GH¢5 or reduce the price of kenkey to GH¢1. Instead, he focuses on stabilising the cedi, tackling inflation, and implementing broader economic recovery measures.
Full Text
Speaking in an interview with journalists posted on X by UTV, after a parliamentary session on December 19, 2024, the running mate of NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, said: “Mahama said he will take the dollar to 5 Cedis and Kenkey 1 Cedi…, we are waiting.”
NAPO wouldn’t be the only one putting out such a statement, as a similar statement on Threads can also be found here.
DUBAWA decided to investigate further to know if Mahama truly claimed due to the virality of misinformation before and after elections, according to a report from the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition 2024.
Verification
Thorough investigations, including Google’s keyword research conducted by DUBAWA, revealed that President-elect John Dramani Mahama has never claimed to have brought the dollar rate to GH¢5 or reduced the price of kenkey to GH¢1.
Instead, Mahama pledged to address Ghana’s economic challenges directly, with a focus on stabilising the cedi and reducing inflation, once he assumed office on January 7, 2025.
During a courtesy visit by Mourad Louhaida, the Algerian Ambassador to Ghana, on December 12, 2024, Mahama emphasised the need for decisive actions to restore economic stability.
“We are looking to focus on bringing Ghana back up in terms of economic growth, stabilising the currency, and bringing down inflation. And this is the time Ghana needs to work even closer with its partners, including China,” Mahama stated.
Furthermore, in a statement issued on May 29, 2024, in response to reports suggesting Mahama would stabilise the cedi within 100 days, among others, Mahama’s spokesperson Joyce Mogtari clarified:
“To quote him, Mahama stated, ‘Our number one priority will be stabilising the economy and restoring a stable currency. We will launch an urgent economic recovery and fiscal consolidation plan following a national economic dialogue to be held within one hundred days of assumption of office.’”
She emphasised that Mahama’s focus is on fiscal discipline and responsible economic management, which includes reducing government expenditures, tackling waste and corruption, and expanding the tax net to boost revenues.
Researching various campaign archives before December 7 elections, it was clear that Mahama never made such a statement about the dollar exchange rate or the price of Kenkey rather, the Presidential Candidate of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyeremateng was reported by many media platforms for promising to reduce the dollar to below 5 Cedis, during his historic Mega Victory Walk in the Greater Accra Region, on 2nd November 2024.
Lastly, a review of credible media outlets and online archives by DUBAWA found no credible reports supporting Napo’s claim.
Conclusion
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s claim that Mahama promised to bring the dollar rate to GH¢5 and reduce the price of kenkey to GH¢1 is false. Mahama’s actual statements and campaign objectives are focused on stabilising the economy and addressing the broader issues of inflation and currency stability.