Mahama lacks credibility to fulfil promises – NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned Ghanaians ahead of the December general elections to make a wise choice by voting for President Nana Akufo-Addo instead of John Mahama.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday, 07 September 2020, the deputy campaign manager of the NPP, Dr. Mustapha Hamid, said it will be a waste of opportunity to bring back the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer.

According to him, the former president “lacks the credibility required to fulfill promises” therefore Ghanaians should endorse the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia ticket since they have been promise keepers.

“Whereas President Nana Akufo-Addo has, in less than 4 years, proven to be a promise keeper through competent and decisive leadership, John Mahama has demonstrated that he lacks the credibility required to fulfill promises he makes to Ghanaians,” the former Information Minister said.

He added: “On the basis of the above, I want Mr. Mahama to tell Ghanaians what he wants to do in the next 4 years that he could not do in his 8 years as Vice President and President?

“Fellow Ghanaians, the choice in December should be a leader who has a clear vision for the country, demonstrable integrity, courage, decisiveness, and the passion to position Ghana Beyond Aid while enhancing the dignity of the Ghanaian. That choice can be none but the promise-keeper, President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”

Dr. Hamid used the opportunity to take Ghanaians through a litany of promises the Mahama-led administration made in 2012 but failed to deliver. He mentioned them as follows:

To begin with, let us ask Mr Mahama, what happened to the promise to address systematically, the bottlenecks in production and transmission of power, and bring to an end the problem of erratic power supply by the end of 2013? The answer to this question, Ladies and Gentlemen was the exacerbation of the problem which led to the infamous DUMSOR crisis.

In its 2012 manifesto, the NDC promised to construct 200 new Community Day Senior High Schools across the country. However, you would agree with me that only 46 out of the 200 planned Community Day Senior High Schools were completed as of 2016 when they were leaving office.

The NDC also promised to establish a new public University in the Eastern Region but only organised a sod cutting ceremony few weeks to the 2016 general elections, an obvious attempt to hoodwink voters. As we speak the NPP under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has completed this university.

The NDC promised to expand the NHIS benefit package to cover family planning, mental health, prostate cancer and the physically challenged. Can any Ghanaian attest to the fulfilment of this promise?

The NDC further promised to establish Job and Enterprise Centres (JEC) in all regions to help unemployed youth. Characteristic of the NDC, Ladies and gentlemen, this never happened.

They also promised that through the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), they would co-invest in leading agro-industrial establishments and increase the number of shea-nut factories from 1 (in Buipe) to 3 (one each in the Upper East and Upper West regions). It will surprise you to know that it was in 2019, under the NPP’s enviable One District, One Factory programme that a shea butter factory was operationalised in Sheaga in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.

On the other hand, Dr. Hamid said President Akufo-Addo has done a lot over the past three years, making him a promise keeper who deserves another term in office. He stressed that the ruling NPP has made inroads in almost every sector of the economy. He mentioned a few as follows:

“The party’s flagship campaign promise of providing Free Senior High School (FSHS) education to Ghanaian children of school going age is today a reality.

An estimated 1.2 million Ghanaian children, from both rich and poor homes, regardless of ethnicity and religious affiliation have benefitted from the Free Senior High School initiative. In addition, 804 facilities have been built across various Senior High Schools in response to the 69% increment in enrolment occasioned by the Free Senior High School policy. Most importantly, Ghanaians must be reminded that the NDC strongly insisted that the Free Senior High School policy was not possible; that it could only be implemented in 20 years and wondered how the NPP was going to fund it.

“The Akufo-Addo-led administration has also kept its manifesto promise by restoring teacher trainee allowance which was cancelled by the insensitive Mahama government. The restored allowance has since 2017, benefitted over 48,000 teacher trainees. Further, the Akufo-Addo-led administration has recruited over 70,000 young men and women to provide teaching and non-teaching services across various educational institutions since 2017.

“The NPP has revived the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which was at the brink of collapse by settling the over GH¢1.2 billion debt accrued under the erstwhile Mahama administration. This has resulted in an extended health coverage for over 12 million Ghanaians, most of whom would have been denied access to health care due to the NDC’s mismanagement of the scheme.

“The industrialisation drive of the NPP is underpinned by its centre-right ideology and the belief in the private sector as the engine for economic growth. As has been the case, the ruling NPP government, since 2017, has pursued strategies aimed at creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.

Against this backdrop, the Akufo-Addo-led administration has been religiously committed to initiatives such as:

The One-District-One-Factory flagship programme, which seeks to provide support for the private sector in establishing factories in all districts across the country

The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan, a strategy for training and resourcing entrepreneurs and start-ups and

The Ghana Commodity Exchange, a scheme that provides a regulated market that connects buyers and sellers.”