Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has rejected claims that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lacks a message for the 2024 elections.
According to him, the NPP has managed to steer the Ghanaian economy towards growth and development, and will continue to do so in the lead up to the 2024 elections.
Speaking to a packed audience at a women’s conference in London, Dr. Bawumia stated that the NPP government had implemented several policies and programmes aimed at improving the lives of Ghanaians.
These policies, he noted, had contributed to the creation of jobs, the expansion of the economy, and the provision of better social services to Ghanaians.
Dr. Bawumia went on to say that the NPP government will continue to prioritize the needs of Ghanaians by implementing policies aimed at addressing the country’s most pressing challenges.
He noted that the government was committed to creating a business-friendly environment that would attract more investment into the country, thereby creating more jobs for Ghanaians.
He also highlighted the government’s efforts in the area of education, noting that the government had implemented several policies aimed at ensuring that every Ghanaian child has access to quality education.
Earlier this year, former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen faced backlash from NPP supporters when he claimed that the party lacked a message for the 2024 elections.
Dr. Bawumia’s recent speech is being seen by many as a subtle response to Kyerematen’s comments and an attempt to assert the party’s vision for the future.
While admitting that the government has struggled to achieve all its goals, the Vice President stated that they have produced a solid track record of success.
He cited global and domestic factors which have affected the country recently, and the resilience of the NPP in the face of these challenges.
Dr. Bawumia’s speech was met with cheers and applause from NPP supporters in attendance, and many hope that it will help to dispel doubts about the party’s message heading into the upcoming elections.
“We have not had it all rosy and delivered everything that we set out to do from our day of initiation into office. But the setbacks notwithstanding, we have produced a solid track record of achievements,” Dr. Bawumia noted, as he highlighted global and domestic factors which have affected the country recently.
Dr. Bawumia said for the government’s efforts to be appreciated, it is important to recollect the state of the country and the challenges therein the government inherited, and the solutions it has proffered to address these challenges.
Among others, the Vice President listed high unemployment, Dumsor for 4 years, a virtually collapsed National Health Insurance system, a nearly collapsed national ambulance system, freeze on public sector employment, an almost collapsed banking sector, massive annual increases in utility bills, poor economic indicators, low agricultural growth, low industry growth, cancellation of teacher and nursing training allowances, as well as a huge burden of paying $1billion dollars annually for a take-or-pay excess energy capacity deal negotiated by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
After listing the numerous challenges inherited, Dr. Bawumia then presented a comprehensive list of programmes, projects and policies in every sector the NPP government has implemented to address these challenges in employment, education, health, agriculture, industries, security, energy and digitalisation.
Touching on the economy, Dr. Bawumia showed how the government significantly improved the economy by getting every economic indicator far better than it inherited, until the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war struck.
On education, apart from the government’s flagship Free SHS programme, which the Vice President said has solved a generational problem of unequal access, he also listed a number of infrastructure the government has built, including thousands of classroom blocks across the country, to improve education in the country.
On the problem of high unemployment the government inherited, Dr. Bawumia noted that government has improved the situation by halting the freeze on public sector employment by the erstwhile NDC government.
He said, so far, the NPP government has created over 2 million jobs, which he indicated are verifiable.
Dr. Bawumia also highlighted better growth in agriculture, industries, and also touted the NPP’s numerous achievements in the health sector including improving the NHIS, provision of ambulances for every constituency, introduction of drones for emergency delivery of medical supplies to remote areas, treatment for children with cancers, as well as the government’s flagship Agenda 111 health initiative, which is the construction of district and regional hospitals.
Dr. Bawumia also spoke extensively on government’s achievements in reviving the industrial sector, highlighting, especially, the revival of Anglogold Ashanti, WAMCO, Ghana Publishing, GhanaPost and the establishment of many factories under 1D1F.
The climax of Dr. Bawumia’s address was when he turned his attention on digitization and listed a number of initiatives under the sector, and the numerous problems the government’s focus on digitization has addressed.
As he listed the successes, the audience cheered him on in appreciation of the detailed delivery.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, when you look at this tall list of achievements, one cannot but admit that they are monumental. Let nobody tell you that we don’t have a message for 2024,” said Dr. Bawumia.
“I must hasten to add that this does not mean we have done everything we intended to do or ought to have done. There is clearly a lot more to do and we will work hard to do more.”
He acknowledged that while there is still more work to be done, the NPP has made landmark achievements.
Dr. Bawumia reiterated that the NPP had a clear message for Ghanaians going into the 2024 elections. He urged Ghanaians to support the NPP government in its quest to steer the country towards prosperity and development.
The NPP International Women’s Conference in London was attended by several members of the NPP and other stakeholders in Ghana’s political landscape.
The conference provided an opportunity for members of the NPP to share their experiences and discuss strategies for the party’s continued growth and success.
By Vincent Kubi