Nana Akufo-Adoo
The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the policy initiatives he has been offering to the people of Ghana ahead of this year’s elections are not promises, but solutions to the myriad problems confronting Ghanaians.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana, a country with abundant human and natural resources, has been poorly managed by President John Mahama over the last eight years, creating hardship in every part of the country.
Thus, the ‘One-District-One-Factory’ and the ‘One-Village-One-Dam’ policies, the diversification of the country’s agriculture, the effective implementation of the Free SHS, the setting up of an Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), the restoration of the teacher trainee and nursing trainee allowances, among others, are policies that would bring prosperity to Ghanaians, he said.
“I’m not making promises. I am offering solutions to the problems of this country and not promises. However, in order to bring all these policies into fruition, I need you and the people of Greater Accra and the Ghanaian electorate in its entirety to vote for me and the NPP in this year’s elections,” the NPP flag bearer declared.
Nana Addo made these disclosures on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, when he paid a courtesy call on the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa at the commencement of his four-day tour of the region.
The NPP leader noted that within the eight years of President Kufuor’s NPP administration, a strong foundation was laid for the forward movement of the country.
“This foundation would have made Ghana move far ahead of its neighbours if it had been built upon.
“That foundation has been destroyed in these last few years. However, my message to the people is that they should not lose hope. I am appealing to Ghanaians to look up to and ride on the back of the ‘Elephant’ so we can bring progress and prosperity to the people.
“We have the men and women and policy initiatives to give this country a first-class government,” he stressed.
“Ghana’s capital expenditure budget is $1.6 billion this year. When we win, God-willing, we are going to redirect that budget, take out $275 million every year and ensure that every constituency receives the equivalent of $1 million to deal with matters bordering on infrastructural development, sanitation, business development, amongst others, in the constituency.
“It is a new initiative that we are bringing. The money is there. We are not going to impose new or additional taxes to raise this money. The money is there and is part of the capital budget of this country,” he added.
Nana Akufo-Addo explained that “the sight of thousands of jobless young men and women across the length and breadth of the country frightens me. If we don’t nip this in the bud, we risk plunging this country into chaos.”
This, according to him, is one of the reasons why his party has prioritized the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector to flourish.
“We need to do something about employment for our young people. We cannot tackle this problem if we don’t have good policies that will attract money into the economy and bring investment into Ghana.
“Ghanaians who have money are hiding it because the business environment is not conducive. We want them to bring their monies out, and also foreigners to bring investments into Ghana, so that we can create jobs and get this economy moving again,” he said.
He continued, “You have heard me say that in every district, we are going to help set up one factory. We are not going to do this alone as a government, but we will encourage public-private partnerships. We are blessed in this country. In every part of this country, there is a resource, which when properly harnessed, will help the citizenry.”
Vote for me
Nana Addo acknowledged that even though the Constitution debars chiefs from openly engaging in partisan politics, they however vote.
“Everyone here knows where he has set his sights on. But this year, I am asking you to join the Elephant. This year is the year of the Elephant and I am asking you to come and ride on the back of the Elephant. The possibilities in Ghana are immense; and if we don’t get a good government that will turn these possibilities into realities, they will, at best, remain possibilities. That is the choice before the people of Ghana this year,” he said.