NPP Fired Up – Launches Critical Manifesto
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo displays the 90-page manifesto
The document titled, ‘Transforming Lives, Transforming Ghana’, made audacious projections and policy proposals that promised to move the country forward when the NPP was voted into power.
The manifesto entailed six thematic areas, namely, building the foundations of a free and fair society; economic transformation for prosperity and job creation; public investment to provide basic amenities to support job creation; a disciplined and safe society; creating opportunities and promoting enterprise and Ghana in a wider world.
The various themes were presented by leading members of the party who explained how those aims would be achieved.
Speaking at the well-attended manifesto launch at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra, NPP Presidential Candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stressed the belief that once these structures were put in place, the country would be ready for a massive take-off.
Present were key and influential members of the party including running mate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, national executives, former ministers of state, Members of Parliament and members and supporters of the party.
With the unveiling of the policy statement, Nana Addo was optimistic the argument would now move from whether the country should have free and compulsory education from kindergarten to senior high school, since “this nation has no other choice if we are to make meaningful progress”.
He believed education held the key to the achievement of all these targets and for which reason the NPP would channel much of its efforts in the area of education. This decision, he said, would mean “we will have a competitive workforce, we will have a confident and dynamic population and nothing will stand in our way in the pursuit of progress.”
Commitment
Whilst admitting that the figures might look expensive for the party’s ability to achieve its goals in education, Nana Addo said, “I am the chairman and we cannot shirk the responsibility; we cannot postpone taking this decision one more year.”
He pledged a personal commitment to lead the campaign for society to accord the teaching profession the prestige it deserved since, in his own words, “teachers will play a critical role in what we hope to do”.
He said, “The success of an Akufo-Addo administration would depend on teachers and I promise to make the lot of teachers a happy one.”
Apart from that, the NPP Presidential Candidate indicated that an NPP administration would restructure Ghana’s economy for the private sector to play a central role, with the belief that “a strong private sector holds the key to prosperity. If we want different results, we have to do things differently”.
With a team of people he described as “enthusiastic, dynamic and competent” in place, Nana Addo was confident of achieving his vision for the country when voted into power since he had no illusions about the task ahead.
“I give you my pledge; I will fight corruption and I will want you all to be in this fight,” he noted.
He was of the firm conviction that Ghana had a brighter future than what the Mills-Mahama administration bequeathed to Ghanaians and what was now being offered by Mahama-Amissah-Arthur government.
For him, the ruling NDC administration had nothing good to offer the good people of Ghana and therefore urged Ghanaians to “vote them out and move Ghana forward”.
Nana Akufo-Addo said he would champion the fight against corruption by engaging in leadership by example.
Professor George Gyan Baffour, a former deputy Finance Minister who presented the NPP’s policy on education, said, “The goal of our educational policy is to transform education so that it will produce a capable, confident, skilled, educated human resource base to feed and support an expanding economy.”
He also touched on the much-talked-about Free SHS Policy, saying government would bear the cost of boarding, SRC dues, admission fees, exam fees, dining fees, utilities, and other costs in addition to the tuition, which was already free, to relieve the burden on parents.
Prof. Gyan-Baffour said an Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government would rather finance the Free SHS policy than pay dubious liability debts.
MP for Bimbilla Dominic Nitiwul spoke on infrastructure, while Adwoa Safo, NPP parliamentary candidate for Dome Kwabenya, spoke on the youth, with Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh taking Health, Isaac Osei Trade and Industry and Agriculture, and Cecilia Abena Dapaah speaking on Housing.
Former Deputy Attorney General Gloria Akuffo spoke on NPP agenda for Governance, with MP for Weija Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey explaining the party’s policy on Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Relations.
Age Card
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia rubbished the NDC’s claim that President John Mahama’s youthfulness would give him an advantage over Nana Akufo-Addo.
“What matters is policy, vision and integrity in this year’s elections, not age. I am honoured to be partnering Nana Akufo-Addo because he is full of vision and brilliant ideas for Ghana.
Nana has the energy and vision to deliver for Ghanaians so whether someone is aged or young, it doesn’t matter because Ghanaians will surely vote for the one with ideas,” he told Asempa FM in a follow-up interview.
According to Dr Bawumia, NDC’s argument about age was flawed because Ghanaians would not vote for a young candidate who had driven the economy into an abyss.
Dr. Bawumia urged Ghanaians to vote massively for Nana Addo and the NPP to transform their lives.