Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has called on aspirants in the impending New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer contest, their followers and the party as a whole to focus on taking down the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rather than reach out for each others’ throats.
The ruling NPP, he said, must be aware that breaking the eight will not be easy because it has not been done before but stressed with unity the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition is on its way to break the eight and make history.
According to him, the party’s success will, however, depend on the conduct of adherents going forward.
“A strong united party with a focus on highlighting our success while countering the desperate, misleading and misguided NDC propaganda who will be a disaster for this country,” he said.
In a speech he delivered at the 2021 NPP National Annual Delegates Conference on Sunday, December 19, 2021 in Kumasi, Dr. Bawumia observed it is the collective responsibility as members of the Kukrudu family to ensure sacrifices of the party’s great political icons have not been in vain.
He noted that they have built and handed over a party and a tradition that should always be treasured and a responsibility to continue the great legacy.
NPP’s superior records
Government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he said, is committed to serving the good people of Ghana, protecting their efforts, vision and legacy as the necessary tools to break the eight.
He averred that the NPP has a solid record of achievement in the fourth republic and has become the most important driver of the Ghanaian vision and development agenda.
He said, “We have been responsible for the most important policies which touch every Ghanaian in every corner of our nation, the NHIS, the school feeding program, the free antenatal services, the Free SHS, the free TVET program etc.”
“As we meet here today at Conference, we are reminded that it is the party that birthed the government thus, strengthening party-government relations is key to our collective success.”
“I believe that In Shaa Allah we will be able to break the eight because our record is a superior record whether we are talking about agriculture, industry, roads, housing, education, health, transformational policies like digitalization, social interventions and so on the comparison between us and the NDC will be like night and day.”
“Can you remember any transformational policy implemented by the NDC in their last 8 years in Government? Can you remember any social intervention implemented by the NDC in their last eight years in government to reduce the suffering of Ghanaians,” he quizzed?
Covid-19 challenges
Vice President Bawumia admitted the NPP has not solved all the problems facing Ghanaians but stressed it has solved many problems.
He stated COVID-19 has increased the cost of living virtually everywhere in the world including countries like the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Cote d’Ívoire, etc. and that Ghana has similarly been affected but argued nonetheless inflation in Ghana today is 12.2% lower than it was in 2016 at 15.4.%
He revealed that there has also been a massive improvement in other economic indicators including 21% Average bank lending rates; depreciation at 7.3%, trade balance surplus, Gross International Reserves at $10.8 bullion; 750,000 jobs created among others.
First time in Ghana’s history
According to him, the changes the NPP is making as a party in government are historic, building on the legacy of President J.A. Kufuor and thinking outside the box to transform Ghana.
“Under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, for the first time in our history, Ghana has successfully issued a digital National ID card; implemented a Digital Property Address system; has Mobile Money Interoperability; any Ghanaian who has a National ID card can open a bank account using their mobile phone and over 80% of adults in Ghana have Tax Identification Numbers versus 4% in 2017.”
“For the first time in our history Ghana has drones for medical delivery and is the world’s largest medical drone delivery service; Ghana is implementing One district one district hospital (AGENDA 111) and by the end of our second term we would have built more hospitals than any government in our history.”
“For the first time in our history Ghana is implementing One district one factory – Our government has facilitated the establishment of more factories than any other government since independence; Ghana has Paperless clearing of goods at the ports; we have digitized the process of passport acquisition; Ghana has digitized the process of drivers license acquisition”
“For the first time in our history, Ghana has implemented the Ghana.Gov platform, a one-stop-shop for public service delivery; Ghanaians can renew their NHIS membership from their mobile phones; Ghanaians can apply for scholarships on their mobile phones; Ghanaian students can apply for student loans without the need for a guarantor; For the first time in our history, Government is implementing a pension scheme for cocoa farmers.”
“For the first time in our history, Ghanaians and law enforcement can find out the insurance status of any vehicle on their mobile phone using the Motor insurance database; Ghanaians were provided free electricity for life line consumers for a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; Ghanaians were provided 50% reduction in electricity tariffs for non-life line consumers for a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; Ghanaians were provided free water for a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; and import duties on all goods were reduced by between 30%-50%.”
“For the first time in our history, Government has provided Free Wifi to over 700 senior high schools, 42 colleges of education and 13 public universities; Ghanaian pensioners can obtain their SSNIT pension 10 days after making an application; Ghana is implementing a Nationwide E-Pharmacy which I will launch next week and we will be one of a few countries in the world to have a nationwide E-Pharmacy.”
“For the first time in our history, Government, has implemented a One Constituency One Ambulance programme; Government has established a Zongo Development Fund; we have built more roads in our first term than the first term of any government in the Fourth Republic and we are continuing; we are implementing Free TVET and have established the Ghana TVET service; and for the first time in our history, our Government has implemented Free SHS and confounded the naysayers.”
Vice President Bawumia noted for the first time in the history of the Fourth Republic, the NPP will break the ‘eight’ and stressed the future is bright for the youth and for Ghana hence the need to stay with the elephant.
Source: Mypublisher24.com
