Opinions of Friday, 6 November 2020

Columnist: Francis Ameyibor

NPP: Renewal of mandate not in a vacuum

Cover of the NPP 2020 manifesto Cover of the NPP 2020 manifesto

“We do not ask for the renewal of our mandate in a vacuum. We ask, give us four more years because our Government, has kept faith with Ghanaians, by delivering on the commitments we made to you.

“We ask for renewal of mandate borne out of the fact that the New Patriotic Party (NPP), under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has overwhelming evidence to show that we have kept faith with the people of Ghana.

“We have over the period delivered or are delivering on most of our Election 2016 manifesto promises based on which you voted for us. The job is by no means done, however. We still have more to do in our service for the good people of Ghana,” the NPP stated in its Election 2020 Manifesto.

The manifesto tagged: “Leadership of service: Protecting Our Progress,

Transforming Ghana for All,” the NPP said; “we know the continuing faith it will require on your part, and the responsibilities it places on us, as at the end of 2019, we can report that we are on track, having significantly delivered on our mandate”.

The NPP recounted that in 2016, the party, and its Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, sought the mandate of Ghanaians on a platform of creating a prosperous society with economic opportunity for all.

“We were clear in what we wanted to use the mandate for, to re-build the Ghana we want, strong, prosperous, and united with expanded opportunities for all, no matter where you live in the country”.

The recounted that based on its Election 2016 Manifesto promises, many have asked: “how could an economy that could not pay teacher and nursing training allowances suddenly deliver lower taxes, restore teacher and nursing training allowances, create jobs, and implement Free Senior High School education.

“Many wondered how we could roll-up the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), Planting For Food and Jobs, One Village One Dam, One Constituency One Ambulance, reduce electricity tariffs, formalise the economy, industrialise the economy through “One District, One Factory”, and reduce the cost of doing business, while at the same time reducing the budget deficit and the rate of borrowing?

The question has been asked because it seemed an impossible task by the end of 2016, but “we were very confident that, with good economic management and by the grace of God, we could make what seemed impossible possible. And we did,” the NPP touted.

The NPP explained that it's calling for a renewal of its mandate based on recent history, giving Nana Akufo-Addo four more years, “Ghanaians will be ensuring that all the hard work over the last four years does not go to waste.

“This is a real, significant risk. We have been here before. In 2009, after we handed a strong economy over to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana ended up with the biggest ever mess in the history of our country.

“By the time you elected us again to replace the NDC at the end of 2016, we have been preceded by eight years of economic mismanagement, incompetence and widespread corruption”.

The NPP said the financial meltdown was so bad that the NDC signing up to an IMF ECF-supported programme for policy credibility did little to change the direction of the economy and country.

The NPP, therefore, stressed that “Not renewing our mandate is in essence inviting the NDC back into the office to create another mess all over again.

“It will mean a rollback in macroeconomic stability, the return of the numerous and excessive taxes of the NDC years, another four to five years of Dumsor, a rollback of successful programmes and initiatives such as Free SHS, Planting for Food and Jobs, and One District One Factory.

“We have, in a few short years, restored Ghana on a path towards irreversibility. We should not go back again to the dark, hard days of the NDC. As we go into the 2020 General Elections, we will humbly like to remind you that President

Akufo-Addo, the NPP Government, and the entire party have performed considerably better than their NDC predecessors”.