As Ghana inches close to the 2020 general election, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has given indication that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is ready to ensure a massive second-term victory for the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The Vice President indicated that available records suggest the NPP government has performed better than all previous National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s government hence the need to ensure the party stays in power for some more years.
He stated that guided by the retrogressive state the country witnessed, post the 2008 General Election, the NPP has no reason to fail Ghanaians this time.
72% Achievement
Listing some achievement of the party, the Vice President indicated that available data at the disposal of the government suggest that the government within its three years in office has achieved 72 per cent of its manifesto promises. This, he stated, is unprecedented in the fourth republic. He said the NPP, any time it is in government has proven to be better managers of the economy than its opponents urging Ghanaians to give the president some “four more years to do more”.
He indicated that, for instance, on exchange rate, the current government has performed better than all previous NDC government coming only second to the first term of the erstwhile President Kufour NPP administration. “The average exchange rate depreciation on a yearly basis suggest that we have done 8.7 per cent as against the NDC’s 18 per cent. On the exchange rate, we have performed better,” said the vice president.
He further stated that on electricity tariff, the NPP government on the average has reduced tariff by about 10 per cent since it took power saying “the NDC must be joking to think that they can perform better than us”.
He outlined other achievement of the government challenging the NDC to point to a single social intervention policy that they can boast off.
Conference
The Vice President was speaking at this year’s annual delegates conference of the NPP. The three days long conference which began on Friday 20th December with a Muslim prayer was held on the theme “We have performed better; four more to do more”. On Sunday, three major activities were held to climax the conference.
A special Sunday church service in the morning, the main delegates conference before climaxing the whole conference with a mega rally at the forecourt of the trade fair center.
Special report was read by the former President John Agyekum Kufour, on behalf of the party’s council of elders. The treasurer of the party, Abankwa Yeboah also read the party’s financial statement to the over 6,500 delegates that were drawn from across all the 275 constituencies in Ghana as well as the party’s special branches and wings such as the external branches, students wing, youth and women wing.
The party’s General Secretary, John Boadu, also used the occasion to give the annual report of the party per the dictates of the party’s constitution highlighting on some key achievement of the party for the past one year.
Challenge
Meanhwile, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has challenged the former President and the flagbearer of the opposition NDC to tell Ghanaians what they are coming back to do. The president is the latest among a tall list of members and supporters of the NPP to throw such challenge to the opposition party.
The president who was sounding optimistic of a second term victory asked the NDC to tell Ghanaians the programmes they have in stock for the country should they be given the opportunity again. “What are the records that they are coming to defend? What new programmes are they bringing on board that should warrant a change from this performing government to them?” asked the president.He stated that the erstwhile NDC government bestowed on Ghanaians untold hardship, economic mismanagement, high electricity tariff among others saying Ghanaians who are enjoying prudent economic policies under this government will vote for his party to continue with the good works.
He stated “in December 2020, we are optimistic that the Electoral Commission will declare the NPP as winners of the general election” reiterating a call he made at this year’s presidential encounter with the press that “in 2020, four more for Nana” to a wild jubilation from the enthusiastic members and supporters of the party that had filled the fantasy dome of the Ghana International Trade fair center where the conference was held.
Party Unity
The President used the occasion to call on members and supporters of the party to ensure unity among the rank and file of the party. He indicated that the party’s parliamentary primaries which is slated for April next year should not be an avenue for division, backbiting and rancor among members of the party.
The party, the president indicated, is over 70years and has gone through series of challenges, bouncing back each time stronger than it was earlier, and urged members of the party to not allow their individual priorities to override the success of the party.
Source: eveningmailgh.com