By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Navrongo (U/E), Aug 6, GNA – Former President John Dramani says the 24-hour economic policy to be implemented under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a deliberate strategy to reduce unemployment among Ghanaian youth.
Speaking to the chiefs and people of the Navrongo Central Constituency as part of his campaign tour to the Upper East Region, Mr Mahama accused the current administration of destroying the economy, which had contributed to the increasing rate of youth unemployment.
The NDC 2024 Flag bearer explained that Ghana was in the worst economic crisis and his administration would work to stabilise the economy as soon as possible and continue the trademark infrastructure agenda of the NDC.
Apart from that, the NDC, through the 24-hour economic policy, would provide incentives to businesses, especially those in the private sector, to work for longer hours than they did currently, to enable them to employ more people.
“Aside from building schools, hospitals, roads, and provision of water and electricity, our next priority for the next NDC government is to provide jobs, jobs and jobs and that is why we are introducing the 24-hour economic policy,” he said.
“What our young people need are jobs and not mobile phones for them to be paying one cedi, two cedis for 500 years. If our young people have jobs to do, they will be able to buy their own mobile phones,” he stated.
He said under the policy, it was estimated that the country would need an additional 20,000 police officers to augment the current numbers and assured the youth of a decentralised and fair process to recruit many of the young people into the security services to provide the necessary security for the 24-hour economy to thrive while creating jobs for them.
The former President said the country forgave the New Patriotic Party twice in 2016 and 2020 and it had repaid Ghanaians with miseries through depreciation of the cedi against the major trading currencies, increasing public debt and high cost of living, among others.
He said it was time for Ghanaians to show the NPP the exit door, adding: “a vote for Dr Bawumia is a vote for Nana Akufo-Addo to continue to inflict suffering on Ghanaians and urged the electorates not to allow that to happen again.”
“This election is between the people of Ghana and the NPP, it is not between the NDC and the NPP because their members want the party out of office. Ghana needs to be rescued from the Government of family and friends and corruption,” Mr Mahama said.
GNA