By Stephen Asante
Accra, Dec. 05, GNA – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to re-elect the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming elections to ensure the continuation of its transformative development agenda.
“The development of our nation is at stake,” he declared at a large rally in Accra, to round off the NPP’s campaign ahead of the December 7 polls.
With the campaigning slogan ‘It Is Possible’, the President emphasised that, despite global economic difficulties, the government had established a solid foundation for socio-economic progress.
“Our economy today is in a stronger position than when former President John Mahama was in office,” he stated, highlighting the NPP’s economic successes and contrasting them with the performance of the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), before the NPP assumed power in 2017.
Political analysts have forecast a tightly contested race in the 2024 presidential elections, as former President John Mahama, the NDC’s flagbearer, seeks a comeback after consecutive defeats in 2016 and 2020.
The NPP asserts that it has met expectations across various sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, youth and women’s development, infrastructure, and other areas of the economy.
In education, authorities estimate that around 5.7 million young people have benefited from the ‘Free Senior High School (SHS)’ programme, along with extensive infrastructure projects aimed at improving academic conditions.
The Government also takes credit for creating over two million jobs, spearheading unprecedented road infrastructure projects, and making significant strides toward economic recovery.
The President highlighted the significant expansion of infrastructure in the health sector, particularly through the Government’s ‘Agenda 111’ initiative, as well as advancements in other sectors, which he said have improved the quality of life for Ghanaians.
Looking ahead to Ghana’s prospects for socio-economic progress, he emphasized the importance of continuity in the country’s development goals.
As a result, he urged the public to give their overwhelming support to the Vice President and NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, praising his capability to “take the country to the next level.”
“He is a leader cut out for the 21st Century,” he emphasised, highlighting his technocracy and expertise in spearheading the country towards sustainable growth, if given the mandate.
“He is a man who knows how digital technology can transform the society for the better in response to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” the President stated.
Mr. Stephen Ntim, the NPP National Chairman, urged voters to place their trust in the Party, assuring them that it remained committed to fulfilling its campaign promises.
Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central and a former contender in the NPP’s presidential race, cited the party’s people-focused initiatives, which, he said, had provided relief and support to the citizens over the years.
“Our party has no match in responding to the needs of the citizenry as the NPP’s track record testifies,” he asserted, highlighting the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Free Maternal Healthcare, Capitation Grant, and School Feeding Programme, all by the Party at various times under the Fourth Republican Constitution.
Those inclusive initiatives, he said, had brought significant changes in the life of many Ghanaians, and appealed to the people to vote massively for the NPP’s flagbearer.
“The Vice President is a man of the people,” he remarked, saying his demonstration of humility, technical acumen and commitment to duty could not be glossed over.
Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, expressed confidence that the Party was poised for victory.
She urged supporters to come out in full force on December 7 to vote for the NPP’s flagbearer and parliamentary candidates.
Despite the global economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration claims credit for fostering industrial growth that was stronger on average compared to the 2013-2016 period.
While industrial growth averaged 3.3 percent between 2013 and 2016, it rose to an average of 7.5 percent between 2017 and 2020.
However, growth slowed after the global crises, with a recorded average of 5 percent between 2017 and 2022.
The Government also points to Ghana’s continued trade surplus, which averaged US$1.9 billion from 2017 to 2022, a better performance than in the 2013-2016 period, despite the absence of a global crisis at the time.
Additionally, the country’s gross international reserves increased from an average of US$5.8 billion between 2013 and 2016 to US$7.9 billion between 2017 and 2022.
Regarding the Ghanaian cedi, while it depreciated by 30 percent in 2022, the average depreciation between 2017 and 2022 was 10.75 percent.
GNA