The Vice President and Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated that his core principle as a leader is to ensure all-inclusive policies that will benefit all Ghanaians.
Speaking in Hohoe on Sunday, October 20, 2024, at the start of his campaign tour of the Volta Region, Dr. Bawumia emphasized that his philosophy aligns with the NPP’s proven track record of being a party that believes in inclusive development for all Ghanaians.
“My philosophy is one of broad-based, inclusive development for all,” Dr. Bawumia said.
He continued that as Vice President, he has been driven by this philosophy to assist the President in delivering many policies that he believes have been life-changing and have positively impacted Ghanaians.
“I have been Vice President for the last eight years. As Vice President, I have worked closely with my President, and as I said, my philosophy is one of broad-based development. If you look at the policies we have implemented over the last eight years, you will understand what I mean by broad-based development,” Dr. Bawumia told the chiefs, clergy, imams, and key stakeholders of the Hohoe Constituency.
Dr. Bawumia listed several inclusive policies that he has helped the President implement over the years, including the Free SHS policy, which he said has had a significant impact on the nation, benefiting over 5 million people.
“When we were running for office in 2016, we promised the people of Ghana that we would implement many policies. The leading and major promise we made was to bring free SHS education to Ghana,” he said.
“When we promised free SHS, many people said we were lying to the Ghanaian people. They claimed it was a 419 promise and that it was impossible. But by the grace of God, it has been made possible.”
“For the last eight years, we have been implementing Free SHS, and 5.7 million children have attended school for free under this policy. This has never happened before. This is historic.”
Dr. Bawumia also mentioned other all-inclusive policies he has helped implement as Vice President, including improvements in the health sector through the provision of ambulances for all constituencies, the construction of Agenda 111 hospitals in districts without hospitals, and support for students and teachers with computers, as well as the digitization of public services.
Regarding his vision as President, Dr. Bawumia assured that he will implement broad-based inclusive policies that target everyone in the country.
Among other initiatives, he highlighted his quest to prioritize agriculture by investing in it to introduce modern farming techniques.
He noted that about 60% of the Ghanaian population is involved in farming, and with the right focus and support, prioritizing agriculture will positively impact the nation.
Dr. Bawumia also discussed his plans to reduce the cost of living by shifting from the nation’s overreliance on gas for electricity to solar power, which he believes will reduce electricity costs by 50%.
He also expressed his vision to train about 1 million youth in digital skills to create digital jobs for them, not only in Ghana but around the world.