The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has challenged the opposition NDC to a show of records in office to enable Ghanaians judge who has met their aspirations the most.
Vice President Bawumia is convinced that when pushed to a debate of facts and achievements, the NDC would have no leg to stand on and would resort to their usual refuge of obfuscation and goal-shifting.
Addressing thousands of youth at the end of a Health Walk to climax activities marking the NPP Youth Wing Conference in Tamale on Saturday, 7th December, 2019, Vice President enumerated over 80 key denominators of national life in which the almost three-year-old NPP government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has performed better than its predecessor.
“I would like us to recall the situation when the NDC was voted out of office in 2016 because some people say we have short memories. You will remember that when we came into office:
“Growth in agriculture was declining; Industry growth was in the negative; Interest rates were high; the banking system was weak; unemployment was rising; the NHIS was back to cash and carry. Emergency healthcare system was collapsing with only 51 semi-functional ambulances in the country; four years of dumsor with its costs.
“Average annual increase in electricity prices between 2010 and 2015 was 45%; public finances were in a precarious state. The government had to go to the IMF for a bailout and policy credibility. There were increases in taxes on many items including condoms and cutlasses. Freeze on public sector recruitment. Cuts in research allowances for lecturers. Abolition of teachers and nurses training allowances. Many parents could not afford school fees for their wards to attend senior high school.
“John Mahama’s flagship policy for the development of the north (SADA) was in tatters and mired in corruption.
“Many people say John Mahama is a nice man but being nice is not enough. You must have the competence to manage the economy and solve the problems facing the country. His record in the area of policy tells us that he is an incompetent nice man! The presidency is not for nice people. It is for doers! It is for effective leaders.
“The government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been in office for about 3 years. Even though there is still a lot to do, any objective assessment of our performance will agree that we have performed much much better than the situation that we inherited at the beginning of 2017” he indicated.
Zeroing in on the specifics, Vice President Bawumia listed 87 different areas in which the NPP government has performed much better than its predecessor led by John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking a comeback:
1. When it comes to GDP growth, we have performed better
2. Agricultural growth – we have performed better
3. Industry growth – we have performed better
4. Inflation – we have performed better
5. Interest rates – we have performed better
6. Exchange rate depreciation- we have performed better
7. Fiscal Deficit – we have performed better
8. Rate of debt accumulation – we have performed better
9. Trade Balance – we have performed better
10. Current Account Balance- we have performed better
11. Gross International Reserves – we have performed better
12. Ghana’s sovereign credit rating – we have performed better
13. Creation of Jobs – we have performed better
14. Teacher Trainees Allowances – we have performed better
15. Nursing Trainees Allowances- we have performed better
16. Passport Application – we have performed better
17. Drivers License Application- we have performed better
18. Renewal of NHIS membership – we have performed better
19. Dumsor – we have performed better
20. Cost of electricity – we have performed better
21. Reducing Import Duties- we have performed better
22. Abolishing VAT on financial services – we have performed better;
23. Abolishing VAT on selected imported medicines – we have performed better;
24. Abolishing VAT on Real Estate Sales – we have performed better;
25. Abolishing VAT on domestic airline tickets – we have performed better;
26. Abolishing taxation of gains from the realisation of securities listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange – we have performed better;
27. Abolishing levies imposed on Kayayei – we have performed better;
28. Efficiency of clearing goods at the ports – we have performed better
29. Resourcing the institutions that fight corruption – we have performed better
30. Right to Information Act- we have performed better
31. Development in our Zongo communities – we have performed better
32. National ID Cards- we have performed better
33. Mobile Money Payment Interoperability – we have performed better
34. One district one factory – we have performed better
35. One Village One dam – we have performed better
36. One constituency one ambulance – we have performed better
37. National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Progam (NEIP) – we have performed better
38. Digital Address System – we have performed better
39. Implementing the Nation Builders Corps – We have performed better
40. Securing higher global prices for cocoa farmers – we have performed better
41. Cleaning up the mess in the financial sector and saving the deposits of millions of depositors – we have performed better
42. Foreign Direct Investment – we have performed better
43. Successfully exiting the IMF program – we have performed better
44. Increasing the capitation grant – we have performed better ;
45. Equipping the security services – we have performed better
46. Introducing a nation-wide emergency 112 number for the police, fire and ambulance services – we have performed better;
47. Introducing a new basic curriculum from kindergarten to primary six with a focus on reading, writing, arithmetic and creativity (the 4Rs) – we have performed better;
48. Absorbing the cost of WASSCE registration fees for students – we have performed better; –
49. Absorbing the fees for postgraduate medical training – we have performed better
50. Restoring research allowances in tertiary institutions – we have performed better
51. Introducing drones to deliver medical supplies and save lives – we have performed better;
52. Paying NHIS arrears that we inherited – we have performed better;
53. Paying the outstanding contributions to pension funds that we inherited – we have performed better;
54. Paying arrears to road contractors that we inherited – we have performed better;
55. constructing youth resource sports complexes across the country – we have performed better;
56. Relieving the pain of sickle cell sufferers through access to hydroxyurea – we have performed better;
57. Increasing the share of the DACF to persons with disabilities by 50% – we have performed better;
58. Employing persons with disabilities to man 50% of all our toll booths – we have performed better;
59. Providing a government adult shelter to support victims of human trafficking – we have performed better
60. Connecting rural communities to the telephone network in the last 3 years – we have performed better;
61. Increasing daily peacekeeping allowances for military from $31 to $35 per day – we have performed better;
62. Increasing daily allowances for police on mission from $30 to $35 – we have performed better
63. Establishing the Students Entrepreneurship Initiative (SEI) to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship in students – we have performed better;
64. Having transparency in the allocation of oil blocs – we have performed better;
65. Creation of new regions – we have performed better;
66. Bringing peace to Dagbon chieftancy dispute- we have performed better;
67. Providing infrastructure to poor and deprived communities in every constituency- we have performed better.;
68. “One District One Warehouse Initiative.” – we have performed better;
69. Improving the conditions for prisoners – we have performed better
70. Protecting our water bodies against illegal mining – we have performed better ;
71. Going paperless in our hospitals- we have performed better;
72. Online business registration at the Registrar Generals Department – we have performed better;
73. Digitizing our courts through an e-justice program – we have performed better;
74. Establishing a Ghana Commodities Exchange – we have performed better;
75. Taking measures to establish an integrated Bauxite and Aluminium Industry – we have performed better;
76. Reducing flooding from the Bagre dam through the dredging of rivers like Nasia, Sisili – we have performed better
77. Discovering oil – we have performed better;
78. Revival of our Railways – we have performed better;
79. Starting the construction of 10 fish landing along the coast from Keta to Axim -we have performed better;
80. Award of Scholarships to students– we have performed better;
81. Revival of Anglo-gold Ashanti, and putting more people to work – we have performed better;
82. Reviving Ghanapost – we have performed better
83. Reviving the Ghana Publishing Company – we have performed better
84. Launching a comprehensive Building Code for Ghana for the first time- we have performed better;
85. Administering the performance of the annual hajj pilgrimage – we have performed better
86. Expansion of institutions, facilities and equipment for TVET – we have performed better
87. Implementing Free senior high school education- we have performed better
“When it comes to the performance of our government in our first term of office compared with the performance of the NDC, it is clear that: We have Performed Better!!!
Throwing down the gauntlet, Vice President Bawumia declared:
“When it comes to the performance of our government in the first term of office compared with the first term of office of the NDC (2009-2012) it is a clear case of “Boot for Charlie Wote!”