The flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Mahama, has said he intends, together with his party, to use the 2020 manifesto to rescue Ghanaians from the hardships, corruption and cronyism inflicted on them by the Akufo-Addo government.
At the launch of the party’s manifesto committee on Wednesday, 23 October 2019, the former President said the NDC “remains grateful to you [media] for your continuous interest in our activities – activities aimed at restoring HOPE and addressing the increasing hardship inflicted on Ghanaians, unprecedented corruption in high places, and the family-and-friends governance we are saddled with today”.
Mr Mahama, who lost the 2016 election to the current President, said Nana Akufo-Addo’s many promises to the Ghanaian people ahead of the last general elections, have turned out to be Today, three years into his administration, promises have turned out to be “a grand deception”.
“The much-vaunted economic redemption has turned out to be an economic disaster in the lives of Ghanaians as they see hardship and prices of fuel and utilities skyrocketing.
“The promised prosperity has been replaced with excruciating hardships and suffering, which have been the direct consequence of either ill-conceived policies or poorly implemented programmes”, he noted.
“Ladies and gentlemen”, he said, “Words, they say, reflect reality as it is. Sincere words can and do inspire a change of reality and circumstances. Your word, your promise to those who put you in a position of trust is a sacred social contract that should never be taken for granted.
“Sadly, that ‘word’, that sacred bond and pledge, has been so abused that it no longer inspires trust, but rather rings hollow in the ears of the listener, because of current happenings today.
“In 1992, we sparked home in the heart of Ghanaians with the promulgation of a new Constitution unto ourselves. Faith in our new democracy was high, Ghana became the toast of the comity of nations and was hailed as the model of democracy. Ghana was held as a champion in decentralisation and economic transformation.
“Alas! The same cannot be said today. Our people are deeply demoralised and are increasingly losing faith in our democratic experiment.
“As a consequence, I have heard, repeatedly, people throwing their hands up in despair and declaring: ‘It is no use voting… politicians are all the same! In all humility, I disagree’”, Mr Mahama added.
He said: “I have been there, I have experienced it, I have learnt useful lessons, I have reviewed issues and events, and I am coming back to you, together with my party, the NDC, with what will be a practical strategy for laying a solid foundation for the transformation of our country.
“We are coming to give you hope and address your challenges because we feel your sufferings, and we believe in opportunity for all, not just for a few as we are witnessing today”.
Read Mr John Mahama’s full statement below:
Thank you very much, comrades and friends.
Let me thank our media friends for joining us, as always, and helping to disseminate to Ghanaians, the inauguration of our Manifesto Drafting Committee.
This is the official beginning of the process toward getting down to the people of Ghana, and listening to the various views of our people on how we can make our dear nation a better place for everyone, and not a few people.
The National Democratic Congress, NDC, remains grateful to you for your continuous interest in our activities – activities aimed at restoring HOPE and addressing the increasing hardship inflicted on Ghanaians, unprecedented corruption in high places, and the family-and-friends governance we are saddled with today.
We will, through our manifesto, provide a robust set of policy options, guided by research, but most importantly, by broad consultations to renew HOPE in the governance of our country, accelerate what was a successful beginning to the diversification and transformation of our economy, and significantly improve the living conditions of our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have been there, I have experienced it, I have learnt useful lessons, I have reviewed issues and events, and I am coming back to you, together with my party, the NDC, with what will be a practical strategy for laying a solid foundation for the transformation of our country.
We are coming to give you hope and address your challenges because we feel your sufferings, and we believe in opportunity for all, not just for a few as we are witnessing today.
In emphasising the bottom-up approach to developing our 2020 manifesto, we are saying that, as we go round the country, we have heard and considered the issues that you determine to be of concern to you.
Therefore, as champions of participatory democracy, and believers in giving true power to the people, the NDC remains the party of the people, and we will, through our manifesto, bring home that unique political characteristic of our party.
Ladies and gentlemen, words, they say, reflect reality as it is. Sincere words can and do inspire a change of reality and circumstances. Your word, your promise to those who put you in a position of trust is a sacred social contract that should never be taken for granted.
Sadly, that ‘word’, that sacred bond and pledge, has been so abused that it no longer inspires trust, but rather rings hollow in the ears of the listener, because of current happenings today.
In 1992, we sparked home in the heart of Ghanaians with the promulgation of a new Constitution unto ourselves. Faith in our new democracy was high, Ghana became the toast of the comity of nations and was hailed as the model of democracy.
Ghana was held as a champion in decentralisation and economic transformation.
Alas! The same cannot be said today. Our people are deeply demoralised and are increasingly losing faith in our democratic experiment.
As a consequence, I have heard, repeatedly, people throwing their hands up in despair and declaring: “it is no use voting… politicians are all the same!”
In all humility, I disagree.
Notwithstanding the unmatched legacy of visible, impactful development, acknowledged and celebrated the world over, we, in the NDC, are humble enough to admit our shortcomings and we refuse to cover them up.
It is this admission that has led to sober reflections and corrective measures to give Ghanaians even better leadership when the NDC and I are elected by the good people of Ghana in December 2020.
This is what stands us out, as the best party to give Ghana honest and efficient leadership that truly encourages both supportive and dissenting views and contributions from our citizens.
The party that I lead is made up of some of the most hardworking, resourceful and experienced Ghanaians, with a singular focus of producing results for Ghanaians, not excuses or blame.
Honour is an invaluable currency I do not take for granted.
I stand by my words that notwithstanding the misinformation and propaganda of our opponents and their insincere promises, we, in the NDC, will not lie to Ghanaians. We shall continue to be sincere and engage in the politics of honesty, not the politics of convenience.
Today, three years into his administration, promises have turned out to be a grand deception. The much-vaunted economic redemption has turned out to be an economic disaster in the lives of Ghanaians as they see hardship and prices of fuel and utilities skyrocketing.
The promised prosperity has been replaced with excruciating hardships and suffering, which have been the direct consequence of either ill-conceived policies or poorly implemented programmes.
Soon, I will be sharing my position on the state of our struggling nation with the good people of Ghana. But allow me to say that as someone who took over from President J.E.A. Mills of blessed memory and the Ghana Compact 2 negotiations with the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the US Government, I am deeply disappointed in Nana Akufo-Addo for his handling of the Compact.
Fellow Ghanaians, we are all deeply disappointed because of the self-serving decisions that were taken, the deliberate acts perpetuated with the crude support of the Flagstaff House in the ECG Concessionaire Agreement that has led us to where we are today. This was absolutely needless and could have been avoided.
Source: ghanaweb.com
