MESSAGE FROM
THE PRESIDENT
We, in the New Patriotic Party, fully understand the consequence of putting a signature to a
contract.
In 2016, we presented our Manifesto, titled “Change: An Agenda for Jobs; Creating
Prosperity and Equal Opportunity For All” to the Ghanaian people. It represented a solemn
social contract between the electorate and us, on the basis of which, by the grace of God and
the generosity of The Ghanaian people, we secured a famous and overwhelming victory.
In that contract, we pledged, amongst others, to help create a society of opportunities for
all, we remained committed to our belief in democratic governance and private sector-led
economic development, and we reiterated our firm stance as the party of the rule of law, the
party of business, the party that builds and creates wealth, and the party of social justice.
In the nearly four years that it has been my abiding privilege, by the grace of God, to lead this
party in government, we have kept our eyes firmly on these beliefs, and we have recorded
successes in all sectors of national life, which have had significant impact on the lives of all
Ghanaians. By common consent, it has been established that we have kept faith with the
people of Ghana, by fulfilling the great majority of our manifesto promises.
We have changed the outlook on education in this country; we have revived and strengthened
our healthcare delivery system; we have been busy in the delivery of physical infrastructure
in all parts of the country; we have made huge investments in agriculture, with the goal of
ensuring our nation’s food security; we have cleaned the financial sector mess we inherited,
and have, with the active co-operation of the Bank of Ghana, strengthened the banking and
financial sector; and we have shown that the economy of our country can be transformed and
diversified by a government of the New Patriotic Party.
We have embraced the application of digital technology in the delivery of public services;
we have restored the allowances of nursing and teacher trainees, that were scrapped by the
Mahama government; we have provided each constituency with an ambulance, a unique
achievement in Ghana’s history; we have reduced the benchmark values of import duties by as
much as 50%, and, in the case of vehicles, by 30%; we have put an end to the Unemployed
Graduates Association, which was such a sad feature of the Mahama years, by creating Nation
Builders Corps (NABCO) and several other job creation initiatives targeted at the youth; we
have systematically enhanced the capacity of the anti-corruption institutions of the State;
and we have superintended over the successful reorganisation of our regional governance
structure, resulting in the creation of six (6) new regions, with strong popular support.
Indeed, all our flagship programmes, be it Free SHS, “One District, One Factory”, “One Village,
One Dam,” the Programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, et al, have been rooted in the effort
to liberate the energies of the people to grow an economy of which all the people can be part.
On the global stage, the image and reputation of our country, which had been compromised,
are now high again.
When the Coronavirus pandemic, that has wrought havoc to the lives and livelihoods of people
in all the nations of the world, reared its head in Ghana, we took immediate, decisive actions
to contain and limit its spread, and protect the population, actions from which the nation is still
benefitting, and, subsequently, took the equally bold decision to implement a Relief, Resilience
and Recovery plan, with the overarching aim of providing relief to the ordinary Ghanaian, and
being able to find more resources to strengthen the productive sectors of the economy to
ensure sustained economic activity.
Government has gone ahead to establish the one hundred
billion cedi Ghana COVID Alleviation and Revitalisation of Enterprises programme, (we call it,
fittingly, the Ghana CARES programme), whose aim, over the next three years, is to stabilise,
revitalise and transform our nation, through the improvement of the country’s business climate,
and support for the private sector.
Having achieved all these significant milestones, even in the midst of the difficulties we met,
and the negative effects of the unforeseen pandemic, I am hopeful that the Ghanaian people
would grant the NPP another resounding victory in 2020.
That is why, in furtherance of this, the programmes and policies contained in the NPP 2020
Manifesto, dubbed “Leadership of Service: Protecting our Progress, Transforming Ghana
for All”, are aimed at consolidating the significant gains chalked in office, and setting the stage
for the next level of our nation’s development. I believe in the programmes that we have drawn
up in our Manifesto, because they will continue the nation on the path of social and economic
transformation, on which we have embarked.
Indeed, they will lead to the transformation of
Ghana to the benefit of all Ghanaians.
We must, however, be reminded, at all times, that we are up against an opponent who is
desperate to return to power to continue the agenda of mismanaging the economy to the
suffering and despair of businesses, households and families and, by that, jeopardising the
future of our children. We cannot afford to let that happen. We cannot, therefore, be complacent.
We have to work hard for victory, regardless of the fact that ‘One Good Term Deserves Another’.
So, let us make sure our message is heard loud and clear from Axim to Aflao, and from Accra
to Paga.
Let us go to every part of the country and spread the story of our good news; tell the
young people about the possibilities Free SHS will present them; tell the farmers about the
programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, which translates into enhanced income levels for
them; and let us tell the business entrepreneurs about the reduction of their tax burdens and
the improvement of the business climate, so their businesses can flourish, and they can, in
turn, create jobs.
Indeed, the December 2020 presidential election represents, arguably, the clearest of choices
ever for the Ghanaian people to make.
It bears repeating that 2020 is between the current President and the President who was voted out decisively in the last contest. It is about leadership. It is about integrity. It is about the
performances of the two men when given the opportunity by the Ghanaian people to lead.
It is about measuring records against promises. It is about which of the two leaders has shown in
office that he knows how to manage the economy. It is about which of the two leaders you, the
voter, can trust to deliver. It is about which of the two men you can trust with the future of your
children. It is about which of the two leaders you know you can depend on in times of crisis.
It is about which of the two leaders you believe can put in motion the necessary measures to
revive and strengthen the economy, businesses, and social services, and build our country out
of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is about which of the two leaders can implement a programme
of transformation.
We, in the NPP, have demonstrated that, with the support of the Ghanaian people, we are
capable of supervising the transformation of our economy and nation that all Ghanaians want.
I am confident that, together, all of us in Ghana, with the appropriate leadership, can fulfill the
dreams and aspirations of our forebears, who initiated the struggle for our nation’s liberation
and independence from colonial rule, and who envisioned Ghana to be a united, democratic,
prosperous and happy nation, the beacon of freedom and justice in Africa and the world.
Four more years for Nana and the NPP to do more for you!
The Battle is still the Lord’s!!
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
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