Former President John Dramani Mahama has outlined 14 items he will execute if he wins the 2024 general elections in Ghana.
Mr. Mahama, who won the presidential primaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) with 98% of votes, has asked Ghanaians to hold him by his word.
In a victory speech at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, held on Monday, May 15, after the presidential and parliamentary primaries of the NDC, former President Mahama said:
“I want you to remember them so you can hold me accountable. I will keep each of the promises when I assume office on January 07, 2025, God willing”.
Mr Mahama, who is seeking another term in office, stressed that he would be outlining details and other plans to boost the economy, fight corruption, ensure effective governance, and improve the lives of every Ghanaian in the coming days.
According to him, the country is plagued with “severe and acute financial distress with suffocating levels of unemployment due to this government’s reckless mismanagement of the economy”.
Mr Mahama called on all Ghanaians to join hands with him in his quest to rebuild and pursue a developmental agenda for the country.
“We will need you – every Ghanaian – who believes merit must be recognized and compensated and not favouritism taking centre stage,” he added.
Below are the promises:
- Restore stability and inclusive growth to the economy and rejuvenate the almost collapsed banking and financial sector. This will involve sweeping reforms at the Bank of Ghana because the Central Bank itself has been part of the problem.
- I will ensure that Ghana never suffers such a deadly debt management programme that threatens to send elderly people holding government bonds to their early graves and wipe out the investments of the Ghanaian middle class.
- Prioritize local participation in the banking, financial, telecommunications, mining, oil and gas, agriculture, manufacturing, and construction sectors to generate more jobs for the youth. The Ghanaian young women and men we interact with on daily basis and their colleagues in other African countries are simply tired of jobless GDP figures.
- Actively attract viable and serious private sector investors to partner government to invest in the productive sectors of the economy for more jobs to be created. This will involve an emphasis on agriculture and agribusiness and will have a strong focus on making Ghanaians own their own micro enterprises.
- Complete abandoned and ongoing projects instead of rushing to start new ones. We will carry out an inventory of all hospitals, schools, electrification, water, and road projects which have stalled or been abandoned and make annual budgetary allocation for completing them.
- Beyond the economic front, we will also be very thick on governance because transparent and accountable governance at all levels remains an assured fuel that fires the socio-economic transformation of successful nations.
- We will establish a Governance Advisory Council to help improve political governance, curb corruption, and ensure the respect for human rights is upheld. The Council will include representatives of civil society organizations, religious leaders, traditional leaders, and ordinary Ghanaians, and among others, they will be empowered to release a State of Governance in Ghana report every year.
- I will run the leanest but most efficient government under the fourth republic by appointing not more than 60 ministers and deputy ministers.
- I will work to abolish the payment of Ex-gratia and cut out waste and ostentation in Government.
- We shall work with Parliament and all stakeholders to complete the constitution review process and strengthen the separation of powers.
- Government procurement is recognized as a major source of corruption and misappropriation of public funds. We will among other measures, set up an Independent Value for Money office to scrutinize all government procurements above a $5 million threshold or as shall be recommended by Parliament.
- I will give anti-corruption state institutions unfettered space to operate – The days of the Clearing agent must come to an end on January 07, 2025.
- I will also set up a Commission of Enquiry to investigate the matter of looted State Lands and make recommendations for resolving the vexed issue of expropriated Ga-Dangbe lands.
- And to deepen our democracy, the Fourth Estate of the realm – the media – must also be given the conducive and collaborative atmosphere to operate as the fourth power that they ought to be without threats, harassment, and assassinations.