The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, has described President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his running mate, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, as “prominent actors in the horror movies Ghanaians have watched for almost 8 years”. 

John Dramani Mahama, who said this at the launch of the 2024 NDC Manifesto in Winneba, Central Region, last Saturday, August 24, 2024, in his two-part presentation, decried the wanton corruption of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and promised to investigate as well as retrieve stolen funds in what he calls Operation Recover The Loot (ORAL).

Ghana’s destiny, “cannot afford to endure one additional day beyond January 7, 2025, of the maladministration, mismanagement, and state capture it has been subjected to over the last almost eight years,” he warned.

“My brothers and sisters, our dear nation Ghana is bleeding. Ghana’s soul is calling for change. Mother Ghana is crying for its true and genuine patriotic citizens to rise up to reset our beloved nation.

 “Ghanaians can take no more of the hardship, the impunity, the state capture, the hypocrisy, the lies, and bad governance that have been inflicted on them over the two terms of this outgoing administration,” Mahama lamented.

 “Our nation, democracy, governance, and attitude need a reset,” Mahama asserted adding, “We need a leadership which will crack the whip when its own appointees go down the wrong track.”  

 The former president, insisted Ghana needs “a responsive government” that will respect the rights of the citizenry despite one’s tribe or religion and safeguard the rights of the fourth estate, the media.

“For the sake of God’s children and in the name of God, the people of Ghana will wake up from this nightmare, and envision a bright new dawn of opportunities for all its people and not just a few,” Mr Mahama proclaimed as he cautioned thata vote for the NPP would be an expression of satisfaction with the impunity of the last 8 years.

 He says a vote for the NPP, is a vote for a third term for Nana Akufo-Addo.

 “A vote for NPP in this election is a vote to escape accountability. It is a vote to allow officials who have raped this country’s resources to escape accountability and to go laughing all the way to the bank.

“Their flagbearer and running mate who have been prominent actors in the horror movies Ghanaians have watched these last almost 8 years cannot be the ones to exact accountability from the government of which they have been an integral part,” he said.

Mr Mahama added “We are at a critical juncture in our democratic history. Choices we make in elections come with consequences. We cannot afford to fail this time. A restive youth does not have the luxury of trial and error.

“They do not have the luxury of trying a driver’s mate who has learned his driving from the same driver who crashed the vehicle of the Ghanaian people.”

He accused the NPP of attempting to evade accountability for state capture, corruption, and impunity during their nearly eight years in power.

He said, “We cannot continue on this path. Lessons must be learnt from the experience of this last almost 8 years. A vote for the NPP will be an expression of satisfaction with the impunity of the last eight years. A vote for NPP is a vote for a third term of Nana Akufo-Addo.”

“A vote for the NPP in this election is a vote to escape accountability. It’s a vote to allow officials who have stolen and raped this country’s resource to escape accountability and go laughing all the way to their bank account.”

“Their flagbearer and his running mate who have been prominent actors of this horror movie Ghanaians have watched this almost last eight years, these people cannot demand accountability from the government of which they have been an integral part.”

Mr Mahama, asked Ghanaians to vote and return NDC to power as citizens “cannot endure” additional days of “maladministration” under the NPP administration, beyond January 7, 2025, and maintained that the nation was heading towards “the wrong direction” under the NPP, hence his determination to lead the country on a new course for national development. 

He described the current NPP government as “the biggest scam pulled on Ghana since 1957” while likening the NPP administration to the “Parable of Talents” in the Bible, stressing that President Akufo-Addo and Vice, Dr. Bawumia, “have gambled with the talents Ghanaians gave them”. 

“In the case of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia, they did not bury the one talent…They gambled with the one talent we gave them and landed the people of Ghana in a huge debt. 

 “We cannot continue on this path; lessons must be learnt from the experience in the [almost] last eight years…A vote for the NPP will be an expression of satisfaction of the impunity of the last eight years,” Mr Mahama stated.

 The former President said his administration would investigate the “Gold for Oil” policy instituted by the NPP administration, the PDS scandal, the BOST scandals, the purchase of 307 ambulances, and all sole-sourced contracts, currency printing by Bank of Ghana among other. 

Mahama pledged to grant anti-corruption state institutions the autonomy to operate freely.

“Give anti-corruption state institutions unfettered space to operate – The clearing agent days must end on January 7, 2025.”

Mahama promised to restore the licenses of financial institutions that he said were unjustly collapsed by the NPP government.

“We will reopen investigations into major unresolved cases, including the 2020 election killings, Ayawaso West Wuogon election violence, and the murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale and Silas Wulochamey,” Mahama said.

 He said the NDC would restore “the future of the country back into the hands of the Ghanaians”, and among other things, reduce import duties and other levies, including tax on betting income.

In the second part of the programme, Mr Mahama promised to scrap draconian taxes within his first 100 days in office if elected in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

The taxes earmarked for elimination within the first 100 days of his administration, include the contentious e-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on bet winnings, and the emissions levy.

Mahama explained that this decision would alleviate hardships and reduce the high cost of doing business in the country.

 “We will scrap the following draconian taxes within our first 100 days in office to alleviate hardships and ease the high cost of doing business: E-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on bet winnings, Emissions levy.”

Furthermore, the NDC flagbearer committed to scrapping import duties on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes.

“[I’ll] Scrap import duty on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes.”

To further alleviate consumer hardships, Mahama also pledged to apply the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy on fuel to stabilize prices and rationalize fees at ports to reduce the burden on importers.

Additionally, he promised to undertake a comprehensive reform of Ghana’s VAT regime to provide relief for households by reversing the VAT flat rate regime, which has been a significant burden on many households and businesses.

“To further ease hardships, we will: Apply the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy on fuel to cushion consumers. Rationalise fees at our ports to reduce the burden on importers and Ghanaians.”

“Undertake a comprehensive reform of Ghana’s VAT regime to provide relief for households and businesses. This will include reversing the decoupling of GETFund and NHIL from VAT, reversing the VAT flat rate regime, upwardly adjusting the VAT registration threshold to exempt micro and small businesses and repealing the law imposing VAT on domestic electricity consumption.”

Fiifi Kwetey, General Secretary of the NDC, said the manifesto “delivers promises that are achievable,” and that, competition for power should not be about who [political party] can make more promises.”

Asiedu Nketia, NDC National Chairman, also called on the electorate to vote for the NDC to reset Ghana.  

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