President writes to voters in letter described as ‘the Homestretch’
President John Dramani Mahama has touted his government for stabilising the economy, creating over 400,000 jobs, fighting corruption and positioning the country to start growing above eight per cent from next year.
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In a letter titled “The Homestretch” he issued to his supporters and Ghanaians in general yesterday, with a month to go for the December 7 elections, the President indicated that he was upbeat about winning the presidential election and securing a working majority in Parliament for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Ghana’s economy is robust and this gives me the confidence and joy that when our economy begins to grow above eight per cent from next year, as predicted, the growth will be much more beneficial to Ghanaians than Ghana’s economy has ever done for us.
“I am expecting a resounding victory in the upcoming elections, as predicted by various polls we have conducted since June 2016 — a win for me, as President, and a working majority in Parliament for the National Democratic Congress,” it stated.
The letter quoted the President as indicating that the victory would not be his personal victory for a second and final term but victory for Ghanaians and for those yet to be born.
“It will also be victory for the teeming volunteers, students, the youth, workers, drivers, traders, businessmen and women, traditional and religious leaders who have contributed in diverse ways to bring us up to the strong position we find ourselves in today,” it stated.
Economic stability
The President indicated that the country had achieved relative macroeconomic stability and noted that the budget deficit had dropped favourably and would narrow further, going forward.
Besides, that the debt profile was also improving.
Another feat President Mahama captured in the letter was that the Ghana cedi was one of the best performing currencies on the continent this year and noted that the rating agency, Moody’s, was posting favourable reviews about the government’s performance in economic management and medium-term prospects.
On job creation, the letter stated that “more jobs have also been created to improve purchasing power, and in the health and educational sectors alone, 23,411 nurses and 78,000 teachers, respectively have been employed in the public sector”.
It indicated that the government had developed infrastructure — schools, hospitals, public houses, roads, expanded airports — and those alone had created over 400,000 jobs.
“This is a radical and positive change from what existed before and demonstrates that we are growing the economy to create more jobs.
“It is my conviction that more and better jobs are in the offing in my second and final term as our massive infrastructure projects mature and I begin the implementation of my Economic Transformation and Livelihood Empowerment Programme (ETLEP).
“Under the ETLEP, I will continue to work with you and the private sector to create more jobs by further developing our hydrocarbon resources (Inland Voltaian and offshore Accra-Keta basins), aluminium deposits, petrochemical industry and the salt industry,” it said.
Up and rising
In the letter, he indicated that his government, in difficult moments, had shown sensitivity to the plight of the Ghanaian.
For instance, he stated that till this date, he and his appointees had taken pay cuts to support efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality.
A directive to provide government vehicles with specialised number plates (green) was being implemented, while ministers and political appointees were migrated onto the prepaid metering system for electricity supply and billing.
“As a social democratic party in government, we have taken steps to rationalise the anomalies in the Electricity Company of Ghana’s billing system, to the relief of consumers. Recently, students’ loans have been reviewed upwards, with an enhanced package for fresh students, and the producer price of cocoa has been increased to an all-time high,” it said.
The President was quoted as indicating that the government had paid more than GH¢1 billion to cover claims from service providers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Out-patient utilisation alone in 2015 increased to over 29 million, from a low of nine million in 2008 he said.
He observed that the United Nation’s Human Development Index put Ghana within the Medium Human Development category, ahead of neighbours such as Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, “and this is better than what we have ever achieved in the past”.
Corruption
President Mahama indicated that Transparency International, the world’s most credible institution on anti-corruption matters, had lauded the strategies the government had adopted to fight corruption.
He acknowledged that Ghana was currently ranked as the seventh least corrupt country in Africa and indicated that it was an established fact that the NDC’s worst record in Transparency International’s anti-corruption league table, over the years, was better than the NPP’s best record while in office.
“In the coming years, I pledge to implement more robust interventions, including the National Anticorruption Action Plan (NACAP), to make corruption unattractive and a higher risk activity,” it said.
Peace message
President Mahama affirmed his position that the elections had nothing to do with insults and that the need for sensitivity and decorum should continue to be the guiding principle for all Ghanaians.
He reiterated that the health of candidates, issues relating to their families and children, especially, were off limits and “I call such violations ‘political malpractice’”.
“I am satisfied that my volunteers, cadres, executives and supporters have largely adhered to this call. I remain eternally grateful to you all and I call for more circumspection, even in the face of extreme provocation, as we race towards our goal on December 7, just one month from today,” it said.
The President assured the country of utmost security and peace of mind before, during and after the elections.
Support
He indicated that he had been overwhelmed by the warmth of the chiefs and people right in the Ashanti Region where he was campaigning now and across the country wherever he had been.
He thanked Ghanaians for giving him the opportunity to occupy the highest office of President, as well as the support chiefs and people were offering him during his recent campaigns.
President Mahama stated that the December 7 presidential election was about leadership and expressed the hope that Ghanaians would once again “vote for a leader who not only reflects the aspirations of modern Ghana but also better represents who we truly are”.
