Tomorrow, Monday 21st September marks the birthday of Ghana’s Founder and first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He was an iconic figure in the independence struggle and the liberation of many African countries.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was an inspiration to many countries around the world. On this day, I want to salute him for his tireless and monumental contribution to our nation’s history.
Finally, I come before you this morning with a triple invitation: be cautious, be bold and have hope!
Be cautious when you read articles on social media, because, unfortunately, today we are living in the age of fake news. It is now too easy to take something false as the truth. There is sometimes a big difference between what someone really did, and what people are made to believe he or she did.
They say, for instance, that during my first term as President I was a poor manager of our economy. Some of you may have been made to believe this false story. However, when you look at the data, things look different.
In 2012, the size of Ghana’s economy was 41.6 billion dollars. In 2016, on my watch as president it was 54.5 billion dollars – a nominal change of 13 billion dollars in 4 years.
This year, 2020, on the watch of Akufo-Addo as president, Ghana’s economy is projected to be somewhere 66 billion dollars, which means the NPP government in four years changed the size of the economy by 11 billion dollars – note in 4 years; 13 billion dollars under my watch and 11 billion dollars under NPP. This is what the data says, and it is verifiable. You can examine the data for yourselves.
This government has meanwhile borrowed GH¢140 billion as against GH¢56 billion during my presidency.
The Akufo-Addo government has not got a track record; not in healthcare, we built hospitals, they have none; not in tertiary education, we built universities, they have none; not in the roads sector, we built roads, they have declared a year of roads without roads; not in fighting corruption, we fought corruption head on; President Akufo-Addo fights those who fight corruption in his government. The case of Auditor General Daniel Domelevo is proof that corruption is fighting the president.
This is why I invite you to be cautious.
But I also invite you to be bold. Imagine, for instance, that, today Ghana had the digital infrastructure allowing people to work easily from home, like they do in countries like South Korea or Denmark. The Covid-19 pandemic would have certainly had a lesser impact on our economy.
Imagine a Ghana where all this is possible, where new types of services and new types of jobs allow people to live decent lives. Imagine a 21st Century Ghana! If you would, you won’t settle for “good enough” anymore. Instead, you would be asking for change in the way our country is led.
So, I’m telling you: have hope!
Our Manifesto, The People’s Manifesto, pledges that the new NDC government will help one million young Ghanaians to become coders and programmers – to become the backbone of the new economy we will build together for the benefit of all.
With one million young coders and a solid digital infrastructure, we will bridge the gap between our Ghana and the more advanced countries far sooner than you think now. Have hope!
And believe this hope is real! Because together with NDC we have already delivered. And if we delivered once, we are able to deliver again.
So, my brothers and sisters, be cautious, be bold and have hope! I guarantee you that the next NDC government will provide you with a clear and honest chance to live a decent life!
Be cautious, be bold, and have hope!
Jobs and Prosperity for all.
Thank you!
