The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of being inconsistent with its policy proposals ahead of the 2020 polls.
According to the governing party, some promises in the NDC’s manifesto are deviations from initiatives the NDC opposed on principle while in government.
In an interview on The Point of View on Citi TV, National Organiser of the NPP, Sammi Awuku argued that the NDC’s position on the free Senior High School policy, trainee nurses and teachers allowances ahead of the 2016 election is at variance with what it is trumpeting now.
“Mr. Mahama in 2016 said even if it will cost his presidency, he will not restore teacher and nursing training allowance. That was on record but today if you check the NDC manifesto, they say they will maintain the status quo with regard to payment for allowances for teacher and nursing trainees. I want to ask that this status quo that Mr. Mahama and the NDC are talking about, is it the status quo of the NDC deciding to cancel it or the status quo of Nana Akufo-Addo’s NPP ensuring that they restored it. So we need clarity on that.”
Advancing his argument, Mr. Awuku questioned if the opposition leader is aware of developmental and social intervention programmes being rolled out in the country by the NPP.
“In fact, Mr. Mahama did say, free education will destroy Ghana’s education system. But now, Mr. Mahama and the NDC are saying that they will extend the free SHS to private SHSs. They are also saying, they will provide free TVET, but we have already implemented it. So I don’t know if the NDC is not really following what is happening in the country.”
Sammi Awuku also said the former President and flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama is an impediment to the development of the Ghanaian youth.
He indicated that Mr. Mahama and his party failed to implement formidable policies and programmes aimed at promoting youth development and charged Ghanaians to reject the NDC because the party has little to offer.
“Mr. Mahama remains the biggest obstacle to the advancement of our youth development. In 2008, the NDC did promise that they will legalize Galamsey activities so there was a mad rush for people to go into that venture yet the government at the time stayed aloof. They did not regulate these activities and this led to the pollution of our environment.”
Mr. Awuku also criticized Mahama for promising to legalize okada if elected.
“The NDC under Mr. Mahama, for the avoidance of doubt, declared okada business illegal. It was under him [Mr. Mahama]a law was passed to ban okada. So now, is it one of the mistakes he wants to come and correct?”
He said the party intends introducing policies that will not put the lives of the youth at risk.
“Our plan is not to put lives on the streets and put them at risk. If we need to support these young ones, we surely will.”
