New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Ghana needs Akufo-Addo
leadership – Kufuor
Source: Evans Effah / NPP - 06.12.2012
“God is given Ghana everything, the only factor left to transform
Ghana economically, socially, etc. is leadership for a better
living.”
The words of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, addressing
thousands of New Patriotic Party supporters at the party’s final
rally at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra on Wednesday.
According to the former President, "You just don’t come by
leadership because you are handsome. It must be nurtured. One thing
in NPP’s tradition is that to be a leader, one has to be an
apprentice; well trained before you can be a leader. After Busia’s
era there have been no leadership like that ruling Ghana until the
NPP came back to power and due to the apprenticeship experience in
the party we [NPP] could formulate policies to better and improve
the economy.”
The former commander of the Ghana Armed Forces indicated that all
through his tenure as President, Nana Akufo-Addo had worked and
contributed immensely to the development of the nation and the
party as well.
In his opinion, a vote for Nana Akufo-Addo was critical because,
“Akufo-Addo as a good leader, has a got a very good team of men and
women who will help him to constitute wise and strong government to
uplift the life of Ghanaians.”
“Akufo-Addo is going to bring in a very pragmatic government. He
will transform Ghana into an industrial nation. The free SHS would
be implemented and the whole of Ghana will benefit including wards
of the NDC," the former President intimated.
According to Mr. Kuffour once Nana Akufo-Addo was sworn into power
he was going to provide the kind of leadership Ghana required for
transformation.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
NPP Government will
strengthen the unity of country -
Nana Akufo-Addo
Source: GNA / NPP - 06.12.2012
Nana Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) for the December 7th 2012 general elections, says his
government would strengthen the unity of the country when given the
mandate to govern.
"There would be no vindictive behavior. No one would be excluded,
but all would enjoy the fruits of good governance," he told
thousands of NPP faithful and supporters on Wednesday at the
party’s last rally held at the Efua
Sutherlands Park in Accra.
He told the supporters who waited for his arrival for hours at the
rally ground that his government would turn around the fortunes of
the country.
"During the Mills-Mahama Administration, we had two cedis being equal to one dollar, whilst in the
NPP administration, we saw one cedi
equaling one dollar.
"We would work to create a strong cedi. We would build an industrial, value adding economy, which would in
effect create more jobs for the unemployed."
The NPP flagbearer said contrary to what some said, it was possible
for an NPP government to provide free senior High School
education.
"We know we can do it, and we are going to do it because it must be
done and will be done," he said.
He urged NPP supporters to be vigilant and vote in their numbers on
the voting day.
He expressed gratitude to the rank and file of the party for the
efforts they had made towards the 2012 campaigns.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor said in a message that whilst
the country had all it needed to develop, it lacked good
leadership.
He said during the eight-year governance period of the NPP in the
country, the government saw the formulation of far reaching
policies.
"We removed the criminal libel law, which greatly enhanced our
democracy and with the HIPC initiative, we turned the economy
around. Banks were even chasing
their customers for loans."
He said whilst the NPP had several potential leaders, who were
excellent, Nana Akufo-Addo, stood tall amongst them all.
Former President Kufuor said Nana Akufo-Addo, who had been a part
of the NPP government's formulation of good policies, was well
informed to turn around the fortunes of the country.
Political campaigns come to an end today
December 5th. On Friday December 7th Ghanaians would go to
the polls to vote for a President and 275 parliamentarians to
govern the country for the next four years.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
2012 Elections: Second
Round Inevitable ... NDC Likely To Lose
Source: Newman Jimmy / NPP - 06.12.2012
Over the years, Ghanaians vote for a political Party in a certain
pattern. Popularity of the Candidate, job creation, corruption,
drugs, armed Robbery and how the party executives and ministers
conduct themselves are also considered.
In 2000, there was runoff and NDC lost to NPP largely due to the
following:
i. CHANGE OF CANDIDATE: NDC changed
president J.J Rawlings (on Constitutional grounds) for Prof. Mills
and since J.J’s Name was not on the ballot, Ghanaians did not vote
for the new face on the ballot but voted for President J A Kufour
who had contested President Rawlings and had his Name and face on
the ballot papers in 1996. Then Candidate Kufour campaigned
vigorously after he had lost to President J.J Rawlings in 1996 so
he became popular in 2000.
ii. DIVISION IN THE PARTY: Mr.
Goosie Tannoh and his group were not
happy with the selection of the then Candidate, Professor Mills
hence formation of the National
Reform Party (NRP)
iii. CONDUCT OF APPOINTEES: Some
MPs, Ministers, MCEs and party executives thought NDC was going to
be in power forever. They were power drunk, corrupt, arrogant and
thinking Ghanaians have no eyes to see and hear what was going on
both public and in private.
iv. CONSTITUENCY PRIMARIES; most of the candidates were imposed on
the constituents especially non performing sitting MPs.
v. CAMPAING MESSAGE; NDC campaigned for Continuity as if President
Rawlings was the Candidate whiles NPP’s main message was ‘Positive
Change’
vi. OTHER ISSUES: other issues that
affected NDC then were,
*killing of women
*Huge sum of money got lost at Obed
Asamoah’s house
*Government white paper issued to cover P.V. Obeng at CHRAJ
*Aveyime Rice project vrs Mrs
Cotton
In 2008, there were runoffs and Ruling NPP Party lost to main
contender NDC because of the ff;
i. CHANGE OF CANDIDATE: NPP changed
president J.A Kufour (on
Constitutional grounds) for Nana Addo and since J.A Kufour’s Name was not on the ballot,
Ghanaians did not vote for the new face (Nana Addo) on the ballot
but voted for President J.E A Mills who had contested with
President J. A. Kufour and had his Name and face
on the 2000 & 2004 ballot papers. Then Candidate Mills
campaigned vigorously after he had lost to President Kufour in 2004
and became popular with ‘Asodwee
hene’ slogan added to his Name
ii. CONDUCT OF APPOINTEES: Some MPs,
Ministers, MCEs and party executives thought NDC was dead and NPP
was going to be in power forever. They were power drunk, corrupt,
arrogant and thinking they are well educated in the system and
could take Ghanaians for granted.
iii. CONSTITUENCY PRIMARIES; most of
the candidates were imposed on the constituents especially non
performing sitting MPs which compelled other contestants to go
independent.
iv. CAMPAING MESSAGE; when Prof. Mills was going house to house
with ‘I care for you’ and ‘better Ghana Agenda slogans,’ the ruling
party NPP was doing street jam with
Musicians singing and dancing Kangaroo dance.
v. OTHER ISSUES: other issues that affected NPP were;
*Hotel waawaa
*Kickbacks at Castle (made public by
Haruna Esseku)
*GT and Vodafone deal
*M.V. Benjamin Cocaine saga
* Sales of state lands
* Presidential award (then referred to as 50 cents)
This year 2012, there will be runoff
and ruling NDC Party is likely to lose the elections based on the
following.
i. change of candidate: NDC Candidate Prof. Mills
(dead) changed for J.D. Mahama and
since President Mills’ Name is not going to be on the ballot,
Ghanaians as usual will not vote for the new face on the ballot but
expected to vote for Nana Akuffo Addo who had contested with the
late President Mills and had his Name and face on the 2008 ballot papers. You will agree with
me that Nana Addo has been
campaigning vigorously since 2010 and is now very
popular
ii. Division in the party: disunity
in the party, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and her followers were
not happy with the elections held in Sunyani and have formed New
political Party, the NDP.
iii. Conduct of appointees:
factionalism, cronyism and total neglect of
party ideology, vision, social justice, principles of probity and
accountability. Some MPs. Ministers, MCEs and party executives have
not learnt any lesson at all. They are power drunk, corrupt, liars,
arrogant and behave as if the world belongs to them.
iv. Constituency primaries; Primaries conducted were not free and
fair, most of the candidates were imposed on the constituents
because of money but not ability to
deliver.
Campaign message; People are demanding to know meaning of ‘Ede bee
keke’’ whiles NPP message of free
SHS has gone down well with the people.
v. other issues: other issues that
are going to affect NDC in this
year’s elections are;
*Wayome case
*CP judgement debt
*Carl Wilson and Alex Segbefia’s (Harbour cars)
*Foot soldiers’ concerns not addressed
*Asiedu Nketia’s block factory and his utterances
*STX housing project.
*One time NHIS payment
Vote percentage reduction: elections in Ghana over the years have
shown Percentage reduction in the votes of ruling party during
second term.
• In 1992, NDC (J. J. Rawlings) had 58.4% to beat Prof. Adu
Boahen
• In 1996, NDC (J. J. Rawlings) had 57.4% to beat NPP (New
candidate J.A. Kufuor.)
• In 2000, NPP (J. A. Kufuor ) had 56.9% to beat NDC (new candidate
,Prof J.E.A. Mills to become
President after runoff.
• In 2004, NPP (J. A Kufuor) again had 52.45% to retain power but
his previous percentage reduced by 4%.
• In 2008, NDC (J.E.A Mills) had 50.23% to beat NPP (new Candidate
Nana Akufo Addo) after the third runoff with 50.23%.to become president.
• In 2012, NPP’s Nana Akufo Addo who had his name on the ballot
paper in 2008 and has been able to market himself very well since
2010 is contesting NDC’s new candidate J.D Mahama who is going to
be on the ballot for the first time, ‘Asem beba
dabi’. We must expect a reduction from the
ruling party’s previous votes which is likely going to send NDC
back to opposition.
Paul Boateng
(Deputy Director of Research-NDP)
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Statement: Nana Addo's
Speech on Agriculture
Source: NPP Communications Directorate / 10.11.2012
Mr. Chairman, Julius Ametepe, distinguished former Regional
Director of Agriculture, Togbeo, Mamao, Okyeame of Agortine and
Ziope traditional areas, senior staff and students of Ho Poly,
fellow Ghanaians, Ladies and Gentlemen: Please excuse me for my
late arrival. This business of being a presidential candidate is
not an easy matter, as you pulled here and there. I am sorry for the delay and I apologise above all
to Togbeo and Mamao for keeping them waiting so long. I am prepared
to do custom to purge myself and hope that I am duly
forgiven.
I am very happy to be here in Ho, and particularly happy to be at
this now renowned polytechnic. A great deal of the infrastructure
here was put in place by the NPP government of President John
Agyekum Kufuor. It is an excellent investment, which is going to
yield dividends, because it will produce the managerial and
technical class that is going to be at the heart of our nation’s
transformation agenda.
I have come to speak to you on the critical subject of Agriculture,
and to do so in this region of hardworking, energetic farmers. The role of
agriculture in transforming our economy and nation is potentially
tremendous it is an appropriate subject in a region where all the
ecological zones are to be found. It means that everything can be
grown here and any type of livestock reared here.
At this time of the election campaign, I appreciate the opportunity
to state my party’s position on a subject that affects all of us. I
must first of all, congratulate the award winners at this year’s
Farmers’ Day celebrations. I congratulate especially, Mr. Wisdom
Aglago, the Volta Region Best Farmer.
The figures speak for themselves and they cannot be repeated
enough. More than 50% of our population are engaged in agriculture,
the poorest people in our country are engaged in food crop farming.
If we are to make any meaningful change in the lives of the people
therefore our efforts must be directed at this sector. The majority
of people can only feel a change in their lives when we develop
agriculture.
We have been making some progress
especially in the cocoa sector but nowhere near enough in
the staple food grain sector, like rice maize and soya. Having said
that, I believe it is worthwhile stating one of the most
understated successes of the last NPP administration that we no
longer hear about something called “the hunger months” especially
in the northern sector of our country. And you would recall that it
was in 2003 that the phenomenon of “bayere
foforo
abetu
bayere
dada”, “new yam has come to meet the old yam”
first started. Now that is accepted as a normal part of the farming
cycle because of the success of the development of the roots and
tubers during the Kufuor administration.
Unlike, the current NDC government, the blessing of oil will not
distract the next NPP government from making the agriculture sector more sophisticated, more
productive and more efficient. Currently, the economic indicators
show Ghana is beginning to show signs of suffering from
Dutch disease although the NDC
government will have us believe otherwise.
Mr Chairman, the Dutch disease is an economic concept also known as
the ‘curse of oil’. The term was coined in 1977 by The Economist
magazine to describe the decline of the manufacturing sector in the
Netherlands after the discovery and development of a large natural
gas field in 1959. In Ghana’s case, it is our agricultural and
manufacturing sectors that have floundered.
The statistics speak for themselves. When you take account of the
depreciation of the cedi and/or the
rate of inflation, budgetary allocation to the Agriculture
ministry has been falling steadily
since 2008. In the same period agriculture growth has fallen
sharply from 7.6% in 2008 to only 2.8% in 2011
There has to be a fundamental change in attitude towards
agriculture if we are to make headway. Agriculture is not and
cannot be a single sector industry. Farming is a business and it is
a profession that must be promoted and studied like all other
professions.
We tend to take farmers for granted, we tend to think it is a job
that can be done by anybody, and some people think it is what you
do when you have failed at everything else. But the truth is when
farmers get it wrong, the consequences are immediate, catastrophic
and affect all of us.
If when you got up this morning, you have had something to eat, and
I hope that all of us apart from those among us who are fasting or
on a diet, have had something to eat, then you must say thank you
to a farmer.
I have spoken extensively on the importance of teachers in our
society, I have spoken about the critical role medical
professionals play in our society, but if we do not find food to
eat, we will not even be alive to go to school or have any ailments
that require treatment.
A farmer is firstly an entrepreneur, and more than all other
entrepreneurs, a farmer doesn’t count his hours. He takes risks and
he must be able to manage humans, animals and plants; he is at once
a historian and a scientist and a weatherman. A farmer heads a
business, but, being a farmer means he must constantly adapt to the
climate, market and in today’s world, to technology and regulations.
For years many of our farmers, the successful ones have done these
things to which we now ascribe fanciful names but often they have
had to struggle through without help from government and yet we
expect them to provide our most basic need as human beings,
food.
In recent years one of the best organized and planned support that
has been accorded agriculture, has been in the Millennium Challenge
Account Compact started under the Kufuor government.
One of the most exciting examples of what happens when you have an
integrated approach to agriculture and you adopt modern methods is
happening not too far from us here in the North Tongu area. Under the Millennium Challenge
Account programme this little corner
of the Volta Region has something to teach us all. A well-known
company VEGPRO has invested in a 900 hectare farm in the Togorme
Irrigation project located on the left bank of the Kpong
Hydroelectric Dam. Relying entirely on water from the Kpong Left
Bank Irrigation Scheme and investment in very modern central pivot
irrigation arrangements, the anchor farmer, VEGPRO has within a few
months cropped a large variety of vegetables which, I understand,
will soon be ready for export to British supermarkets.
Mr Chairman, the next NPP government will adapt the same integrated
approach. Access to Finance, Improved Training and Technology, Land
Tenure, Post Harvest Issues, Feeder Roads, farm tracts and
Irrigation are going to be the nucleus of this approach. To address
the problems our farmers face in terms of finance, an Akufo-Addo
government will establish an Agricultural Technology Fund (ATF).
This fund will provide finance to small and large scale farmers at
subsidised rates. This will enable
them acquire the relevant inputs and
technology to make them more competitive and increase their output
per hectare. We will also reposition the Agriculture Development
Bank to fulfil its original mandate of specifically supporting
agricultural finance. We will continue with reforming security in
land tenure so that an ordinary small-scale farmer can use his land
as collateral to secure a loan to finance his crop in any
particular season.
Mr Chairman, improving the way land is administered in Ghana will
facilitate the efficient transfer of title and use of agricultural
land. The Land Title Registration and the Land Administration
Projects have gone on long enough and we will make sure they are
operational. MiDA has made it
possible for 1,400 small farmers to
have land titles for the first time ever.
In terms of increasing access to farming land in the Northern
Savannah belt we must bring to bear the results of local research
and of technological innovation in other parts of the world. In
Brazil fro example, we know that the
Savannah lands, which had lain uncultivated for years because of
low yields, were treated with heavy doses of potash over a period
of time. Now Brazil has become a powerhouse of agricultural
production. We can do the same in Ghana!
Ladies and Gentlemen, we will facilitate the interaction between
the Crop Research Institute, the Extension Services, Farmer Based
Organizations and individual farmers to achieve high yields in farm
production. We will also ensure that good quality fertilizer is
readily available to the farmer at affordable prices, as was the
case in the recent era of the Kufuor-led NPP government. Currently,
only 20% of the acreage under maize cultivation benefits from
improved seeds and fertilizer. The next NPP government,
God-willing, will double this figure to 40% in four years. With
this target, Ghana will become a major exporter in the ECOWAS grain
market.
There is an urgent need to promote the use of technology and to
update the farming methods that we use in our country and we intend
to apply the same vigor to tackling this challenge as we intend to
do in education. The next NPP government will establish 250
Mechanization Centres or Plant Pools
across Ghana. These centres will
provide mechanization services to farmers at competitive
prices.
Farmers will also be provided with the business skills to enhance
their crop productivity and boost their planning skills in order to
forestall post-harvest losses. The aim is to support the farmers to
get better value for their produce. Being equipped with business
skills will also enable our farmers to negotiate better deals at
various stages of the production chain.
Mr Chairman, in the Asian experience, the existence of a relatively
extensive road network that carries fertilizer and other inputs to
the farms and carries farm output to the markets has set them apart
from us in Ghana. We will expand the feeder road and farm track
network to mitigate post-harvest losses and also ensure foodstuffs
are available to consumers.
Mr. Chairman, Ghana’s agricultural sector remains mostly rain-fed.
It functions like clockwork. In times of drought our harvests are
poor and when there is abundance of
rain, our harvests are abundant. Mr. Chairman, under the last NPP
government in 2008, a feasibility study was made in which 5,000
hectares were to be put into agriculture production under the Accra Plains
Irrigation Projects. The current government has not made good its
promise to commence that project but continues its mention in
succeeding budgets with a further promise to increase it to 10,000
hectares, and yet, as is their stock in trade, there has been no
implementation.
As at 2010, only 35,000 hectares of Ghana’s 7.3 million-hectare
farmland was under irrigation. The MCA has shown that we do not
need high end technology to irrigate our farming lands. But we do
need to train farmers to be able to use simple pumps and take
advantage of the numerous water bodies in this region for example.
Mr. Chairman, irrigation must be taken seriously if we are to have
the desired results in agriculture and an Akufo-Addo government
will make the required investment.
As I said, farmers head business enterprises and we will work to
provide them with the business skills they need to enhance their
productivity and boost their planning skills in order to forestall
post-harvest losses. We shall initiate a minimum Guarantee Price
System for maize, rice and soya to
support farm gate prices.
Mr Chairman, there is much to do in promoting Commercial
Agriculture and it remains a largely untapped sector. With only 7.3
million hectares of Ghana’s total agricultural land of 13.6 million
hectares being under cultivation, the potential for the development
of commercial agriculture is vast. Again the MCA has shown that
there is a lot to be gained from farmers working together. We shall
support farmers with small holdings by providing them with improved
seeds and fertilizers to make them much more productive. There are
examples of successful commercial size farms that we can copy. We
will pick existing winners in commercial farming to give them the
requisite incentives and access to funding to push them into major
regional and global players.
Mr. Chairman, there is nothing more heartbreaking than a farmer
recounting the losses suffered due to perishing produce after
harvest. A priority of an Akufo-Addo presidency will be the
building of post-harvest infrastructure for preserving the quality
of crops during their transportation from the production site to
final market destination.
Together with the private sector, we will work to develop pack
houses, warehouses and improve our market places so as to ensure
effective and efficient distribution and thereby minimize
post-harvest losses.
The MCA has shown the way with the construction of the new
perishable cargo centre at the
airport and pack houses around the country. Our food exports stand a better chance of doing well in
foreign markets because of the construction and rehabilitation of
the laboratories that make it possible for goods to be certified to
international level. Mr. Chairman, our mangoes, our pineapples, the
beautiful garden eggs, peppers,
cabbages and other vegetables I saw displayed on the road on my way
here will get better value with a GlobalGAP sticker on them and we
will work to bring the quality of our farm produce to international
standards .
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would now like to speak on the plans the
next NPP government has for the Fisheries Sector. Not only does
fish constitute a substantial portion of the Ghanaian diet,
fisheries are essential to the livelihood and economy of Ghana. The Kufuor Government
instituted a Ministry of Fisheries to oversee this sector and it
was beginning to show good results. I promise that next January,
God willing and with your votes, an Akufo-Addo government will
bring the Fisheries Ministry back. Fisher folk will have a voice
around the cabinet table and their concerns will be articulated at
the highest level of government.
Nearly all Ghana’s marine fisheries and some inland fisheries are
currently being overfished. Sustainable
management of our fishing resources
is crucial to the livelihood of the sector. A fishing sector where
regulations are neither followed nor enforced is not the way
forward. We will allocate additional resources for the enforcement
of fisheries management policies as set forth in the Fisheries Act
of 2002.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the poultry industry in Ghana has been
hurting as a result of challenges it
faces from imports of chicken from Europe and the Americas. This
has led to the collapse of farms around the country. The high cost
of inputs like soya and maize for feed, chemicals and even day-old
chicks has rendered this once-viable
venture an expensive undertaking.
The next NPP government will in collaboration with farmers and feed
processors, assist poultry farmers to access cheaper feed
ingredients. We will also put in place time-bound import tariff and
non-tariff measures to ensure that there is an even playing field
for our local producers of poultry and rice to compete on.
Our non-traditional exports have the potential of greatly boosting
Ghana’s GDP, Sheanut, pineapples, mangoes, bananas and vegetables
have been successfully cultivated for export and an NPP government
will focus on expanding and increasing efficiency in the farming of
these high value cash crops.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I must say a few words on cocoa the cash
crop, which has served as the bedrock of Ghana’s development for
generations. An Akufo-Addo government will continue to provide
incentives in our cocoa industry through high producer prices, bonuses, cocoa
scholarships, mass spraying and extension services to improve
productivity and output. We aim to consolidate production at one
million tones per annum and process up to 60% of our cocoa locally
by 2018.
Mr. Chairman, agriculture remains the fuel that powers all our
activity in Ghana. We ignore it at our risk. I give you my pledge
that farmers, food crop farmers, fish farmers and livestock farmers
will all have the support and respect they deserve from an
Akufo-Addo government. We need to raise agriculture to a higher
plane to be able to improve on the quality of life for our people.
The NPP has the plans and the will to make it happen and I lead a
dynamic and competent team that will show results, not propaganda
and misinformation, but concrete, verifiable results.
On December 7, I ask for your votes to make it all possible.
Thank you, God bless you, God bless Ghana.
.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
NPP has set the agenda
for election 2012 - Ohene
Source: Radio XYZ Online / 10.11.2012
The former Minister in charge of Tertiary Education Elizabeth Ohene
says the NPP’s campaign is not all about Free Senior High education
as being portrayed in the
media.
Speaking to XYZ News, Madam Ohene said the main opposition NPP has
set the agenda for the elections on various issues such as
education, corruption, health, agriculture amongst others.
The NPP Flagbearer’s promise of free SHS education has taken
centre-stage in the political
discourse ahead of December 7 polls.
Elizabeth Ohene says the NPP’s opponents are those who have focused
so much on Nana Akufo-Addo’s free SHS promise.
“In this whole campaign I think it is fair to say that the agenda
has been set by the NPP. We are not the ones talking only about
free education; it is our opponents who seem to talk about nothing
else.
“Instead of putting out there what they want to do, they are going
round saying that we can’t do it…It
is not a one issue campaign as far as we are concerned” Madam Ohene
said.
.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Nana Addo Introduces
Running Mate to Asanteman
Council
Source: GBC / 09.11.2012
The Presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo,
has introduced his running mate Dr Mahamadu Bawumia to the
Asanteman Council.
At a colourful ceremony in the
Manhyia Palace, Nana Addo asked Asanteman to continue to support
the party by turning out in their numbers to vote massively, come
December 7.
Nana Addo renewed a promise made four years ago to upgrade the
Kumasi Airport to international standard.
Nana Addo said his choice of Dr Bawumia as his running mate for the
second time is to bring unity in diversity.
He explained that he Nana Addo being
a Christian from the south, it was prudent to choose somebody who
is from the north and a Muslim to partner him.
Nana asked Asanteman to continue to support the party to win the
December general election.
He was grateful for the support he received last four years from
the Ashanti region in terms of electoral votes but like Oliver
Twist, Nana Addo asked for more.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
60% of Ghana’s Cocoa to
be processed in Ghana- NPP promise
Source: ETVghana / 08.11.2012
The New Patriotic Party is promising to process 60 per cent of
Ghana’s cocoa locally next six year
if they are elected next month in the December Polls.
The party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 elections, Nana
Akufo Addo expressed worry that although Ghana produces large
quantities of the commodity, it is unable to exploit it to the
fullest.
He was speaking at Ho Polytechnic when he delivered a policy
statement on transforming agriculture in Ghana.
Activities on campus halted when the NPP candidate arrived.
Students mobbed Nana Akufo Addo praising him for his bold
initiative to transform the educational sector.
Regional Chairman of the party Ken Nworso in a welcome address
expressed optimism the presidential candidate will deliver a
resounding victory in December.
He praised former president John Agyekum Kufuor for improving
infrastructure in the school when he was president.
Addressing the gathering of students and traditional authorities,
Nana Akufo said under the NPP administration, the phenomenon of
hunger month was stopped because of prudent management of the
sector.
He said unlike the NDC, the blessing of oil will not distract the
NPP from making agriculture more sophisticated and efficient.
He regretted most people take farmers for granted even though there
could be serious consequences if farmers don’t apply the right
method.
Nana Akufo Addo called for attitudinal change if Ghana will make
any headway in the sector.
He said under his watch, the NPP will process 60 percent of Ghana’s
cocoa by 2018 if elected.
The NPP candidate said he will set up the agricultural technology
fund to farmers in need of finance.
Nana Akufo Addo repeated his desire to bring back the fisheries
ministry if elected and tackle the problem poultry farmers go
through.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
NPP election 2012 energy
policy direction
Source: GNA / 08.11.2012
The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) seeks to use its
commitment to provide stable and reliable energy supply to
consumers as an electoral massage to win the December 2012
polls.
The NPP manifesto for election 2012:
“Transforming lives, Transforming Ghana,” made available to the
Ghana News Agency indicates that the party seeks to complete the
power generation expansion programme
started under the previous NPP era to drive
industrialization.
The NPP also promises to tackle what it describes as “the problems
of neglect and mismanagement of Ghana’s energy resources” to ensure
that there is adequate energy to drive business productivity and
development and also meet the needs of domestic users for cooking,
lighting and other uses.
According to the manifesto, under the leadership of Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the next NPP government will work with the
private sector to increase output, and re-open negotiations with
interested partners to develop and complete the mini-hydro power
projects such as Pwalugu, Juale,
Ankobra and Tano.
The party also plans to exploit gas resources to increase energy
supply, and by the end of 2016 extend rural access of
electrification to 90 per cent. In the petroleum sub-sector, the
NPP argues that reforms in the governance structure initiated by
the previous NPP government led to the discovery of oil in
commercial quantities in 2007.
“Our policy on the petroleum sector will be to focus on the
continued exploration for more reserves and ensure transparency in
the operations of Ghana’s oil fields and outputs”.
According to the manifesto, the party will enact laws that will
improve the legal regime for petroleum exploration, production and
services and enhance Ghanaian participation in the oil
sector.
The NPP will also enter into partnership with the private sector to
actively pursue the potential of building another refinery and
processing plant in Ghana. It also promises to make the Western
Region the hub of the oil and gas industry, by developing services
and institutions related to the industry in the region.
The party is also promising to introduce an “Accelerated Oil
Capacity Development Programme”
which will target training of Ghanaians in high job creating
sectors, including fabrications and installations, manufacturing of
equipment and construction of oil and gas infrastructure.
On sources of renewable energy, the NPP intends to develop,
diversify and ensure sustainability of energy sources; it will
therefore reform the governance arrangements in the sector and
pursue strategic partnerships that will help to exploit actively
Ghana’s renewable energy potential from sources such as solar, wind
and biomass.
The NPP however blamed the NDC government for allowing Ghana
National Petroleum Company (GNPC) to trespass into the domains of
other agencies such as the Tema Oil refinery.
The party also claimed that under former President John Agyekum
Kufuor, the government initiated measures to increase power
generation which, according to the party, had been neglected by the
current NDC administration to reach a generation capacity of 5000
mw.
According to the NPP, between 2007 and 2008 the then Kufuor
administration initiated and contracted major generation projects
which would have placed the nation’s power capacity beyond 5000
mw by the end of 2012 instead of the
current installed capacity of 2,210 mw.
“While a few of these projects are currently being pursued by the
NDC, for example the 400 mw Bui
Hydro Dam and 132 mw thermal plant
at Takoradi, other initiatives such as the 220 mw Alstom Turbines have been left to rot at
Kpone” said the manifesto.
It stated that funding for the implementation of mini-hydro
projects have been diverted for non energy projects and active
agreements and memoranda of understanding for more thermal as well
as waste-to-energy plants had sadly been abandoned by the NDC
government.
Meanwhile, a National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) survey
on “Election 2012: matters of concern to the Ghanaian voter”,
reveals that out of 489 responses received, the highest proportion
of 289 (59.1 per cent) said power outages should stop.
A copy of the survey report made available to the GNA indicates
that Ghanaians abhor the frequent power outages, which they said
was destroying electrical gadgets and also rendering some newly
established industries dormant.
They also wanted the government to extend electricity to the rural
area, whilst another 143 respondents (29.3 per cent) wanted
government to have more subsidies on
energy. Twenty-seven other respondents (5.5 per cent) said that
there should be uninterrupted gas supply for Ghanaians.
According to the NCCE survey, 17 respondents (3.5 per cent)agreed
that oil and gas proceeds should be used to finance the
economy.
Respondents mentioned that the rate at which expatriates were
infiltrating the oil industry to compete with Ghanaians for jobs
was quite alarming.
The survey said an insignificant number of respondents, 2 (0.4 per
cent), said the youth should be trained to take up jobs in the oil
and gas sector.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Akufo-Addo exposes Prez
Mahama on 250 Cuban trained doctors
Source: NPP Communications Directorate / 31.10.2012
The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday, forced President Mahama to
contradict his own sector Minister, as well as an August 18, 2011
cabinet memo, on the cost of training the 250 Ghanaian students in
Cuba.
Nana Akufo-Addo, in outlining his policy initiatives for the health
sector, yesterday at the IEA Presidential debate, stated that the
lack of adequate health personnel in Ghana's Health Service was
worrisome and his administration will ensure that the training of
health workers locally to efficiently man hospitals, clinics and
other health facilities would be a priority of his
government.
Nana Addo cited the opaque scheme run by then Vice President
Mahama, now President Mahama, when Ghana signed an agreement to
train 250 Ghanaian students in Cuba at a total cost of GHc160
million.
This move by President Mahama, according to Nana Addo, translated
into an average of GH¢105,000 per student per year. The NPP
presidential candidate stated that these students could have been
trained in Ghana for GH¢30,000, according to the Ghana Medical
Association.
Nana Addo added that this amount spent by President Mahama could
have been channeled into the various medical schools in
universities in Ghana to expand infrastructure, as well as train
more doctors compared to the numbers sent to Cuba.
President Mahama, visibly rattled by Nana Addo's statement, said
the cost of training one Ghanaian student in Cuba, as a doctor, is
$5,000, and not GH¢105,000, as stated by Nana Addo and the then
Minister of Health, Joseph Yieleh Chireh. This, according to the
President’s facts, implies that the cost of training all 250
students in Cuba for 6 years is $7.5 million (GH¢12.45 million in
2011).
President Mahama's assertions elicited a swift rebuttal from Nana
Addo, who stated that the figures he quoted were not his, but
rather that of President Mahama’s own sector Minister and also
evident in the documents President Mahama, himself, signed with the
Cuban government, information which is available on the internet
for Ghanaians to verify.
It is recalled that in August 2011, cabinet approved a deal,
negotiated by President Mahama, amounting to GH¢160 million, for
the training of the 250 Ghanaian students in Cuba. In the memo
presented to cabinet, from former Health Minister, Joseph Yieleh
Chireh, dated August 18, 2011, which was approved by Chief of
Staff, John Henry Martey Newman, the Minister sought to justify the
amount of GH¢160 million being spent on the training of 250
individuals.
Per President Mahama's "new" figures and that of his sector
Minister's, there is therefore some GH¢147.5 million which has not
been accounted for, and for which the Ghanaian taxpayer deserves
answers to.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
454 NDC women defect to NPP
in Tamale
Source: NPP Communications Directorate / 31.10.2012
Four hundred and fifty four women from some communities in the
Northern Region have reportedly defected from the ruling National
Democratic Congress to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The women cited the vision and strong policies of NPP’s
Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, as the reason behind their
defection. They also blamed the harsh economic policies and the
neglect of the Northern Region by the NDC government reasons why
they have decided to join the NPP.
Madam Ayishatu Fuseini, a former women’s organizer of the NDC in
the Tamale North Constituency who led the defectors said, “this is
not cosmetic defection, we mean it, it’s real, we want to join the
team that can move Ghana forward and that team is NPP.”
At the launch of a women’s wing of the NPP at the Arts Centre in
Tamale, the 454 women, who were immediately integrated into the NPP
women’s wing, pledged to uphold and defend the principles of the
party, to ensure a landslide victory in the December Polls.
Mrs. Rebecca AKufo-Addo, the wife of NPP Presidential Candidate,
Nana Akufo Addo, expressed her appreciation to the women for
believing and trusting in the NPP’s economic transformation
Policy.
“It’s only jokers who do not believe in the Free SHS policy. Nana
AKufo-Addo will make sure he does it because it is achievable,” she
said.
She added, “the December elections is about our future and our
children. It is a vote between those who believe nothing can be
done and we who believe in Ghana. It must be a vote for those who
believe that Free SHS is possible, Free health care for children
under-18 is possible, free maternal care is possible, and also the
transformation of Ghana”
Mrs Akufo-Addo expressed worry at the current situation where
thousands of young people are compelled by financial constraints to
cut short their education at the junior high school level, a
situation she said would retard any progressive move the country
would initiate.
Amidst cheers from the enthusiastic women, she explained that the
free senior high school promised by her husband is not a mere
promise to win election, as it is being propagated by the ruling
NDC.
On her part, the National women Organizer of the NPP, Otiko Afisah
Djaba said, the women of Ghana, are the sunshine of all the little
and big families, the heartbeat of the homes that wipes away the
tears of young and old alike and puts smiles across our
motherland.
She said, it was sad that the NDC administration was taking Ghana
back on what could have been a meaningful trek forward into greater
prosperity and wealth for its people.
“We should stop the current stunted and downward slide of Ghana’s
development and bring the NPP back to power,” she said.
The 454 women were immediately registered and given NPP membership
cards.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Ghanaians have lost
confidence in NHIS - Nana Akufo-Addo
Source: Communications Directorate, NPP / 31.10.2012
The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says Ghanaians, across the length and
breadth of the country, have lost confidence in the National Health
Insurance Scheme (NHIS) under the leadership of President Mahama
and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
This loss in confidence, Nana Addo explained, is evidenced in the
facts and figures being churned out by the National Health
Insurance Authority's own annual report presented to parliament,
statements made by the Minister of Health, Alban Bagbin, as well as
comments from the ordinary Ghanaian to the effect that the scheme
is no longer reliable.
According to Nana Addo, the NHIA's own annual reports indicate that
active membership of the NHIS has dropped from 9.9 million members
in 2008 during the era of the NPP, to 8.2 million members currently
under the NDC.
The drop in active membership of the NHIS, Nana Addo explained, was
one of the indicators pointing to the loss of confidence in the
scheme.
Addressing the NDC’s assertions that utilization rates of the NHIS
had increased to 25 million, Nana Akufo-Addo explained this
increase could only mean that Ghanaians are getting sicker under
the NDC.
He explained that what the 25 million utilization rates being
trumpeted by the NDC could only mean that the 8.2 million Ghanaians
currently subscribed to the NHIS have reported to the hospital a
total number of 25 million times this year alone. This situation,
Nana Addo said, is opposed to that which pertained under the NPP,
where the 9.9 million subscribers to the NHIS reported to the
hospital a total of 9.9 million times in 2008; implying a healthier
Ghana under the NPP.
Total renewal of rates of the NHIS across the country had also
reduced drastically under the NDC, Nana Addo added.
Another pointer to the mismanagement of the NHIS by the NDC
government, Nana Addo said, was the fact that the scheme is now
running at a deficit.
Nana Addo explained that the Kufuor-led NPP government bequeathed
the NHIA with a surplus of some GH¢350 million. However, under the
NDC government, the NHIA is running a deficit to the tune of GH¢379
million and rising.
The NPP Presidential Candidate recalled a 20th September 2012
statement by the Minister of Health, Alban Bagbin, who said that
the NHIS has been running at a deficit since 2010, adding that “the
stability of the scheme is of great concern to government.”
Nana Addo chided the Mahama administration for presiding over the
scheme's mismanagement and wondered whether the walkout of
parliament in 2003 by John Mahama, then MP for Bole Bamboi, and his
colleague NDC MPs has necessitated their mismanagement of the
scheme.
He described the NDC's 2008 manifesto promise of implementing a
one-time NHIS premium as the biggest political hoax in Ghana's
history. The promise, not surprisingly, is missing from the 2012
NDC manifesto.
The NPP flagbearer assured Ghanaians that his administration will
revive and restore confidence in the NHIS and will put competent
technocrats and not political hacks at the helm of affairs of the
NHIS.
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Onetime premium is the
biggest hoax- Akufo-Addo
Source: Joy Online / 31.10.2012
Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has scoffed
at the proposed one-time premium under the National Health
Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by government describing it as the “biggest
political hoax”.
The one-time premium policy promised by the ruling National
Democratic Congress (NDC) in their 2008 manifesto appears to be a
limbo barely two months to the end of its four-year term in
office.
Authorities of the scheme have indicated their readiness to
implement
