The
2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is urging the teeming masses of Ghanaian youth, who
have become disillusioned under the current John Mahama-led NDC
government, not to lose hope because “change is on its way”, God-willing
from 2017, in the form of an Akufo-Addo government.
Delivering
a speech at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Tertiary Students
Confederacy (TESCON) held at the Mensah Sarbah Hall on Wednesday,
November 4, 2015, Nana Akufo-Addo called on the youth to repose their
confidence in the NPP, ahead of the 2016 elections, because of the
party’s solid track record in delivering on its promises, as seen from
2001 to 2009.
The NPP flagbearer recounted how at the 1st
public event of TESCON in May of 2000, after the inauguration of TESCON,
he made three commitments which, he noted, would be fulfilled when the
NPP won the 2000 election.
“I said that if we won, we would
repeal the infamous Criminal Libel Law; we would abolish the notorious
cash and carry policy in our healthcare system; and we would in the next
decade take Ghana from a poor to a middle income status. The NPP in
power realised each one of these promises. We repealed the Criminal
Libel Law. We abolished cash and carry and introduced the National
Health Insurance Scheme. And by 2009, when we left office, Ghana was a
middle income country” he said.
“We keep our promises,” he said,
to a rousing applause from the gathering primarily made up students
from the University of Ghana.
With the battle for votes in
2016 greater among the youth, many of whom will be first time voters and
disappointed NDC voters, the NPP flagbearer explained that the NPP
Youth Wing has a big responsibility to swing a decisive victory the
party’s way.
This, he explained, can be realised through sending
the party’s message of hope to every household, as the goal of an
Akufo-Addo government will be “to build a free and prosperous society of
opportunities where every Ghanaian child, no matter the circumstances
of his or her birth, has an equal chance to strive to build a happy and
dignified life.”
Policies initiatives for Youth
Key
amongst several policy initiatives which will be implemented under his
government to address the concerns of the youth, Akufo-Addo said, will
be investing in the nation’s institutions of learning to acquire new
technology to provide skills and education to the nation of young people
who are being left out of the job market.
“No nation can
afford to marginalise the youth, the very group that makes up the chunk
of its labour force. This is something we expected leaders to know. We
will be learning from Germany, which has a relatively low level of youth
unemployment, to prioritise high-quality vocational courses,
apprenticeships and links with industry,” he said.
He continued,
“Your next NPP government will be a government that promotes policies
that add value, because that is the only way we can create a large pool
of sustainable good jobs with good pay.”
Additionally, the NPP flagbearer stated that his government will make agriculture attractive to the youth.
With
total export value of Ghanaian agriculture standing at $2 billion
largely from cocoa exports, in comparison with Cote d’Ivoire’s $12
billion, Nana Akufo-Addo explained that Cote d’Ivoire’s success is
because of appropriate policy, executed with discipline.
An
Akufo-Addo government, he said will reverse the decline in the country’s
support for agriculture, which has been one of the greatest
deficiencies of the Mahama era.
“On the back of an expanding and
diversified agriculture, we will set Ghana on a solid platform for
industrialisation, which will see economic growth matched by job
creation. You know we can do it,” he added.
All hands on deck
In
order to achieve the realisation of these, Nana Akufo-Addo urged
members of the youth wing, in addition to the entire membership of the
party to “put our hands to the wheel and drive the change we seek
through the challenges that await us in 2016.”
We will get there,
he assured, stressing that “hope is coming. Change is on its way. Ghana
can work again. But, if we are to bring back hope; if we are to set
straight your future; if we are to get you back to work, then we must
first win power. And, if the NPP will win power will depend on your
energy, your commitment to convincing as many people as you can to vote
for change. You can make it happen.”
He admonished the NPP Youth
Wing and members of TESCON, to form groups reflecting the various
sub-groups of people in their respective communities, and also urged
them to “be the apostles of change among your folks.” |
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment