The flag bearer of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Mahama, has said the party is adopting a four-pronged approach in its campaign towards victory in the December polls.

He said the process would involve the active participation of all aspiring members of Parliament, constituency and polling station executives, as well as women groups within the party at various locations of the country.

He said the PNC's campaign was mainly targeted at the youth, women and farmers whose contribution to the development of the country was very critical and, therefore, deserved the needed attention.

Dr Mahama, who was sharing his vision on the economy with the Daily Graphic, as well his party's preparation towards the December polls, said during the regimes of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ghanaian farmers had not been given the needed support to improve their lot and noted that a PNC government would restore farmers to their past glory.

He said the party had intensified its campaign to explain its manifesto to Ghanaians so as to vote for the party.

He said a government under him would be people-centred and share national cake fairly.

According to him, the premium placed on cocoa farmers over the years would be extended to sheanut, cashew, maize and cotton farmers to facilitate speedy growth of the economy.

Dr Mahama indicated that the current growth rate of the economy at six per cent was low and said if other farmers were given as much equal attention as cocoa farmers were, the growth of the economy could have doubled, since farmers constituted more than 60 per cent of the country's workforce.

Mr David Nibi, the National Treasurer of the PNC, in his contribution, said farmers in the country lacked the needed market to sell their produce, hence in the event of a bumper harvest their produce went to waste.

But the flag bearer contended that had it not been for the fact that the Limann-led PNP administration was jettisoned by a coup d'etat, farmers would have been living dignified lives, since it was only the PNP that was committed to their welfare.

Turning the spotlight on creating employment for the youth, Dr Mahama said what the youth needed was practical skills at the basic school level that could make them employable after graduation.

Taking a swipe at the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), the presidential hopeful expressed the belief that the crafting of the programme failed to take into consideration special skills to equip the unemployed youth of Ghana.

To that end, he said a PNC administration, led by him, would reform Ghana's educational system to produce employable skilled labour among the youth, stressing that graduate unemployment had become a matter of concern, something he hoped to correct.

On the issue of who his running mate would be, Dr Mahama gave the assurance that he would name the person in due course.

He said his choice would be based on gender and regional balance, adding that the person would be one who shared in the ideals of the PNC, abhorred corruption, had good leadership qualities, among others.

Story by Sebastian Syme