Dr. J.-B. Naah writes: Mahama Has My Vote

The last electoral cycle is ending for President Akufo-Addo, whose regime has seen a lot of hardship, over-borrowing, incompetence and arrogance of power for the past 8 years.

Ghanaians are poised for a change in 2024 to realize the needed resetting and restoration of Ghana’s stressed democracy under the auspices of President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

I have copiously written on Akufo-Addo being a lame duck President as well as he being the worst and most disappointing President of Ghana, which is the nemesis of his regime. The gargantuan failure of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government, despite several mouth-watering promises in 2016, has been a highly convincing reason why former President Mahama should be given the nod to return to the topmost job as the 6^th President of the 4^th Republic of Ghana.

Also, the Flagbearer of the NPP and Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has started promising again that he will remove nuisance taxes like e-levy, emission tax and 10% betting tax that he and his boss, President Akufo-Addo imposed on Ghanaians. Why can’t Bawumia and Akufo-Addo go ahead to remove these nuisance taxes now under their regime since Bawumia acknowledged that these taxes are highly detrimental to Ghanaians’ purchasing power?

Furthermore, the closure of several domestic banks and financial institutions as well as the draconian DDEP implemented by the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to force many Ghanaians to lose their jobs and the middle-class and pensioners to take haircuts and associated rippling effects on families and the economy are the direct actions of this governing NPP regime led by Dr. Bawumia and Akufo-Addo.

Dr. Bawumia and the NPP don’t have any good electoral message for Ghanaians to give another mandate after 8 bad years to ‘upgrade’ their mediocrity and underperformance in government in 2025. It looks most likely majority of Ghanaians will not endorse this appalling leadership of Dr. Bawumia and Akufo-Addo come December 7, 2024.

Therefore, the governing NPP regime does not deserve any choice from the electorate in 2024 for disappointing so many people with amazing display of mediocrity, destruction of forest reserves from prevailing high-tech galamsey operations and insensitivity of the government toward Ghanaians over the past 8 years.

The infrastructural transformation across various sectors under the first term of Mahama has been his strongest selling point. For instance, the E-blocks, hospitals, CHIPS compounds, roads projects and energy-sector investments were built under President Mahama to take care of the growing education, health, transportation needs and energy demands of Ghanaians as well as serve as a catalyst for sustainable development to cope with future population growth.

Additionally, former President Mahama tackle corruption and the fight against galamsey genuinely and proactively. This is demonstrated in good corruption perception index and containment of galamsey activities.

Below is the list of reasons and/or great proposed policies why former President Mahama will have my vote in the upcoming general elections this year:

1. The flagship Mahama’s 24-hour Economy Policy.
2. Mahama’s firm commitment to fight high-tech galamsey (HTG) menace by ensuring no appointee of his goes into HTG operations as well as empower district mining officers to fight the HTG menace.
3. National Apprenticeship Program.
4. Women’s Development Bank.
5. One million coders program.
6. Cancellation of nuisance taxes and ex gratia and appoint only 60 Ministers.
7. Establish a $50 million growth fund for fintechs.
8. Establish Farmer Service Centers across the country.
9. ⁠The Big Push Infrastructural Plan.
10. Complete all abandoned projects e.g. Hospital and E-Block projects.
11. Construct 6 new universities in the new regions.
12. And many more…

In conclusion, the Presidential ticket of John and Jane of the NDC is not only a more experienced and visionary ticket but also an honest and well-poised one to build the Ghana we all want together. Mahama has my vote based on his forward-looking policies stated above and great track record. Ghanaians should vote massively for the change we badly need come December 7, 2024.