NPP's legacy policies sustaining development under Mahama— Razak Kojo Opoku

Dr. Razak Kojo Opoku, Founding President of the UP Tradition Institute, has praised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a crucial force behind Ghana’s national development, emphasising that the 2025 Budget presented by the Mahama-led government highlights the ongoing importance of NPP policies.

In an in-depth statement, Dr. Opoku pointed out several initiatives from the 2025 Budget that were originally introduced under previous NPP administrations, asserting that the party laid the foundation for many of Ghana's current economic and social programs.

He underscored the alignment of key objectives from the NPP Constitution—such as promoting a free-market economy, fostering private enterprise, reducing unemployment, ensuring equitable wealth distribution, and protecting the environment—which positioned the party ahead of others, including the NDC, in shaping the nation’s development vision.

Dr. Opoku acknowledged that, while challenges hindered the full realisation of these objectives during the Kufuor and Akufo-Addo administrations, the NPP governments made significant contributions to Ghana's progress.

He highlighted how the Mahama administration's 2025 Budget continues numerous flagship NPP programs, including:

• Free SHS Policy, School Feeding Programme, Capitation Grant, and payment of Teacher and Nursing Trainee Allowances, all initiated by the NPP.

• Full implementation of the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (Act 947), ensuring proper allocation of funds to the NHIL, Road Fund, and GNPC.

• Amendments to the Mineral Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act, 2018 (Act 978), to channel more resources toward infrastructure development.

• Expansion of the Growth and Sustainability Levy and Special Import Levy, both introduced and refined under NPP leadership.

• Strengthened support for NHIS, LEAP, the School Feeding Programme, and the Capitation Grant—all social protection programs first introduced under President Kufuor.

Dr. Opoku commended President Mahama for maintaining these initiatives, including the continued progress of the Agenda 111 Hospitals Project, stressing that policy continuity is critical to achieving accelerated national development.

“Even after 120 days of the new government, it is clear that the sustainability and functionality of Ghana’s economic management are anchored on the policies initiated by the NPP,” Dr. Opoku stated.

He concluded with optimism about the NPP’s future, calling for unity behind strong presidential and parliamentary candidates as the party prepares for the 2028 elections. Dr. Opoku emphasised that the legacies of former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo remain the NPP’s greatest strengths as they head into the next general elections.