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AKUFO-ADDO: NPP WILL COME TO OFFICE WITH PROGRAMMES NOT
WITH PROMISES
The 2012 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that the NPP is preparing to
win power in December 2012 and take over the reigns of
government ready with “programmes” that have been planned,
evaluated, priced and sources of funding identified.
Addressing all 220 parliamentary candidates of the party so
far chosen, the NPP flagbearer said the party does not want
to win power only to find out at that it is not ready for
office.
“We want to come to office not with PROMISES but with
PROGRAMMES.”
To achieve this, he disclosed that the first team that he
put in place, as flagbearer, was a think tank, in order to
ensure that his administration would begin from day one on a
slate of competence, commitment and with confidence.
“Thus, since my election on August 7, 2010, I have put
together a Policy Unit, headed by Albert Osei (a retired
senior World bank official) and a Manifesto Committee headed
by Prof Yaw Twumasi (distinguished political scientist), who
are consulting with various stakeholders to ensure that,
with God’s blessing, we win power in 2012, ready for
office.” He said.
Explaining, he said the NPP will approach, “Programmes that
address the little things that matter to Ghanaians in their
communities, like safe neighbourhoods, clean gutters,
hygienic food, streets with names, flowing tap water,
reducing road traffic, and making sure that rules and
regulations are obeyed.”
Besides making access to quality education for every
Ghanaian child his priority, Nana Addo has identified youth
unemployment as a major issue requiring urgent action.
In outlining the NPP’s programme for office, Nana Addo
added, “Programmes that address the fundamental issues of
our time, the urgent need to tackle widespread youth
unemployment, good skills, good jobs and good pay.”
He reiterated his bold vision to transform Ghana’s economy,
using the transformational pillars of“industrialised
economy, modernised agriculture, a modern, integrated public
transport system that links every corner of our nation and
our country to our neighbours.”
He said, also, the NPP will introduce“programmes that will
enhance the quality of life, like universal access to
quality education and quality healthcare.”
The NPP flagbearer recognised that his programme for
transformation would not succeed without reforming the
machinery of government to serve citizens better.
He stressed, “What the people need are programmes that will
establish a public sector that serves them with efficiency,
respect and at value for money.”
Nana Addo says Ghana needs to mould her“economic system to
our particular instincts for individual freedom and social
justice.”
Therefore, “The NPP seeks to create a political economy
consistent with basic individual liberties; provide
substantially equal opportunities to all citizens; tackle
inequalities but not by a centralised state socialism but by
a private sector led economy that is allowed to create
wealth and the tax revenues that the state can accrue from
such free entrepreneurships shall be then invested in the
social sectors to create greater opportunities for the
lesser well offs,” he said.
Nana Addo said his party would follow the wisdom of the
founding fathers of Ghana, who were determined to develop
Ghana into a modern state and in freedom.
“Danquah,” Nana Addo said, “believed that the Ghanaian was
capable of managing what the socialists called at the time,
‘the commanding heights’ of the economy. We must be bold and
intelligent in making this happen. To do so, we should not
be shy of introducing policies that look, first and
foremost, after our own people at every level of our
economy.”
According to Nana Addo, his government would not be shy
about discriminating in favour of Ghanaian entrepreneurs or
any other entrepreneur operating in Ghana for the benefit of
the economy.
He explained, “We must pursue a proactive but pragmatic
agenda by picking, stimulating and increasing the number of
Ghanaian winners in all sectors and build champions of
industry who can compete anywhere in the world. We do so not
by turning our backs on the process of globalisation, but by
making use of its rules and regulations in such a way as to
enhance our capability and capacity.”
He added, “We should be bold and devise and push an agenda
that gets people out of the cycle of subsistence wages and
informal, ad hoc economic activities, into the formal
sector. We must rebuild the confidence of the Ghanaian
entrepreneur. We must not shy away from picking local
winners and supporting them deliberately to become regional
and continental winners. “
Touching on his vision of creating a new society of
opportunities, Nana Addo said, it “means establishing a
system of governance that provides the very best of public
services for every citizen, including an effective, humane
public healthcare system, access to a secure and reliable
justice system and unfettered access by all and sundry to a
quality education in Ghana that rivals any in the world. It
means also a governance system that helps unleash the
energies of its citizens so that enterprise is appreciated
and duly rewarded, not vilified and made the object of
envy.”
Nana Addo delivered this speech, “The NPP Story and our
vision for 2012” at a seminar for parliamentary candidates,
spokespersons and national executives on the 23rd May 2011
at the Alisa Hotel.
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