The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vice Presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has criticised government for initially omitting any plans of investing in the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) programme until later.
Incessant pressure from some Members of Parliament and pressure groups in the three regions of the north, government finally announced a GHC400, 000 budget for SADA.
[contextly_sidebar id=”rt4QSL0BOwURgd0QTAi3R1Yw4nPwk6Ro”]According to Dr. Bawumia, government has lost focus on SADA which was introduced as a pro-poor programme to improve the livelihood of the impoverished.
He described government’s seeming knee-jerk reaction as an “insult” to people living in the SADA zones.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia maintained that government’s U-turn clearly demonstrated President Mahama’s insensitivity to the plight of people living in the SADA zones.
He was speaking at the Tamale Polytechnic on the occasion of the NPP’s Tertiary Education Students Confederacy (TESCON) 15th Anniversary.
He encouraged the people in the three regions of the north to reject President Mahama and the NDC, when Ghanains go the polls in 2016.
Touching on the current energy crisis, The NPP Vice Presidential candidate claimed it was not a power generation problem but that government does not have the funds to buy crude to power the various generation plants.
Government’s IMF financial bailout
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said government had no justification seeking financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in view of its defense that the nation’s economy was not broke.
According to him, no amount of donor funds could fix the nation’s economy because “Government is clueless.”
He cited mismanagement and corruption as the two major factors to the nation’s ailing economy.
NPP and NDC Comparisons
Dr. Bawumia said that the Mahama-Amissah Arthur led NDC administration has within six years piled 69.5 billion debt stock against that of the erstwhile Kufuor administration’s recorded debt stock of 9.5 billion Dollars within a period of 8 years.
Dr. Bawumia asserted that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) within six years raked 62 billion US Dollars from taxation in opposition to the NPP’s taxation rate of 15 billion US Dollars for eight years.
He said the governing NDC borrowed 27 billion US Dollars within six years whilst that of the NPP stood at 5 billion Dollars for eight years.
Dr. Bawumia argued that the incumbent NDC administration cashed in 25 billion US Dollars for gold export within six years whereas the NPP’s gold export revenue mobilization stood at 9 billion US Dollars for eight years.
On cocoa export, he stated that the governing NDC secured 14.5 billion US Dollars within six years against that of the NPP’s cocoa export revenue of 7.4 billion US Dollars for eight years.
With Ghana now as oil producing country, Dr. Bawumia disclosed that the NDC government within six years gained 13.7 billion US Dollars.
Solutions
Dr. Bawumia assured Ghanaians that the NPP under Nana Akufo Ado’s Presidency will find solutions to the nation’s economic woes.
He said there will be tax exemption on the importation of computers and their accessories.
He pledged the next NPP government’s commitment to complete the National Identification project which started in 2008.
He added that Nana Akufo Ado who is known to be incorruptible will plug all the financial leakages to reduce mismanagement and corruption.
He reassured Ghanaians that there will be less taxation in all sectors of the business environment to boost production.
Dr. Bawumia said the District Assembly Common Fund, the School Feeding Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Metro Mass Transit system and all programmes introduced by the previous NPP administration will be revamped.
Sammy Awuku
The NPP national youth Organizer, Sammy Awuku kicked against tribal politics and urged all NPP members to avoid it in their campaigns.
He asked all NPP youth to renew their spirit of voluntarism by convincing floating voters to massively vote for the NPP in 2016.
He was optimistic that Nana Akufo Ado will lead the NPP to the flagstaff house in 2017.
Sammy Awuku warned that the peoples vote will not be stolen in 2016 and added that every vote must be counted after the polls.
“There should be considerable level of agitation for change in 2016,” he charged the NPP youth.
According to Sammy Awuku, President Mahama’s administration has “raped” the Ghanaian economy and kept the youth disillusioned.
He regretted for describing the late President John Atta Mills as Mr. “Go slow” and concluded that he was better than President Mahama in terms of economic management.
Tamale Polytechnic Rector
The Rector of Tamale Polytechnic, Dr. Abdulai Asuro in his welcome address called for deeper political tolerance to enhance national stability.
He described political tolerance as the panacea to maintain peace and unity in the country.
T’ Poly TESCON President
President of the Tamale Polytechnic chapter of TESCON, Gifty Dokurugu implored NPP members to concentrate on floating voters.
She said the youth were tired of government’s failed promises and needed a positive change in 2016.
She thanked donors including Alhaji Tanko a businessman, Alhaji Joe Kadri of the Aboabo Timber market, lecturers of T’ Poly who are NPP members and others for supporting the event.
The event attracted a large crowd from the T’ Poly community and people from Tamale Township.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/Citifmonline.com/Ghana