Speaking to congregants at the Holy Ghost Temple of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) at Adenta on Sunday, Mahama said the fact that the rate of maternal and infant mortality has decreased significantly and life expectancy increased above the average of most African countries, show the country is making progress.

“What we are enjoying today is a cumulative work of all the governments that have… so when a new government comes you don’t have to start from level one, you start from where they left off and then you take it to the next level so cumulatively we are making good progress. If you take all the UN human development indicators, it gives clear evidence that this country is moving in the right direction. Maternal mortality is falling, infant mortality is dropping and life expectancy is the highest in West Africa, average 63 years where as in other countries it is 52 years,” Mahama said.

He added that “76% of the population have access to clean drinking water, more than 80% of our people have access to electricity and so you can see that we are making progress.”

The president however lamented that there are many Ghanaians with cynical attitude and lack of faith in the future of the country in spite of the developments.

He therefore said that Ghanaians need to have faith and believe the country will “make it.”

“Sometimes I wonder and ask myself, it looks like outsiders have more faith in our country than we ourselves have in our country. We think that our country is a basket case and anything that we do, we cannot make it, but you go our self and they appreciate what you are doing,” he said.

The President also said he was hopeful “if we continue to work the way we are doing and we continue on the right track this nation will not only be a model of democracy, but it will be a model of economic prosperity in West Arica.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The chiefs said this when a delegation of the Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Zongo Caucus, led by Alhaji Shamsu Kwakwa, a member of the NDC National Campaign Committee, called on them at various locations including Koforidua, Suhum and Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

Alhaji Shamsu Kwakwa said the institution of the Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha Muslims’ holidays was made by the NDC under the former President Jerry John Rawlings.

He said the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo Addo, by then a Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa, was amongst the first to oppose the holiday meant for Muslims.

Alhaji Shamsu Kwakwa said the President Mahama Government has shown much love to the people of the Eastern Region by providing them with potable water, roads, school buildings and health facilities amongst other infrastructures.

He said there is the need to reciprocate the love shown the region by voting massively for him to serve a second term.

Alhaji Shamsu Kwakwa said the promises made by President Mahama during his first term campaign has been fulfilled and that the promises include the completion of the first phase of the Tamale International Airport and the lifting of pilgrims from the Northern Zone to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the construction of the Community Day Senior High Schools.

“The projects also include the expansion of the Tema and Takoradi harbours, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kasoa interchanges, the Eastern Corridor Roads, Regional and District hospitals and the construction of Ho, upgrading of Kumasi and expansion of Kotoka International airports.”

He said President Mahama has offered and will every year offer full scholarship to 80 female Muslims to study medicine in Cuba.

Alhaji Shamsu Kwakwa said this has never happened in the history of any Government in the country and that the commitment towards the development of Muslims and Zongo communities is embedded in the heart of President Mahama.

Mr Kwabena Okyere Kusi, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for New Juaben, said President Mahama needs a second term to continue with the unfinished projects that is aimed at further transforming the nation.

He said Nana Addo as an MP failed to develop his constituency and that the progress of the country would be retarded should he be given the nod to rule.
Alhaji Yussif Captain, Chairman of the Zongo Caucus Council of Elders, said the unemployment rate among the Zongo youth have reduced through the NDC Government’s Youth Employment Agency’s social intervention engagement in agriculture, health, teaching and community policing.

He appealed to the electorates to vote for President Mahama to continue with his efforts at improving their standards of living.

Madam Margret Ansei, the MCE for Suhum, also appealled to the electorates to maintain the President for more development, social interventions and jobs.

Chief Ali Haruna Kurmi IV, Zongo chief of Koforidua, said the Zongo and Muslims chiefs recognize and appreciate the efforts of President Mahama towards the development of their communities in the country.

He said there has been constant consultations between zongo chiefs and the Government of the NDC in relations to the development of their areas.

Chief Kurmi IV pledged his support for President Mahama and urged him to ensure that the peace of the country is maintained.

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Source: GNA

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He has continued to use Moody’s revised outlook on Ghana’s long term bond ratings from negative to stable as political capital by citing it as evidence of his government’s progress with the economy and establishing disciplined expenditure.

[contextly_sidebar id=”HHNn71Yp4e5mOBb6XLyLXXco9BRDfkgq”]In subtle jabs at the Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, he said, “when somebody sits and says the economy is in crises, you fail to understand where he sees that crisis. He probably has some lens that sees crisis were crisis does not exist.”

“Recently Mood’s, one of the recognised international credit agencies upgraded Ghana. At the time Moody’s was downgrading us between 2012 and 2013, the same people said Ghana has been downgraded and it means the economy is bad, you credit rating is poor and we have fought to try and restore that confidence in Ghana’s economy.”

“Now the same Moody’s upgrades us and an opposition leader says Moody’s doesn’t know what it is talking about,” President Mahama said.

Nana Addo rubbishes new rating

Nana Akufo-Addo had described as inaccurate, Moody’s recent revision of Ghana’s Long Term Bond Ratings from negative to stable.

According to the NPP flagbearer, the rating is not a true reflection of the current state of Ghana’s economy since there are still some challenges that the governing NDC is still struggling to tackle.

“Is NDC taking the massive unemployment rate in our country into account?This is not the way that the Ghanaian people want to be governed. They expect to be governed with truth not with deception, with honesty and not with lies, with policy and not with propaganda,” Nana Akufo-Addo said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the party’s Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman, Opoku Atuahene, preparations to ensure a successful programme at the Sunyani Coronation Park for the thousands who will turn up are in place.

“The venue is the coronation park, that is the stadium, the ground is almost ready. We are putting finishing touches here and there. The people that will come from this region alone will be about 20,000.

“We are expecting between 60 to 70,000 people to attend the programme this Saturday. We have already been in touch with security agencies and they have given us the assurance of maximum security.”

What will manifesto focus on?

Earlier this week , President John Mahama presented highlights of the manifesto, which he says will focus broadly on putting people first, accountable governance and expanding infrastructure for job creation.

The President revealed that, the yet-to-be launched manifesto, titled ‘Changing Lives, Transforming Ghana’, is structured in four thematic areas.

“It has been done in a very simple style and it has a brief introduction and we have it in four thematic areas and for every sector it introduces briefly, and it talks about our achievements and our commitments for the next four years is going to be.”

Our manifesto ideas are original – Mahama

President John Mahama had earlier declared that his party has no fears of opposition political parties copying the ideas contained in the NDC’s manifesto.

According to him, his party will not be discouraged from launching its manifesto ahead of other political parties because of fears that some of their ideas might be duplicated.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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President Mahama said there is the need to rework the sustainability of the NHIS, hence the need to “look for new sources of funding for the National Health Insurance.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”eBWkYW96BbstDsfRppk9NUYD1sBrpci7″]Thus he said, “in the next four years, my proposal is that a percentage of the annual budget funding amount that comes from petroleum revenues should be allocated to the National Health Insurance Scheme.”

Speaking at the Banquet Hall of the State House on Wednesday to highlight sections of the NDC manifesto ahead of the main launch this weekend in Sunyani, he also said this proposal will “provide the life for the scheme and make if more efficient.”

“We are taking out the fraud, we are introducing more computerisation, bringing in more claim centres and all that; and so it will make the scheme more efficient going into the future,” he added.

NDC will build 2 more Mental Health facilities

Also under health, President Mahama said the NDC government would prioritize mental healthcare and ensure the strict implementation of the Mental Health Act, 2012, act 846.”

One the things he proposed was to “move the Accra Psychiatric Hospital from its current location to Pantang, and develop the Pantang Mental Hospital into a first class mental health facility.”

The NDC will also build two more psychiatric hospitals in the Ashanti and Northern region, President Mahama added.

Follow the hashtag #GhElections on social media for more election related stories

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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