The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is urging the teeming masses of Ghanaian youth, who have become disillusioned under the current John Mahama-led NDC government, not to lose hope because “change is on its way”, God-willing from 2017, in the form of an Akufo-Addo government.
Delivering a speech at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) held at the Mensah Sarbah Hall on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, Nana Akufo-Addo called on the youth to repose their confidence in the NPP, ahead of the 2016 elections, because of the party’s solid track record in delivering on its promises, as seen from 2001 to 2009.
The NPP flagbearer recounted how at the 1st public event of TESCON in May of 2000, after the inauguration of TESCON, he made three commitments which, he noted, would be fulfilled when the NPP won the 2000 election.
“I said that if we won, we would repeal the infamous Criminal Libel Law; we would abolish the notorious cash and carry policy in our healthcare system; and we would in the next decade take Ghana from a poor to a middle income status. The NPP in power realised each one of these promises. We repealed the Criminal Libel Law. We abolished cash and carry and introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme. And by 2009, when we left office, Ghana was a middle income country” he said.
“We keep our promises,” he said, to a rousing applause from the gathering primarily made up students from the University of Ghana.
With the battle for votes in 2016 greater among the youth, many of whom will be first time voters and disappointed NDC voters, the NPP flagbearer explained that the NPP Youth Wing has a big responsibility to swing a decisive victory the party’s way.
This, he explained, can be realised through sending the party’s message of hope to every household, as the goal of an Akufo-Addo government will be “to build a free and prosperous society of opportunities where every Ghanaian child, no matter the circumstances of his or her birth, has an equal chance to strive to build a happy and dignified life.”
Policies initiatives for Youth
Key amongst several policy initiatives which will be implemented under his government to address the concerns of the youth, Akufo-Addo said, will be investing in the nation’s institutions of learning to acquire new technology to provide skills and education to the nation of young people who are being left out of the job market.
“No nation can afford to marginalise the youth, the very group that makes up the chunk of its labour force. This is something we expected leaders to know. We will be learning from Germany, which has a relatively low level of youth unemployment, to prioritise high-quality vocational courses, apprenticeships and links with industry,” he said.
He continued, “Your next NPP government will be a government that promotes policies that add value, because that is the only way we can create a large pool of sustainable good jobs with good pay.”
Additionally, the NPP flagbearer stated that his government will make agriculture attractive to the youth.
With total export value of Ghanaian agriculture standing at $2 billion largely from cocoa exports, in comparison with Cote d’Ivoire’s $12 billion, Nana Akufo-Addo explained that Cote d’Ivoire’s success is because of appropriate policy, executed with discipline.
An Akufo-Addo government, he said will reverse the decline in the country’s support for agriculture, which has been one of the greatest deficiencies of the Mahama era.
“On the back of an expanding and diversified agriculture, we will set Ghana on a solid platform for industrialisation, which will see economic growth matched by job creation. You know we can do it,” he added.
All hands on deck
In order to achieve the realisation of these, Nana Akufo-Addo urged members of the youth wing, in addition to the entire membership of the party to “put our hands to the wheel and drive the change we seek through the challenges that await us in 2016.”
We will get there, he assured, stressing that “hope is coming. Change is on its way. Ghana can work again. But, if we are to bring back hope; if we are to set straight your future; if we are to get you back to work, then we must first win power. And, if the NPP will win power will depend on your energy, your commitment to convincing as many people as you can to vote for change. You can make it happen.”
He admonished the NPP Youth Wing and members of TESCON, to form groups reflecting the various sub-groups of people in their respective communities, and also urged them to “be the apostles of change among your folks.”
<<Print>>