NPP's development record is a hoax - Mahama

Accra, Sept. 26, GNA - Mr John Dramani Mahama, Running Mate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Thursday said the ruling New Patriotic Party's (NPP) trumpeted development record was a hoax.

He said: "As I travelled across the nation on my campaign I often ask the people, which government constructed their road, schools, connected the town to the national electricity grid, provided potable water and the refrain that followed immediately is the NDC Government."

"What the NPP Government has added to national development over the past eight years is practically marginal and in most areas nothing in spite of the heavy injection of capital into the Ghanaian economy including the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) benefit.to whom much is given, much is expected," Mr Mahama stated at public lecture organised by the Party under the theme "To Set The Records Straight" in Accra.

It was attended by a cross-section of the public including former Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, students, academia, journalists and NDC supporters.

Mr Mahama noted that NDC had very impressive record of achievements and should stand out to defend it.

"We are not afraid to compare records as we have a better record of accomplishment than the NPP.I challenge the NPP to a sector by sector comparison of records".

Giving statistics, he said in the education sector, the NDC between 1993 and 2000 built 6,321 pre-schools while the NPP had built only 2,362 over the past eight years, primary schools..NDC built 12,335 but NPP had built only 1,013, JSS - NDC built 6,414 and NPP had built only 853. In the SHS, NDC built 264 and NPP built 19, NDC built 110 Science Resource Centres but NPP had not been able to build any over the past eight years, Polytechnics..NDC built seven and NPP had not built any. Mr Mahama said: "If indeed the NPP over the past eight years have improved the lot of Ghanaians they need not to tell the electorate that his or her economic condition have improved.

"If your economic condition have improved you know it, it is your pocket, yes I must admit that some few individuals condition have improved but the larger majority are suffering."

He said over the past eight years, the NPP Government had not been able to increase the public housing unit with even a single flat, in spite of creating a Ministry for the rail sector, the eastern rail lines had virtually collapsed.

Mr Mahama therefore called on the electorate to reject the NPP during Election 2008 and vote massively for Professor Atta Mills to revamp the economy.