PNC, first to make its manifesto public

Accra, July 11, GNA - The Peoples National Convention (PNC) is to launch its manifesto tomorrow 12th July, 2008 in Tamale, making the party the first to make its manifesto public in the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

Dr Edward Mahama, Presidential Candidate for the PNC, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday that, the manifesto tackled issues that would give Ghanaians real hope for the future and real change in the economy.

The manifesto titled: "Economic Prosperity Now, Youth Empowerment and Economic Independence Soonest," he said promised sincere problem solving leadership "The fact that we are ready with our manifesto now means that we are ready for leadership and governance, and I am calling on the good people of this country to vote for the PNC in the December elections," he said.

Dr Mahama, touching on some issues in the manifesto, said a PNC led administration would usher in "The Golden Age of Increased Productivity," where an environment would be created such that income earned corresponded with the levels of productivity. He explained that our rural farmers for instance worked so hard on their farms but earned little and continued to live in poverty, which he said should not be the case.

"The PNC will revise and modernize the Operation Feed Yourself of Colonel Acheampong by employing rain water harvesting into reservoirs and dams for the purposes of irrigation to ensure all year farming." Dr Mahama said, in addition to giving technical support to farmers to minimize post-harvest losses, the PNC would open farming areas by constructing feeder roads.

The PNC, he said, would also guarantee farmers farm gate prices, that is, Government providing ready market for farm produce adding "farmers would not have to struggle to take their produce to the markets to sell. There will be vehicle ready in their farms to buy the food stuff from them."

On education, he said, the capitation grant and the school feeding programmes were in the right direction but noted that the need to provide educational facilities had not been increased alongside. Under the PNC, he said, each regional capital would obtain a university and explained that there would be specialized courses depending on the region's ability and capabilities in certain specialty areas.

He said the Volta Region was good in the training of artisans and there would be a university in that region for that purpose. Courses such as Mathematics and Science would be emphasized in the educational programmes as well as the introduction of a new course called "thinking" where students would be challenged to use their minds to create things and solve problems in a practical way. "When students are introduced to thinking, they would not wait for people to always tell them what is good for them, they would be able to apply the knowledge gained in the classrooms from other subjects to solve problems," he explained.

Dr Mahama also emphasized his government's aim to ensure gender balance in the country by appointing 50 percent of women in his cabinet. "The PNC believes in women after all they are our mothers, sisters and wives and the PNC demonstrated this in 1996 by choosing Madam Dedo Martey of Somanya as a vice presidential candidate." The manifesto also touched on health, poverty (economy), Trade, Energy, Mining, Armed Robbery and Personal Security, Drug and Substance Abuse.

"Ghana has all it takes to bring change situation. What is lacking is a leader to bring about the paradigm shift with the 'I can do spirit'," Dr Mahama said and urged Ghanaians to vote the PNC into Power.