President Mahama rallies NDC to stand together

President John Dramani Mahama has rallied members and supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), to stand together to maintain a rock solid front.

He said there was the need for them to unite and work to strengthen the party’s internal peace, cohesion and harmony.

President Mahama noted that by combining unity and hard work, there was no way the NDC would not retain power in the 2016 elections.

He said the government he leads “is delivering and making credible progress” in every sector of the economy, something that is fueling his optimism about resounding victory in the next general polls.

He was addressing the party’s National Delegates’ Congress, which is being held amid tight security at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

More than 3,600 delegates have converged at the venue to vote for new national officers.

Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and former President Jerry John Rawlings, the party’s founder, are among those present.

President Mahama acknowledged that there were indeed challenges, but that could not push to the margins the remarkable progress that was being made.

He spoke about significant achievements in the areas of Health, Education, Roads and Aviation, lighting up the country, expansion of the Tema and Takoradi Ports, Agriculture and water supply to the people.

He talked about the expansion works at the Police, Wa and Accra Ridge Hospitals, the construction of a Military Hospital in Kumasi, and a Teaching Hospital at the University of Ghana.

Added to these, he said, were the completion of numerous community-based health planning and services (CHPS) compounds.

Touching on Education, President Mahama announced that Cabinet had approved a road map for progressively free Senior High School Education to begin in the 2015-16 academic year.

It would initially benefit a total of 360,000 day students nationwide. Again, in the coming year, 123 of the proposed 200 community day SHS would be ready.

President Mahama said they were determined to give it their all, to transform the economy, and cautioned against what he said was petty partisanship, labeling it the “bane of our democracy.”