Key takeaways from John Mahama’s media engagement

From his pledge to transform Ghana into an aspirational nation with high-paying jobs, safe streets, and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve, to his pledge to abolish E-Levy all the way to his insistence that Free SHS has come to stay and that he would rather see to its improvement than roll it back, here are my highlights from John Dramani Mahama’s address.

Of course, in the wake of people’s interest in alternatives to the political

establishment’s failed nostrums, Mahama was fully aware that empty rhetoric would not be enough to satisfy the desire to hear his proper policy plans. While those were still lacking and will be set out in the manifesto document over the next couple of weeks, he hinted at the issues he will prioritise: building infrastructure, a ban on government officials buying state assets, the fight against galamsey, addressing exchange rate volatility by cutting down on needless imports, and the commitment to seeing the passage of the Affirmative Action and Gender Equality Bill.

Woven through Mahama’s speech were references to Media Development Fund,

Women’s Bank to empower women to close the gender gap financially, and "Digital

Jobs Initiative" to create at least 300,000 skilled employment opportunities for the youth.

Mahama made a big argument about prioritising and creating decent, well-paying

and sustainable jobs. By fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and innovation and also touching on intra-regime accountability.

There was also an interesting tone used by Mr. Mahama, who insisted that President Mills' famous “father for all” mantra wouldn't be a thing in his government.

Again, Mahama held up a coherent narrative for his flagship 24-hour economy policy as a clear example of how he would help the country grow from day one. He tackled head-on the fact that his 24-hour economy plan can make a huge difference. He says leadership is about vision, and the 24-hour economy is the vision to create decent and well-paying jobs.

For him, the 24-hour economy is an accelerator—the best accelerator or catalyst we could possibly have. It is the means to an end, and the end is putting Ghana on a solid path to accelerated growth and development.

At the same time, Mahama stressed that he will supervise an economy that will

manufacture many of its needs, including food and beverages, drugs, clothes and

more. That way, we can address exchange rate volatility due to needless imports.

Additionally, the 24-hour economy will increase the production and distribution of goods and services and accelerate the economic exchanges between people and

companies.

Mahama’s slogan, “The Change We Want,” is simple and memorable. His speech

was focused on convincing people that politics could make a difference, while

acknowledging that for many people, hope has been beaten out of them. He said

he understood the cynicism about politics but wanted to convince people that NDC

could offer a fresh start.

I could not say if this was a dazzling performance, though, but one conclusion you could draw based on Mahama’s delivery is that he succeeded in concentrating on core priorities and painting himself as a serious and solid alternative to the NPP dysfunction.