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It is the kind of bold vision never seen in Ghana since the proud days of newly independent Ghana. This is what is at stake tomorrow. Whether the majority of Ghanaians would buy into this vision and take bold but doable steps towards realising the dream of all-inclusive broad-based prosperity for every individual and family, development from North to South, and enhanced personal security and respect for human rights for all without discrimination. A vote for Nana Akufo-Addo is a vote for Ghana to rediscover the old can-do spirit which drove our founding fathers to achieve independence and inspired Kwame Nkrumah to have a courageous go at rapidly developing Ghana.
The bold initiatives of Nana Akufo-Addo may cost the nation an extra $6 billion over the next four years. Next to a President Akufo-Addo will be a Vice President, who just last year led a team of Ghanaian economists, including the late Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Kwame Pianim and Ken Ofori-Atta on a financial market road show, which attracted $3.2 billion from the international capital market on Ghana’s first such expedition! We can do it!
Nana Akufo-Addo says Ghanaians should not think that where they are now, a developing country, is their limit, “the sky is the limit!” He says, the election of the younger black man in America, Barack Obama, is the clearest indication yet that the 21st century is the century for the black person. Which of the new crop of African leaders offer a similar hope for black Africans and has what it takes to lead, not only Ghana, but the entire continent into taking those bold steps towards the economic and social emancipation and advancement of the continent?
The Prime Minister of Guinea, before the coup kicked in, publicly stated that he saw that leader in Akufo-Addo. Recently in an interview with the BBC, Senegal’s President, Wade, did the unconventional by publicly endorsing Nana Akufo-Addo as the greatest beacon of hope for Ghana and Africa.
The NDC is offering very little more than to continue with the very policies of the NPP that they fought against and ridiculed, such as NHIS, NYEP and Northern Development Fund.
Mr Pratt’s 2000 view that Prof Mills has nothing new and exciting to offer is as true today as it was eight years ago. Let’s look at the man’s record: He’s a tax expert yet was so limited in raising revenue in the 8 years he was IRS Commissioner and the subsequent four as head of the National Economic Management team. In 1988, Ghana’s total tax revenue was, in dollar terms, $561m. By 2000, it has shot up by only 11% to $626m. This translates into less than 1% for every year in the 123 years!
Compare that to the first 7 years of the NPP, which has seen tax revenue rise by 446% to $3.4 billion by 2007.
Prof Mills accuses NPP of corruption, yet, as defence witness during the Quality Grain case about how $23m was freely given to a young American woman who, according to Justice Afreh was liked by President Rawlings, Prof Mills said this: “We were so desperate to grow rice that, as supervisor of the Aveyime rice project, I was willing to lie down for the woman to walk over me.” And, this is the same man who says in 2008 that he would crack the whip if one of his ministers sin against the national purse.
Prof Mills has exhibited crass hypocrisy in this campaign. He has criticised President Kufuor for saying that he would only take decisive action on allegations of corruption when he is presented with evidence. Prof Mills has described that as being ‘soft’ on corruption.
Yet, in Kofi Bentum Quantson’s book, ‘Bogus Informants’, he recalls in the prologue how Prof Mills dealt with an informant by the name Mrs Acheampong who went to his office with a corruption allegation about an NDC minister. He “warned sternly that he would not sit idle for innocent people to be destroyed in that evil way. And that so long as he remained the Vice President, whoever accused anybody should be made to substantiate the accusation; otherwise we would end up destroying good and innocent people.
Quantson quotes Prof Mills, “Madam, I have not contracted you to bring any information. But if you do, you have to substantiate it.” Since the Public Procurement Act was passed in 2003, last year alone, about $350m was saved against fraudulent deals. This is 10% of tax revenue, with public procurement costing about 80% of total tax receipts.
The NDC takes the ongoing 5,000 affordable homes being built by the Kufuor administration, which are near completion, as evidence that Nana’s programme of putting up 50,000 homes a year for the next five years is not achievable. But, Nana’s team has looked at the ongoing 5,000 project as a pilot scheme and has costed the 250,000 homes at $1 billion.
It may be ambitious, but, at least, Nana is the only Presidential Candidate who has had the courage and conviction to stick his neck out to address a growing problem for Ghana’s growing urban population – housing. He has promised 50,000 homes a year; even if he manages to provide 45,000, Ghanaians can hold him to it and say you failed to deliver on a specific promise!
What is Prof Mills offering? His party is showing pictures of modern developments in our cities and rather using it to send home the negative populist message that a few are enjoying whilst the majority are suffering. This is the kind of ‘skin pain’ attitude that allowed the ‘blood to flow’ and those with two toilets shot dead or criminalised.
Prof Mills has even reduced himself to fabricating facts, such as claiming that the NDC was partly responsible for the NHIS! He says he is not vindictive but we are reminded by Dr Obed Asamoah of how Prof Mills refused to accept Obed’s apology after the latter supported Kwesi Botchwey against Mills for flagbearership in 2003. Obed’s thinking was that Mills was bullied into not accepting his apology because Rawlings was the first to refuse it. Fine, that may well be the case. But the alternative could mean that Prof Mills is more vindictive than his humble demeanour betrays.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s vision of prioritising education, transforming the economy and modernising our society is a necessary one for Ghana. Our country is ripe for it. Nana has what it takes to make Ghanaians capitalise on the growing opportunities in Africa.
To allow this vision to go unfulfilled would be a travesty for Ghana equal only to the post-Independent dream that was forced to decay. God so loves Ghana that He will surely show us the way. Four hours in a voting queue is better than 4 years of regret. Let’s all go out there to vote for a positive change that will lead into transformation. Vote Nana Akufo-Addo for accelerated development in freedom; for prosperity for all in freedom; for health for all and education for all.
