The Volta Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mawutor Agbavitor, has sounded a rallying cry urging the Ghanaians to elect former President John Dramani Mahama during the upcoming elections if they want the country lifted out of its current economic crisis.
He said Mr Mahama was the only credible presidential candidate who would keep his promises to revamp Ghana’s economy and put in place viable policies to fast-track wealth creation, rapid socioeconomic growth and sustainable development across all sectors.
“What I’m saying is that we have a more credible candidate. A candidate with tons of experience. He is a leader who is not corrupt and who doesn’t lie. He’s bringing policies that resonate with the youth because they’re centred on job creation and a better future,” he said
Speaking in an interview with the
Daily Graphic, Mr Agbavitor said the NDC, when voted into office, will create jobs to absorb the teeming unemployed youth through the “24-Hour Economy” and the rollout of a $10 billion economic project to rejuvenate the economy.
Mr Agbavitor also said the NDC was an inclusive party that prioritised the development and well-being of the entire population irrespective of gender, political affiliation, social status, religious background and ethnic identity.
He lamented how more people, especially women, who make up a majority of the country’s population, had been pushed further below the poverty line over the past seven years.
For this reason, Mr Agbavitor said the former President will enact women-centred policies that would better position them to contribute their quota to national development.
“An example is the Women's Development Bank. This will be a financial institution dedicated to supporting women and empowering them economically. We are all aware that most of the trading in this country is done by women in our markets. So with this bank, they can receive financial assistance to scale up their operations,” he explained.
He also said the NDC would institute a four-month maternity leave programme to allow women adequate time to recover physically and emotionally after childbirth, fostering better health and well-being.
Mr Agbavitor said unlike the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NDC would demonstrate the political would to stop illegal mining, commonly referred to as “Galamsey”, and corruption-related activities.
“Galamsey is an unfortunate situation and existential threat. The political will is lacking when it comes to the fight against galamsey because there are too many politically exposed persons.
The NPP are so neck deep in this galamsey and the President is someone who covers crimes for his appointees and those in his party,” he said.