NDC will fall like Goliath – Nana Addo

• Posted on October 10, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

PRESIDENTIALcandidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, describing himself as biblical “David” in the upcoming election, says he will champion the assault for the fall of President Mahama on December 7.

Nana Akufo-Addo says although the President has state resources to his advantage in the campaign, the “battle is the Lord’s.

“They have more outboard motors, more roofing sheets, more laptops, more sewing machines to give away, but the battle is the Lord’s.

“They have more giant-sized billboards than us, but the battle is the Lord’s. In truth, however, fellow Ghanaians, we are many and they are few and the battle remains the Lord’s,” he stressed.

The NPP has accused the incumbent of using state resources in their campaign, which, they say, amounts to vote-buying.

Addressing party supporters, members of the diplomatic corps, the media and other party functionaries at the party’s 2016 manifesto and campaign launch Sunday, the NPP leader said, it is his prayer that God will deliver Ghana from Mahama’s bad governance as it happened to the Israelites.

The NPP presidential candidate further quoted 1 Samuel 17: 45-47: to buttress his point.

“Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

“And that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hand.”

He assured Ghanaians that the party delivered a lot in terms of economic and infrastructural developments during President John Agyekum Kufuor administration and “will take us to a higher level under President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo.”

Tell them, it doesn’t matter if they have never voted NPP or have regularly voted NDC. Tell them that this is a battle to save Ghana.”

He implored all party supporters to “make sure our message is heard loud and clear from Axim to Aflao, and from Accra to Paga” and “spread the message of the NPP.”

Mahama can’t teach me patriotism

He rejected accusations from President Mahama that he enjoys economic doom, saying because he is unpatriotic.

“Let me state emphatically, John DramaniMahama cannot teach me any lessons in patriotism. My love for and belief in Ghana is total,” he stressed.

President John Mahama while on the campaign trail in the BrongAhafo region last Friday criticised the NPP for its constant refrain that Ghana is in crisis.

“I have heard the President of the Republic make the breathtaking claim that the economy is not in crises. He went further to say that those who say the economy is in crisis have bad eyesight.”

But the NPP flagbearer remarked, “The president says that those who say the economy is in crisis are unpatriotic. Let me state clearly and without any equivocation that John DramaniMahama cannot teach me any lessons in patriotism.”

“I don’t know how you can be happy when your economy is being downgraded. I mean don’t you have a sense of patriotism?”

But without listing his credentials, Akufo-Addo pointed out that Mahama’s patriotism is inferior to his.

“I have heard the President of the Republic make the breathtaking claim that the economy is not in crises. He went further to say that those who say the economy is in crisis have bad eyesight.”

“The president says that those who say the economy is in crisis are unpatriotic. Let me state clearly and without any equivocation that John DramaniMahama cannot teach me any lessons in patriotism.”

NDC suffering from identity crisis

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a lazy attitude towards governance because it is suffering from an identity crisis.

Using political ideology as a measure of a party’s seriousness, Nana Akufo-Addo says it was only “when they lost power that they met and decided that they were social democrats”.

He explained that this lack of a political vision for the party has translated into a lack of vision for the country.

The former Attorney-General stressed the party’s position that the NDC is constantly stealing its ideas, policies and serious political catchword from the NPP.

The party has held on to outdooring its manifesto until the governing NDC did theirs last month. The NPP has expressed fears that once again, the NDC would steal its ideas if the manifesto is released early.

The party has finally launched their manifesto with barely 58 days to the general elections fixed for December 7.

According to the NPP flagbearer, the NDC’s stated commitment to ideas and programs is pretentious. Taking a dig a jab at the NDC, Nana Akufo-Addo said some parties see a manifesto as a poorly thought-out “list of promises to attract votes” and also engage in a “light-hearted tomfoolery”.

Citing examples, the three-time presidential candidate said the NDC stole NPP’s 2012 slogan ‘transforming lives, transforming Ghana’.

But even after stealing this slogan, the NDC was much more comfortable to campaign on the slogan, ‘Ede bee keke’

He said although the NDC made it clear during the 2012 general elections that it did not like his 2012 flagship policy free SHS, the party after winning the elections turned around to steal it and implement a “watered-down version”.

FurthermoreAkufo-Addosaid the NDC opposed the NPP when it introduced a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) while in government.

“NDC did not believe in the NHIS. They walked out of parliament (when the bill was being debated) and it was passed without their input,” he said.

The NDC was opposed to the plan to increase VAT by 2.5 percent to fund the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Surprisingly, he said, the NDC pledged in 2008 to introduce a ‘one-time premium’ for subscribers to the Scheme. Nana Akufo-Addo described the promise as a ‘hair-brained’ idea. The party ditched the promise after it triumphed in the 2008 general elections.

The NPP presidential candidate also criticised the NDC for “manifesto-pilfering phenomenon” describing it as a “dangerous” trend.

“It is dangerous to steal concepts and programs you do not believe in”, he said, and counselled the NDC to take its time to generate its own ideas and programs, adding, “It helps to believe in something”.

Turning his attention to the NPP, Akufo-Addo said the party has always believed in a free market principle even when it was an unpopular political ideology across Africa in the 80’s and 90’s.

The NPP, he said, through the trying times in opposition when it appeared easier to ditch this ideology, the party stayed true to its beliefs.

“We have never had any identity crisis,” he stressed. He said this shows in the seriousness with which the party attaches to preparing a manifesto.

“We have always taken our manifestos seriously”, he said and indicated that the 2016 manifesto is no different. “We are not looking for catchy phrases or manifesto that sounds good”.