I am winning the race! – Prez. Mahama

• Posted on November 8, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President John Dramani Mahama has expressed optimism in winning the December 7 presidential election, in spite of events on the ground that suggests that Ghanaians want to change him and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

He said the election is about leadership and added, “Ghanaians, I am confident, will once again vote for a leader who not only reflects the aspirations of modern Ghana, but also better represents who we truly are. The state of the race is very favourable and continues to be better with each passing day. We are winning the race!”

The president is currently campaigning vigorously for a re-election, but his confidence runs counter to the increasing desire by many Ghanaians for a change of government due to widespread economic hardship and rampant corruption associated with his tenure.

Open Letter

President Mahama has written an open letter to NDC supporters and the entire populace titled, ‘The Homestretch,’ in which he took time to explain some of his policies and made assurances for his next term in office, if he is re-elected.

In the letter which started with the sentence, “We are winning the race!” President Mahama expressed his gratitude for the continuous support that Ghanaians have accorded him.

“For giving me, John Dramani Mahama, the rare opportunity to serve you as President, I remain humbled and eternally grateful,” he said.

He noted that Ghana’s collective gains under his tenure had been overwhelming saying, “These gains could certainly not have been possible without the blessings of our God Almighty, your patriotism, sense of duty and dedication to the development and economic progress of Ghana.

“It is these attributes that have propelled me when the going got tough. I stayed focused, listened to your suggestions, took responsibility as your leader and pursued the Agenda for Transformation, notwithstanding the adverse global and domestic environment, which greeted the beginning of my administration in 2013.”

He re-echoed the fall in commodity prices, almost a year-long election petition, market fires and the inferno at the Central Medical Stores in Tema, among others, and said they were “just a few of the obstacles we overcame.”

‘Ghana Is Up And Rising’

According to President Mahama, his NDC government had shown what he termed ‘sensitivity’ to the plight of Ghanaians adding, “Till this date, my appointees and I have taken pay cuts to support efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality.”

“A directive to provide government vehicles with specialised number plates (green) is being implemented. Apart from this, ministers and political appointees were migrated onto the prepaid metering system for electricity supply and billing.”

Electricity Bills

In spite of the monstrous electricity bills bombarding Ghanaians, President Mahama said, “We have taken steps to rationalize the anomalies in the Electricity Company’s billing system to the relief of consumers.”

He said students’ loans had been reviewed upwards and the producer price of cocoa had been increased to an all-time high.

The president said over GH¢1 billion was paid to cover claims from service providers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) where outpatient utilization alone in 2015 increased to 29 million from 9 in 2008.

“The United Nations’ Human Development Index puts our nation within the Medium Human Development category, ahead of our neighbours like Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria, and this is better than what we have ever achieved in the past,” President Mahama asserted.

Fight Against Corruption

He said Transparency International (TI) had lauded the strategies adopted to fight corruption in Ghana and pointed out that the NDC’s worst record in the TI’s anti-corruption league table over the years, was better than the opposition NPP’s best record while in office, maintaining, “In the coming years, I pledge to implement more robust interventions, including the National Anti-corruption Action Plan (NACAP) to make corruption unattractive and a higher risk activity.”

Economic Indicators

The head of state posited that relative macroeconomic stability had been achieved, Ghana’s debt profile was improving and the economy would grow by 8% from 2017, adding, “The Ghana cedi is one of the best performing currencies on the continent this year, and the rating agency Moody’s, and our development partners, are posting favourable reviews about our performance in economic management and medium term prospects.”

In the face of massive unemployment particularly among the youth, President Mahama said more jobs had been created and added that “In the health and education sectors alone, 23,411 nurses and 78,000 teachers respectively have been employed into the public sector.”

He said, “We have developed infrastructure – schools, hospitals, public houses, roads, expanded airports – and these alone have created over 400,000 jobs.”

By William Yaw Owusu