Former President John Dramani Mahama, in a compelling keynote address at the NDC LAB Policy Dialogue at Peduase Valley Resort, Aburi, laid out a visionary blueprint for Ghana’s future. Under the banner of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he voiced a resolute commitment to spearheading transformative policies designed to navigate Ghana through its socio-economic quagmire towards inclusive growth.
Mahama addressed the dire economic predicament engulfing the nation, spotlighting the escalating unemployment rates that paint a grim picture of the current administration’s governance. With the Ghana Statistical Service revealing a 14.7% unemployment rate within the youth demographic for the initial three quarters of 2023, Mahama condemned the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for aggravating the economic downturn through mismanagement and ineptitude.
He delineated a landscape marred by deteriorating living standards, surging inflation, rampant inequality, and a debilitating public debt crisis, attributing these to not only governmental mismanagement but also corruption, politicised governance institutions, and an overt arrogance of power. Mahama’s critique extended to the misallocation of resources and the failure to uphold national interest, underscoring the urgency for a radical overhaul of the current state of affairs.
In a bold response to these challenges, Mahama unveiled a holistic strategy poised to rejuvenate the economy and instigate governance reforms. Central to his vision is the adoption of ICT and innovation as keystones for generating employment and stimulating economic expansion. He proposed the “Digital Jobs Initiative,” targeting the creation of 300,000 skilled jobs for the youth, the establishment of a FinTech Growth Fund to bolster local digital enterprises, and the “Coding for Employment Programme,” which aims to equip one million individuals with coding skills.
Mahama further pledged to tackle the country’s infrastructure deficits by prioritizing the completion of abandoned and uncompleted governmental projects. This initiative underscores the NDC’s readiness to govern and its proactive measures in gathering data on infrastructure projects to refine policy implementation strategies.
Concluding his address, Mahama reaffirmed the NDC’s dedication to forging a Ghana that mirrors the aspirations of its people. He expressed confidence in the party’s capacity to fulfill its policy commitments and safeguard the electoral process’s integrity in the forthcoming elections. Through this detailed exposition, Mahama positioned the NDC as a beacon of hope, ready to steer Ghana towards a future marked by prosperity, equity, and good governance.
Source: My Joy Online
