JOBS FOR THE YOUTH

Tomorrow will be exactly 12 months to the day I was elected by a clear majority of the New Patriotic Party to lead the party, as its presidential candidate for 2024. 34 days from today, you, the millions of young people of Ghana, will form the majority among the 18,772,445 voters who are expected to cast their ballots. 

Your task is to perform two simple but extremely important duties. One, choose a parliamentary candidate to represent your constituency in the 9^th Parliament. Secondly, you will be choosing the next President whose responsibility is to provide for your present to facilitate your future. From what I gathered in my interactions with you, I can sum up the priorities of the majority of you, in three major categories, Education, Skills and Jobs.

Once you have an education, and you acquire employable skills, what is left is to thrive in an economic environment which can generate a large and expansive pool of good jobs with good pay, whether as an entrepreneur, self-employed, or employee. In my conversation with you today, I will touch on all three, and the business-friendly environment that my government will generate to make it all possible.  I will outline the bold economic solutions that we plan to rollout which will make it possible to create close to 4 million jobs if I am given the mandate on December 7, 2024.

I have chosen this occasion to have a conversation with you, the young people of Ghana, mainly to remind you of the commitment I made to you exactly a year ago to make you my number one priority. My commitment is to transform Ghana, to build on the economic recovery we are witnessing by introducing bold business-friendly policy initiatives from January 2025, which are designed to stimulate significant economic activity. I am confident that these initiatives will create the large pool of diverse jobs that the young people of Ghana desire and deserve. 

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, just to give you a little indication about my faith in what is possible for us to achieve together beginning January 2025, the growth of the Ghanaian economy has been revised upwards to 4% for 2024 and higher in 2025. To put it into perspective, the economy grew by a mere 3.4% in 2016, the last year under President John Mahama. In fact, for 2025, S&P is more buoyant with their forecast at 5.4%. I am even more optimistic that it is possible to do even more if, with your vote, you elect me as your next President and we implement my comprehensive business-friendly and job creation programmes as outlined in the NPP Manifesto, some of which I will highlight here.

I am seeing from the online numbers even as I speak, that more and more of you are watching and listening to me live across the country. I thank you for your attention. I know many of you will be voting for the first time next month. Indeed, 8 years ago, many more of you were too young then and, therefore, could not vote in 2016. Perhaps, too young to remember self-inflicted crisis and home-grown hardships that the former President, John Dramani Mahama put the nation through; at a time when the whole global economy was rather stable and growing.

You may not remember much that Ghanaians endured unforgiven dumsor for well over four years. If we were lucky, the lights would come on some part one day and off for a whole 24 hours the next day and so on. Barbers and hair-dressers worked to earn just enough, if they were lucky, to pay for diesel for the small generator they had borrowed. The situation led to severe, low productivity across board; factories could not stay open for months, let alone 24 hours, and several Ghanaians lost their jobs as a result of the bad leadership choices of the President. The banks were bleeding; some senior high schools had to shut down because President Mahama refused to pay their feeding grant for two years.  In 2016, just a few years after we became an oil producing country, Ghana’s economy, to the shock of the world, suffered its lowest growth rate for more than a generation. The situation was so bad for young people that a new group was formed and with impressive membership nationwide, the name of that group was Unemployed Graduates Association. Coincidentally, the President then is the same man who is my main opponent on Saturday, December 7, John Dramani Mahama.

I know some of you, may not be too eager to vote. I do not blame you, if you have bought into the view that all politicians are the same and that your vote won’t make any difference. But, that is not so. I can tell you that your vote can make a big difference. I will tell you why. We are all not the same and we cannot be the same. I am not John Mahama. He is a former Vice-President and President. I am a vice president, who has never been president before, who is asking you for the opportunity to also lead and show what I can do if offered the opportunity this December. You can trust me to protect the public purse and use it selflessly to serve you. To the young voters of Ghana, I will say to you, do not switch off. I ask you to get involved. December is about you. December is about who can deliver for you. For your future. Whom to trust. Who has the integrity. The vision. The energy.  The competence. The sense of where the world is today and your place in it. Who has the humility to serve you and the decency not to insult you. 

I shall plead with you to make an informed choice. It is a choice between the one who had his chance and blew it and the other one who is asking for a similar chance but to deliver with it, which is me. The decision is yours to make; not to bring back what was discarded in the past, but to vote for your future. If your priority is, as I suspect, about how to build strongly on the economic recovery that is before us, then I will plead with you to vote for me, because of the vision and solutions that I have for you and the country and the leadership discipline and determination that I possess to see them through.

My own core values – God fearing, tolerance, integrity, honesty, discipline, hard work and inclusivity. My can-do attitude, my rejection of the tag of impossibility, my passion to unleash the creative energies of the youth, my compassion for the poor and vulnerable – all of these align perfectly with the hopes and dreams of the young people of our country, rich or poor, north or south, educated or not, skilled or unskilled, rural or urban. That is why I am asking you for your vote on December 7, 2024. Place your trust in me. I shall not disappoint you.

As Vice President since 2017, I have not had the luxury to write my autobiography, so please make do with this short bio. I was born in Tamale in October 1963 to Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia and Hajia Mariama Bawumia.

I attended Sakasaka Primary School in Tamale, Tamale Secondary School, Buckingham University in the UK for my first degree, Oxford University, for my masters and Simon Fraser University in Canada for my PhD. I know what it is to be unemployed. I have been a farmer, a taxi driver, a cleaner, a teacher, a technocrat, a banker, a running mate, a vice president, a father and a husband.

As a technocrat, I worked at the Bank of Ghana,  rising to become deputy Governor, before entering into politics as Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate in 2008. As Vice President during the period that the world faced its worst global health pandemic in modern history and the worst cost of living crisis since the Great Depression of 1933, I believe I have gone inside the oven and come out baked and ready to take over and lead to solve. I know, firsthand, the untold hardships Ghanaians have had to endure and I know what to do and what not to do in order to protect the gains we are making and to go on to build, with urgency, on them.. 

I opted for politics because I knew and even believe now more than ever that politics is a most powerful tool for a greater good but only if in the hands of a leader who means well, knows how and has what it takes to make a difference. I know I have the character, the experience, the vision and the policies to address the concerns of young people and it is for this reason that I asked to have this conversation with you today.

Over this year alone, through my Youth Connect and other forums across the country, I have engaged with you, the youth, and listened to your fears, concerns and aspirations. And, I have been inspired by the ingenuity and the can-do spirit of the Ghanaian youth.  When I say to you today that your concerns and aspirations are my top priority items, I mean it from every sinew of my body.  Indeed, I have been consistent right from the onset, in making the destiny of the youth of Ghana my utmost priority. As I said in my acceptance speech as presidential candidate a year ago:

“I have my own vision and my own priorities. Given the opportunity by you the people of Ghana to lead, I shall govern as my own man with guidance from God Almighty. My vision is to build an inclusive, food self-sufficient, job-generating, data-driven and systems-based nation that will fully participate in the global digital revolution to solve our problems and also usher in a golden age of benefits from our natural resources. I want to lead a nation that improves and unleashes the talents of our youth and offers good jobs with good pay, and sustainable growth with macroeconomic discipline. As the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, this is my commitment to the youth of Ghana. The talent of our youth in various sectors such as information technology, robotics, entrepreneurship, creative arts, sports, etc. is just amazing. When we bring the talents of the youth together, we will surely build a mighty nation. Together, we can transform this nation and do even more, in many areas. I therefore invite the youth, particularly the ‘GenZs to join me in this journey of great possibilities. I have a place for you.”

True to my quest for inclusivity, I want to ensure that the specific needs of young people are sufficiently addressed by my government, if given the mandate because I see that as vital if we are serious about making a difference in the long term.  If you elect me as your next president I promise to involve you, the young people of Ghana in the formal political processes, for your voices to be heard and your ideas drafted into formulating policies of government. My goal is to lead a government that makes our young people a positive force for the change that they themselves seek and our nation desire, which I know is necessary for the peace and integrity of our democracy. 

JOB CREATION PLAN

EXPAND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the NPP government, recognizing and understanding that there are conditions that create sustainable and decent jobs has implemented numerous policies to this effect.

The Free SHS Policy, with about 3 million beneficiaries is one of the critical policies to lay the foundation for decent and sustainable jobs. Expansion of second-cycle education with the Free SHS Policy enhances the skills of all beneficiaries who some, hitherto might have fallen off the education ladder due to financial challenges.

Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) has not also been left out. There is a need to train Ghana’s labour force with the right skills needed to drive industrialization. The Akufo-Addo-led administration in the last 8 years has undertaken massive investment in TVET including Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The vision is to prepare the country’s emerging labor force with the right training, skills, and education for the 4th Industrial Revolution. More so, this is also to address the mismatch between the skills of the labor force and the demands of the industry.

My government will build on this by expanding educational opportunities for all. My government will, among other things:

• Increase the stock of student accommodation in our public universities and other public tertiary institutions to address the housing deficit on our campuses, and make them affordable
• Introduce a Free Tertiary Education Scholarship for PWDs, to remove financial barriers to pursuing educational goals
• We will also set a quota for the recruitment of PWDs in all government recruitment and also provide incentives to the private sector to recruit PWDs.
• On scholarships:
• Integrate scholarship databases across all the public sector institutions managing such schemes, to ensure full visibility
• Expand eligibility for the Student Loan Scheme to include all post-secondary students, including certificate and diploma programmes, and
• Prioritise and direct a significant proportion of national scholarship schemes towards training and skills development in STEM
• Implement in full the Centralised Applications Processing Service (CAPS) for tertiary institutions: “You apply once, and pay once”
• Establish an Open University
• Those who, after completion of their tertiary education, have secured jobs would be exempted from national service
• Protect and Enhance the free SHS/TVET, which is truly transforming lives and changing life outcomes for millions:
• Since we started free SHS/TVET, enrolment has increased by 83%. We are building the foundation for a well-educated, prosperous society
• With free SHS/TVET, we have achieved gender parity. More girls are getting secondary education, and the impact will be positive for society
• We will recruit more teachers at all levels, with improved conditions of service, and
• We will continue to develop additional infrastructure for our educational institutions to meet the increased numbers
• Offer incentives for teachers to buy one vehicle each with engine capacity of up to 1,800 cubic centimetres (cc)

LEVERAGE PUBLIC POLICY TO SUSTAIN AND EXPAND GHANA’S REBOUNDING ECONOMY FOR BUSINESS GROWTH AND JOB CREATION

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, a conducive economic environment is a prerequisite for decent and sustainable job creation. With our philosophy of economic liberalism, we believe it is our responsibility to create an enabling environment for the private sector which we believe is our engine of growth to flourish. Among other things, a stable macroeconomic environment is paramount.

My government will reduce the fiscal burden on government by leveraging the private sector. Under the two-term administration of  His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, we have put in place many social safety nets like free SHS, Free TVET, etc. With all these social safety nets in place, my government will now focus on jobs, and wealth creation by the private sector for all Ghanaians.  My administration will incentivize the private sector to complement  government in the provision of many infrastructure and other services to reduce government expenditure and improve maintenance.

The private sector will be encouraged to build roads, schools, hostels, and houses for government to rent or lease to own.  The demand for roads construction is massive and this has historically placed a huge burden on the budget. I believe that the private sector should finance the construction and maintenance of roads through PPP concession arrangements. Also, government will move towards leasing rather than purchasing vehicles, printing equipment, etc. The private sector will have the responsibility for maintaining the equipment.  With this approach, the budget can save very significant outright cash expenditure annually from various items across different Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This policy will energize the private sector and create many jobs. The move towards the private sector provision of many public services would create fiscal space of at least 3% of GDP annually (GHC30 billion). This represents a major paradigm shift.

EXPAND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE (EXAMPLE)

• Complete all Agenda 111 hospitals. This ensures every District gets a District Hospital. Some 72,000 jobs will be created

SUPPORT BUSINESSES FOR JOB CREATION

As stated in our manifesto, my Government has far-reaching policies and programmes that will drive and create the needed decent employment opportunities. We will support the growth of businesses by the following policies:

1. Use Government’s purchasing power to stimulate industrial expansion and business growth, which will help create jobs, by rolling out a “Buy Ghana First” policy under which all goods and services procured by the public sector will first be filled by goods and services produced locally.
2. Establish an SME Bank to meet the special financing needs of small and medium businesses, which employ over 80% of Ghanaians
3. Incentivise Ghanaian start-ups in selected, strategic sectors with Investment Tax Credits (ITC) for the first three (3) years of their operations
4. Implement a shift in electricity tariffs structure to a regime in which commercial rates are either equal to, or lower than residential rates, never higher, to power industries and businesses
5. Reduce the cost of power by bringing on board 2,000 MW of solar power, and incentivising users by buying excess power they generate from solar systems and paying with “free electricity” from the national grid when they need power (through net metering)
6. Special Economic Zones (Free Zones) will also be created in collaboration with the private sector at Ghana’s major border  towns such as Aflao, Paga, Elubo, Sankasi and Tatale to enhance economic activity, increase exports, reduce smuggling and create jobs.

IMPLEMENT A NEW TAX SYSTEM FOR JOB CREATION

To support the private sector to create jobs, I will introduce a tax regime that is easy to understand, easy to comply with and easy to enforce and that is not subject to so much discretion. My government will implement a very simple, citizen and business-friendly flat tax regime. A flat tax of a % of income for individuals and SMEs (which constitute over 80 % of all businesses in Ghana) with appropriate exemption thresholds set to protect the poor. With the new tax regime, the tax return should be able to be completed in minutes! We will also simplify our complicated corporate tax system and VAT regime.

Tax digitalization will be implemented across all aspects of tax administration. Everyone will be required  to file a very simple tax return electronically through their mobile phone or computer. There will be no manual or paper filing of taxes. Faceless assessments will provide transparency and accountability. There will be no need for GRA to send officers to go sit in shops. E-invoicing, as being implemented by the GRA will be extended to all companies.

We will also introduce Flat Rate duty regime for all importers; bringing predictability and stability to prices of imported goods. Furthermore, we will harmonise port charges to align with charges in competing regional ports, particularly Togo. Duties at our ports will be same or lower.

To start the new tax system on a clean slate, my government will provide a tax amnesty (i.e. a complete exemption from the payment of taxes for a specified period and the waiving of interest and penalties) up to a certain year to individuals and businesses for failures to file taxes in previous years so that everyone will start afresh.

REFORM THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR FOR JOB CREATION

I want a Ghana where we sustain food security and create jobs through the application of technology and irrigation to commercial large-scale farming. I will prioritise the construction of the Pwalugu Dam by using private sector financing to crowd-in grant financing. Also, we will:

1. Work with the private sector to create agricultural enclaves in each region based on its comparative advantage.
2. Invest in research and development of digital and AI technologies aimed at improving production, reducing post-harvest losses and packaging agricultural produce for freshness/longer shelf life as well as farming under arid conditions, and Agric mechanisation
3. Redirect ADB to expand its financing and guarantee lines, through the SME bank to support entities engaged in the manufacturing of value-added agricultural products consumed in large quantities in Ghana
4. Establish District Agriculture Mechanization Centers in all farming districts in collaboration with the private sector.

REFORM THE HOUSING SECTOR FOR JOB CREATION

Under a Housing for All policy, I will also have a major focus on the provision of Public Housing in the same manner that Singapore did– We will partner with the private sector to build large housing estates without the government having to borrow or spend. The housing market holds the key to millions of jobs: architects, masons, electricians, plumbers, roofers, etc.

The mortgage market in the US for example is $12.5 trillion, UK is $250 billion, Ghana is $250 million. My government will unleash the job potential of our housing market by completing the ongoing digitalization of the land registry. Title should be easy to establish online without reliance on land guards.  Chiefs will be allowed to register stool lands without initially paying a fee. Banks and other lenders will be able to establish title to different properties easily and provide mortgage lending. Furthermore my government will ensure a variety of accommodation types to meet different pockets and needs as follows:

1. Social Housing: including homeless shelters (overnight stay for the vulnerable) and an expanded Rental Assistance Scheme for low-income workers
2. Affordable Housing: including District Housing projects through incentives to the private real estate industry, as well as expanded services of State Housing Company (SHC), TDC, and National Homeownership Fund (NHF).
   

REFORM THE MINING SECTOR FOR JOB CREATION

Ladies and Gentlemen, as President, my government will usher Ghana into a Golden age for the maximization of the benefits from our natural resources like gold, lithium, bauxite, and so on to create more jobs.  The key to doing this is value addition and Ghanaian ownership. We need a new paradigm in natural resource contracts. 

Some of the key policies we will implement to maximize our benefits from our natural resources will include:

• Formalize, regularize and regulate environmentally sustainable small scale mining. Our goal would be to help grow small scale mining companies into large scale companies with capacity building and assisting them to access financing to acquire equipment.
• In line with this, we will license all miners doing responsible mining. District Mining Committees (including chiefs) will provide initial temporary licenses to miners. 
• Every Ghanaian in Small Scale Mining will register   under Ghana Small Scale Miners Association with their Ghanacard
• We will, in collaboration with the large mining companies, convert abandoned shafts into community mining schemes
• Open more new community mining schemes
• District mining committees should be responsible for reclamation and replanting
• We will set up state of the art common user gold processing units in mining districts in collaboration with the private sector.
• Provide traditional authorities an equity share in all mining concessions within their jurisdictions
• My government will also conduct an audit of all concessions with various licenses and new applications. This will allow government to know licenses that have expired, and non-compliance with licensing conditions.
• We will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry.
• reduce the minerals export tax to 1% to discourage gold smuggling,
• We will establish (through the private sector) a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) certified gold refinery in Ghana within four years.
• Following the establishment of an LBMA certified refinery, all responsibly mined small scale gold produced will be sold to the central bank, PMMC or MIIF and will be required to be refined before export.
• making available proven reserves data from the Geological Survey Authority to small-scale miners to help deal with the associated problem of trial- and-error digging for gold
• Adequately resource the Geological Survey Authority
• Scaling-up the use of the mercury-free gold Catcher machine technology which is less damaging to our environment

BUILD A WORLD CLASS DIGITAL ECONOMY TO SUPPORT JOB CREATION

Many people, including my opponent to not understand the link between digitalization and the economy (Give examples of the value of Uber ($163 billion), Airbnb($85 billion), Spotify ($80 billion), Microsoft ($3.0 trillion), Apple (3.5 trillion))

I want to build a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth. I want us to apply digital technology, STEM, robotics  and artificial intelligence for the transformation of agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, fintech and public service delivery. As part of this process it is my goal to eliminate the digital divide by achieving  close to 100% internet penetration. We have already made very significant progress in this direction by increasing internet penetration from 34% in 2016 to some 70% in 2023 (by more than double!!!). The task in the next four years is to move from 72% to over 90% as exists in the advanced countries. ! I want to make sure everyone has access to the internet at affordable costs. It is possible!

I want to see Ghana build the digital talent we require for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This will mean providing digital and software skills to hundreds of thousands of youth. This along with other policies, will create jobs for the youth, including school dropouts. In collaboration with the private sector, we will train at least 1,000,000 youth in IT skills, including software developers to provide job opportunities worldwide.

Generally, there will be an enhanced focus on TVET education. My government will also support the establishment of  a National Open University Ghana in collaboration with the private sector with a focus on ICT, TVET and STEM.

Ladies and Gentlemen, to prepare our children for the fourth industrial revolution workplace I will enhance the  positioning of the education system towards STEM, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and vocational skills to cope with the demands of the fourth Industrial Revolution and job creation.  My government would make coding and robotics standard in senior high school.

Furthermore, to become a digital hub in Africa, Ghana’s telecoms industry needs more investment. The cost of data for the ordinary Ghanaian has become too expensive. It goes against the very ethos of our digitalization journey. We commit to working with industry players in setting clear policy guidelines that will remove any investor uncertainty and difficulties in business planning, including the expeditious allocation of spectrum, driven more by the goal of enhancing digital inclusion and less by revenue considerations.

In addition, we will

• Work with educational institutions and leading Ghanaian and global tech firms to establish a National Robotics, Engineering, and AI Lab for research and training of young Ghanaians locally
• Provide venture funding and grant support for commercially viable tech projects by Ghanaian start-ups to drive innovation, foster high-tech entrepreneurship, create jobs, and support growth of Ghanaian high-tech businesses
• Establish a Fintech Fund with seed capital of US$100 Million to attract additional private sector funding to support Ghanaian start-ups developing payments and financial services solutions, specially focused on Region-wide, exportable solutions
• Abolish E-Levy
• Eliminate import duties on mobile phones until manufacturing capacity is established in Ghana to enable many Ghanaians affordably access mobile devices

DEVELOP A CREDIT SYSTEM FOR GHANA TO SUPPORT JOB CREATION

Ladies and Gentlemen, in advanced economies, workers are able to easily access credit to purchase basic items such as Televisions, cars, mobile phones and houses. They are able to do so because the credit system works and it is supported by individualized credit scoring by credit rating agencies. In the advanced countries people are able to obtain mobile phones for free under contract arrangements with phone companies for example based on their credit scores. But people with impossibility mindsets don’t understand that these things are possible!

In Ghana, such a credit system is yet to develop and therefore life is harder for workers. It is our goal to make it easier and cheaper to access credit by leveraging on our data and systems such as Ghanacard, GhanapostGPS, Mobile money Interoperability, Momo Accounts, DVLA, GRA, Bank Accounts, etc. to build an efficient credit system and mortgage market in Ghana underpinned by individualized credit scoring and the digitalization of land titling and transfer. We look forward to starting individualized credit scoring in Ghana this year and this will make it easier for Ghanaians to access credit at lower interest rates. A new individualized credit scoring regime for Ghana will be launched on November 7^th.

BOOST SPORTS, CREATIVE ARTS AND TOURISM

• Use tax incentives, including a flat tax, to incentivise private sector investments in sports, tourism, and creative arts facilities
• Implement an e-visa policy for all international visitors to Ghana, to make visa acquisition fast and “convenient” for visitors
• Roll out a visa-free policy for all nationals of African and Caribbean countries visiting Ghana
• Establish, in partnership with the private sector, a streaming and digital management platform for Ghanaian content developers in the creative arts
• Establish a Travel Protocol Service (TPS) for the creatives community, to enable artistes, performers, and other creatives, honour international performances and shows
• Establish a Sports Development Fund to develop sports infrastructure, talent development, and grassroots sports programmes, including the revival of Colts football and leagues across the country
• Establish the Ghana School Sports Secretariat, which will be an agency under the ministry responsible for sports, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the GES and sports federations. My government will also seek school-level collaboration with international sports bodies like the NBA and  NFL to make Ghana a hub for these emerging sports in  Africa, to create more opportunities for young people. We have already tried this with the NFL, the governing body for American Football.
• Upgrade the surfaces of our football pitches to meet the highest international Standards (Kumasi, Accra, Cape Coast, Legon, Tamale & Essipong)
• Continue the construction of Astro Turfs for every constituency to boost the development of our talents including juvenile football. We have increased from 3 Astro turfs as at 2016 to 150 Astro Turfs in 2024

DEAL WITH CORRUPTION THROUGH DIGITALIZATION AND A CASHLESS SOCIETY

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the most potent weapons against corruption is transparency. Many corrupt activities are cash-based. Apart from the obvious economic benefits of moving in the direction of a cashless society, the literature does indicate that the more electronic payments are used in transactions as opposed to cash, the more there is traceability and therefore the less the corruption. I would like to bring Ghana close to a cashless economy in the shortest possible time. So far the Bank of Ghana, has made a lot of progress in this direction by putting in place a lot of the systems and infrastructure required. These include mobile money interoperability, merchant interoperability, Universal QRCode payment system, Gh-Link, debit cards, Ezwich, and GhanaPay. We have put in place the necessary infrastructure for Ghana to go cashless.   

Recently the Bank of Ghana has completed a pilot of a digital version of the Ghana cedi in Sefwi Wiawso. This is known as central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e-cedi. The e-cedi is designed to work online and offline and will be launched by the Bank of Ghana in due couse.  The e-cedi, will be the ultimate weapon in our fight against corruption because it will provide transparency, reduce the risk of fraud, robbery, tax avoidance, and money laundering since it will be easy to track the movement of money and identify suspicious activity. The e-cedi will quicken the pace of Ghana’s move towards a cashless or near cashless society.

We will also implement blockchain technology and smart contracts for secure data exchange and transparent e-government services. Employing a distributed ledger technology improves transparency and efficiency. This will make all government transactions permanently traceable and not subject to alteration. 

A MINDSET OF POSSIBILITIES

We must collectively have a mindset of possibilities and not impossibilities. The challenges we must overcome as a country are too important to let our political differences derail us. There is a critical failure of mindset that manifests itself in the absence of core values, patriotism and principles within our society. We need to invigorate the can-do spirit of the Ghanaian to believe that we can even do better than we ever imagined and be world beaters if we put our minds to it. We can be proud of some of our accomplishments to date:

1. Ghana has the second highest education quality in Africa
2. Ghana has the seventh lowest multi-dimensional poverty rate in Africa
3. Ghana is on the list of countries with zero hunger
4.  Ghana is second on the list of countries with descent work and economic growth in Africa
5. Ghana is the only country in Africa with 100% access to financial inclusion by its population
6. Ghana has the fastest growing mobile money market in Africa
7. Ghana has the third highest food security in Africa (after South Africa and Kenya)
8. Ghana is ranked third in Africa in terms of affordable internet rates
9. Ghana has the largest medical drone delivery service in the world
10. Ghana is the seventh best governed country in Africa
11. Ghana is on the list of ten countries in Africa with the lowest petroleum prices
12. Prempeh College and Mamfe Methodist Girls senior high schools have won world robotic competitions

It is possible for us to be the best in the world!

CONCLUSION

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that as  Vice President, the policies I have championed or initiated have impacted or will impact the lives of virtually every Ghanaian. These include the Ghanacard, Digital Address System, Mobile Money Interoperability, Agenda 111, E-Pharmacy, Ghana.Gov, One Constituency One Ambulance, Zongo Development Fund, Paperless Ports, Motor Insurance Database, Renewal of NHIS membership on the mobile phone, The Ghanacard number as your TIN, SSNIT and NHIS number, Zipline Drone deliveries, Gold for Oil, Gold Purchase Program, etc. Through the successful implementation these policies I have proven to be a problem-solver and a promise keeper. I challenge anyone to mention just one policy my opponent championed or initiated as Vice-President!

 I have never been President of Ghana before. I am presenting myself to you for the first time to ask for your precious vote to serve you as your President and to continue the development agenda of the NPP. And in all humility, I would like you to give me the opportunity to become one of the most impactful presidents in Ghana’s history. In me you will have a brand-new “tear-rubber” president, not a second-hand failed president!

My opponent, to put it mildly, is very inconsistent:

1. He opposed Free SHS saying it was bogus and will collapse the economy but today he says he introduced it!
   1.  He (as President) introduced the teacher licensure exams but today he says he opposes it
   1. He abolished teacher and nursing training allowances but says suddenly he will continue to pay them
   1. He touted infrastructure as one of his achievements but because our infrastructure record is superior, today says that infrastructure, does not matter for the economy
   1. Today he says there is no link between digitalization and the economy

• His signature economic policy, the 24-hour economy, has defied explanation and understanding. Its basically a case of one day one explanation, including the rearing of lions and elephants! The latest explanation by my opponent is that for one job you have three shifts and three workers. So if you have a school, one teacher will come in the morning, another in the evening and another after midnight! He also says it is voluntary and will be implemented gradually! Awurade Nyankopong!!!

I am determined to make a difference; a positive difference. I will work for you and with you; with honesty and integrity; with wisdom, and decisiveness. I have clarity in my mind as to what I want to do from day one if you make me President. I will not ask for a honeymoon to cool-off and think about what to do with the responsibility you would give me. I am prepared and ready to work if you give me the opportunity. You know what I stand for. You know my vision. I believe in the ingenuity of the Ghanaian. Together, we can succeed in building a progressive society of possibilities, enterprise, compassion, open opportunities and shared prosperity for every Ghanaian, born rich or poor, born in the north or the south, born Christian or Muslim, born girl or boy.

MY MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH

To the youth of our country let me repeat my appeal to you.

Our nation is at a crossroads. We are preparing to elect a new President in December 2024 and I believe I would serve our nation better as your next President. I am a problem-solving leader. In the last seven years, I have, with the blessings of President Akufo-Addo, led initiatives to address some of the fundamental problems with public service delivery.

I possess the integrity you require in your next President. I believe the Almighty has blessed me with the fortitude of character to ensure the implementation of BOLD SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR FUTURE. My track record of public service, and in international development is public knowledge. My entire career from an academic through to the Bank of Ghana,  the African Development Bank, and to the current role of Vice-President has been anchored on competence, diligence, and effective management skills that have contributed to my ability to see projects through to completion. My proven capability to manage and deliver results professionally and transparently sets me apart from the rest in the race. As an experienced professional with unblemished national and international credentials, I am ready to bring that expertise to bear on national governance with a sole motivation to transform. Given these and my verifiable high personal integrity I am convinced, ladies and gentlemen, that you will hand the steer to me to usher in a new management style that will give us results—a paradigm shift in how we manage our resources, and let the benefits of nationhood reach out to every member of society.

 With humility, I declare that I am a visionary leader who can generate new ideas to confront problems. I have the exciting ideas needed for a 21st-century nation.

We have done a remarkable works in creating jobs in the last seven years. However, unemployment is still a major issue among the youth. I make a firm commitment to sustain and expand the rebounding economy to address the problem of unemployment.

With your support, prayers, and God’s guidance, we can win together. IT IS POSSIBLE!!!

Thank you for your attention.

God bless you and

God bless our homeland Ghana