Okudzeto Ablakwa: We offer a better hope for your future

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Government has stated that after an objective comparative analysis of the NDC and the NPP Manifestos it becomes crystal clear that the NDC has a superior and a more comprehensive agenda for Ghanaians and this coupled with the NDC’s unprecedented performance in government explains why the Ghanaian electorate will place the future of Ghana in the hands of President John Mahama of the NDC.

A statement signed by Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa further explained that the comparative analysis of the two manifestos was carried out in order to enrich the debate on the alternatives on offer to the Ghanaian electorate and also to deepen discussion on substantive issues of germane importance to the Ghanaian.

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa added that it cannot be said that the two leading political parties are offering the same to the electorate and that this analysis reveals that there are clear distinctions and approaches which form the fundamental basis for the choice of the electorate and not the parochial sectarian divisions which opponents of President Mahama are trying hard albeit without success to create.

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa argues that the comparative analysis which shows the NDC as the party with great original ideas and also possessing the ability to proffer pragmatic solutions and offer hope for the future further confirms the NDC as the obvious choice in this election.

The key conclusions in the comparative analysis are: 1) The NPP Manifesto under its health agenda totally neglects traditional medicine unlike the NDC manifesto which has a clear programme for traditional medicine including supporting the establishment of the proposed School of Traditional Medicine at the University of Health and Allied Sciences.

2) The NPP Manifesto ignores equity and makes no provision for Regional Hospitals unlike the NDC Manifesto which pledges to establish regional hospitals in the Eastern Region, Upper East Region and complete what has been started by the NDC in the Upper West Region. This is aside several other district hospitals and polyclinics the NDC promises. Though the NPP promises to seek assistance from the private sector to establish three first class hospitals in their manifesto, they make no commitments to the people of Ghana as to where they will be sited and what will happen if they fail to get the private sector support they are relying on.

3) Whereas the NDC Manifesto speaks to doubling the number of Community Health Improvement Planning and Service (CHPS) Compounds from 1600 to 3,200 given that over 1,300 have been constructed over the last four years, the NPP Manifesto is silent on CHPS as well.

4) The NPP Manifesto has no intervention for the National Ambulance Service neither do they make provision for the establishment of an Accident Evacuation Centre to save lives on our major highways like the NDC does in its Manifesto.

5)The NPP has no plan to upgrade the Central and Volta Regional Hospitals into Teaching Hospitals to service the University of Cape Coast and the University of Health and Allied Sciences respectively as contained in the NDC Manifesto.

6) After seeing to the collapse of Ghana Airways, the NPP makes no provision to restore our national pride. To the contrary, the NDC Manifesto boldly makes a case for the re-emergence of a national carrier.

7) The NPP manifesto makes no provision for a Youth Jobs and Entrepreneurs Development Fund for young entrepreneurs to have easy access to start-up capital but the NDC Manifesto does.

8) The NPP manifesto outlines no programme to stimulate the private sector in order that the private sector is able to employ more Ghanaian youth as compared to the NDC Manifesto which makes a clear provision for a stimulus package.

9) The NPP manifesto makes no provision to enhance the capacity and welfare of Ghanaian Media practitioners in its Manifesto unlike the NDC Manifesto which makes extensive provision for the welfare and capacity of the Media and the National Media Commission including the commitment to complete a permanent campus for the Ghana Institute of Journalism at Okponglo in Accra.

10) The NPP Manifesto makes no provision for National Reconciliation and harmonious coexistence unlike the NDC Manifesto which provides for a framework for national reconciliation including President John Mahama’s initiative to institute a quarterly meeting with all political party leaders.

11) The NPP Manifesto makes no provision for universal access to Energy. Only the NDC Manifesto pledges Energy for all by 2016.

12) No programme in the NPP Manifesto to flush out foreigners who have invaded the small-scale mining sector since the sector is strictly reserved for Ghanaians like the NDC Manifesto does.

13) No talk of a National Science Park in the NPP Manifesto whereas the NDC Manifesto pledges to construct 2 National Science Parks to spread the benefits of technology across Ghana.

14) NPP Manifesto places no emphasis on early childhood and pre-kindergarten education considered very essential as the NDC Manifesto does.

15) NPP manifesto says nothing about expanding the school feeding programme to achieve universal coverage unlike the NDC Manifesto which acknowledges the expansion in coverage from 600,000 children to over 1.4 million children over the last four years, the NDC Government commits to universal coverage to cover all public schools in rural and needy communities.

16) NPP Manifesto says nothing about the Shift system the current government is seeking to abolish nationwide having succeeded in Accra unlike the NDC Manifesto.

17) No mention of regular reviews of the Capitation Grant as the NDC states in its Manifesto.

18) No attempt to address the many hidden costs at the basic level which has hampered free basic education as the NDC proposes to do.

19) No attempt to address universal access at the Senior High School level. The NDC Manifesto pledges to achieve this by 2016.

20) NPP provides no specifics on expansion of new Senior High Schools to address the problem of access unlike the NDC which pledges to establish 200 Community Day Senior High Schools.

21) Unlike the NDC manifesto which pledges to provide facilities in existing schools for students with disability, the NPP manifesto is silent on making our schools disability friendly.

22) The NPP Manifesto seems to have no clear solution at addressing the acute teacher deficit unlike the NDC Manifesto which pledges to establish 10 additional Teacher Training Colleges.

23) No special incentives for teachers in terms of incremental credits for Science, Technical and Vocational Teachers as the NDC manifesto provides.

24) The NPP manifesto appears to ignore strategic tertiary institutions such as the Teacher Training Colleges, the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) unlike the NDC manifesto which has specific interventions for each of these.

25) The NPP manifesto doesn’t outline any programme to provide computers for students unlike the NDC manifesto which promises 400,000 laptops for students.

26) The NPP Manifesto fails to provide laptops for teachers unlike the NDC manifesto which makes provision for free laptops for teachers.

From:Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ministry of Information