A statement signed by the Upper East Regional Communication Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Peter Ayinbisa, copied to Apexnewgh.com, says that, former President John Dramani Mahama has no clear and practical vision for moving Ghana forward.
The statement further says, Mr. Mahama’s track record while in office was characterized by mismanagement, looting, and incompetence, which left the country in a state of economic hardship.
The Upper East NPP’s response came as a result of Mr. John Dramani Mahama’s just-ended two days tour to the region ahead of their Upcoming Parliamentary and flagbearership party primaries which are scheduled to take place on May 13.
Addressing party delegates, the former President highlighted how the NPP and Akufo-Addo governments have disappointed Ghanaians after deceiving them he was going to make their lives better.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ayinbisa’s response says: “The NPP government has implemented policies and programs that have resulted in significant gains in various sectors of the economy, including health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure development. The NPP government is committed to delivering on its promises and building a more prosperous and inclusive Ghana for all citizens. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Ghana remains on a path of sustained growth and development”. He stressed
Kindly read the full release below:
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region wishes to address recent comments made by the presumptive flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, during his campaign tour in the region. The NPP has noted that some of Mr. Mahama’s comments were not only untrue, but also contradictory to the significant development and progress that the region has experienced under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. As a result, the NPP believes it is necessary to set the record straight with the hard truth, and to highlight the significant strides that the NPP government has made in developing the Upper East Region.
2 To begin with, the NPP strongly disagrees with the former President’s claim that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has collapsed under the current government. It is surprising that Mr. Mahama, who presided over a weak and dysfunctional NHIS during his tenure, would have the audacity to criticize the significant improvements made by the NPP government in strengthening and expanding the scheme. It is worth noting that under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s leadership, the NHIS has been revitalized and now covers some 95% of diseases in Ghana. In fact, the NHIS has made significant strides in recent times, including the addition of childhood cancer to the list of diseases covered by the scheme. This is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare for all Ghanaians, especially the vulnerable and marginalized remain unbeaten.
3 We are thus proud to highlight the significant innovations and technological advancements that have been implemented by the government, thanks to the leadership of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The renewal of the NHIS membership through the *929# shortcode and the MYNHISAPP which allows one to self-register and register others are a testament of the government’s devotion to leveraging technology to improve service delivery in Ghana. These platforms have made it easier for Ghanaians to renew their NHIS membership without having to queue at NHIS offices, reducing the burden on both the service providers and the users.
4 The introduction of the Electronic Claims System is also a significant innovation that has revolutionized the NHIS reimbursement process. The system has reduced the processing time for claims, ensuring that healthcare providers receive their payments promptly, and making it easier for Ghanaians to access quality healthcare services. In all, the NPP government has increased the NHIS coverage in the region from some 31.4% to 69.8%. The NHIA is confident that our region might be the first to chalk the universal health coverage mark anticipated for 2030.
5 Secondly, we contrast in the strongest terms possible the claim that the issue of drinking water in the Upper East Region left much to be desired. The government has made significant investments in the water and sanitation sector, resulting in a substantial improvement in the supply of water in the region. The government’s successes chalked in the water and sanitation sector in the Upper East Region are unquestioning and factual. Our investments in this sector have not only improved access to water for thousands of people but have also helped to build a resilient water supply system that can cater to the region’s growing population beyond 2050.
6 It is trite to add that government has prioritized the expansion and construction of water supply systems in all 15 administrative districts in the Upper East Region, with focus on ensuring that every community has access to clean and safe drinking water in obeisance to the Sustainable Development Goal Six(6). In this regard, the government has several water supply projects, including those in Navrongo, Bongo, Zuarungu, Paga, and their surrounding communities, which have all been completed and commissioned. It is instructive that in the Navrongo project, government invested some €37.6 million to supply some twenty thousand, five hundred (20,500) cubic metres of water per day, which is approximately four and a half million gallons (4.5 million) of water per day, a three-fold increase from the 1.5 million gallons a day originally available to the Region. This is a significant stride comparable to none of the previous governments in the provision of safe and reliable water sources in the Upper East region, including the drilling of over 150 boreholes in each of the 15 districts of the region since 2017. If the former President is bereft of these details, we are generous to have him read this presser and verify same on the ground to apprise him to stop peddling falsehood.
7 Additionally, the NPP condemns the recent comments made by former President regarding the ethnic conflict in Bawku. It is unfortunate that Mr. Mahama has chosen to be reckless and provocative in his comments, especially given the government’s ongoing efforts to address the conflict and ensure lasting peace in the area. The former Preseident in a warp proposition argued that “anytime the NPP is in power, Bawku boils, suggesting that when NDC in power Bawku is peaceful”. However, former Upper East Regional Minister Mark Woyongo visited Bawku during a period of conflict in similitude to the times we are now; there are serious gunshots for which the minister was instructed to crawl by the military in 2009 to avoid being hit by a bullet. This contradicts the claim that Bawku is always safe under NDC. Bawku experienced deaths and curfews between 2009 and 2012 under the NDC regime. Similar restrictions are being imposed in the current regime.
8 We wish to remind Mr. Mahama that the ethnic conflict in Bawku is a complex issue that requires a nuanced and collaborative approach. The NPP appreciates the Bawku conflict to be a purely ethnic conflict exacerbate by criminal activities. Any attempt by a desperate politician for parochial gains is unfortunate and alarming, thus must be condemned by all. Is it not the height of hypocrisy that Mr. Mahama never commented on the conflict since it erupted in 2021 but could only do so now with such shameless political colouration of the issue. For John Mahama, the conflict should rage on until he gets the opportunity to come to power and proffer a solution. This can only be ill-intended, signs of a desperate politician and nothing short of same. We thus commend the feuding factions in Bawku for their respective restraints in the wake of these needless comments and their commitment to the rule of law. The government has also established several initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict and promoting reconciliation among the various factions. These initiatives include community engagement programs, support for local development projects, and the establishment of a conflict resolution and peace building framework. The NPP did the magic in Dagbon when the NDC in eight years reneged on their campaign promise to deal with the matter. We are confident that Bawku will follow suite.
9 We in the NPP find the demeanour, propositions, and pronouncements made by former President to be lacking in substance and credibility. His comments suggest a lack of credible and workable policy alternatives to the current government’s initiatives and achievements. It is notable that even in opposition, the former President’s focus has been on terminating school feeding contracts and awarding them to NDC branch women organizers, paying party executives, and other similar actions. Such actions have raised concerns among the public about the potential for impropriety and misuse of public funds perhaps even greater and damaging than what was witnessed in his era. These reinforce our longstanding belief that the former leader does not have the best interests of Ghana at heart.
10 Additionally, the former president’s attempt to argue that the free SHS policy is not working is disingenuous and misleading. In fact, the policy has proven to be one of the most impactful and non-discriminatory initiatives ever implemented by any government in Ghana. Thanks to the free SHS policy, thousands, if not millions, of young people who would not have had the opportunity to attend school are now graduates and successfully pursuing their dreams across all fields of endeavour. The people of the Upper East Region are forever grateful to the visionary leadership of President Akuffo Addo.
11 Consequently, Mr. Mahama has no clear and practical vision for moving Ghana forward. His track record while in office was characterized by mismanagement, looting, and incompetence, which left the country in a state of economic hardship. In contrast, the NPP government has implemented policies and programs that have resulted in significant gains in various sectors of the economy, including health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure development. The NPP government is committed to delivering on its promises and building a more prosperous and inclusive Ghana for all citizens. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Ghana remains on a path of sustained growth and development.
Let’s stay with the NPP Upper East
…SIGNED…
Hon. Peter Ayinbisa Ayamga
Director of Communications (UER)
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana
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