2020 Election: Greater Accra Association Of Assembly Members Support Prez Akufo-Addo For Second Term
Greater Accra Association of Assembly Members has declared their unflinching support to the Presidential Candidature of His Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo ahead of 2020 general elections.
According to the Association, President Akufo-Addo's government has over performed in all sectors of the economy, hence deserving another four years to continue his good works.
The group also believed that the nation’s resources entrusted to the President are under prudent management.
At a press conference held on Tuesday, 25th August, 2020 at GNAT Hall Accra, the association said “we are of the greatest conviction that the upending four-year constitutional term mandate entrusted to His Excellency President Nana Addo in 2016 has seen tremendous and monumental strides in the various sectors of the economy as far as the management of this state is concerned.”
“Ghana has come a long way to consolidate democracy through series of different shades of political transitions and for this reason there is the need for us as citizens not spectators to continue to choose leaders who are visionaries and have the needed capacity to manage the affairs of the state for the achievement of growth and development to ensure prosperous livelihoods for the people of Ghana.”
They called on Ghanaians to give the NPP government another term in government.
Read full statement below:
PRESENTATION BY GREATER ACCRA ASSOCIATION OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS-GAAM
DECLARATION OF UNFLINCHING SUPPORT FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATURE OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANQUAH AKUFO ADDO FOR ELECTION 2020
INTRODUCTION
SALUTATION:
Invited Guests, Distinguished Greater Accra Assembly Members, Colleague Youth herein gathered, the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen, All Protocols observed.
We, Members of the Greater Accra Association of Assembly Members have invited you to present to you the declaration of our support to the Presidential Candidature of His Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo who is the Presidential Candidate for election 2020 of the Ruling New Patriotic Party for the Presidential Seat of the Republic of Ghana.
Our Association can now be described as one of the most credible and reliable Associations to have declared support for credible President Nana Addo in 2016 for our foresight in assessing a man of vision and integrity such as President Nana Addo to ensure that he was entrusted with the mandate to manage the state resources with prudence and ingenuity in view of value for money as a guiding principle was not a misplaced judgment.
His Excellency, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo is seeking his second constitutional mandate through election 2020 to incessantly render his dynamic and transformational leadership services to the people of Ghana.
We are of the greatest conviction that the upending four-year constitutional term mandate entrusted to His Excellency President Nana Addo in 2016 has seen tremendous and monumental strides in the various sectors of the economy as far as the management of this state is concerned.
Ghana has come a long way to consolidate democracy through series of different shades of political transitions and for this reason there is the need for us as citizens not spectators to continue to choose leaders who are visionaries and have the needed capacity to manage the affairs of the state for the achievement of growth and development to ensure prosperous livelihoods for the people of Ghana.
Several Strategic Development Programmes and Legacies being benefited by Ghanaians today can be credited to the ingenuity of the government of the New Patriotic Party starting from President John Agyekum Kufuor (the Gentle Giant)and currently President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.
The following are some of the social intervention polices Ghanaians are still benefiting of which can be credited to the ingenuity President John Agyekum Kufuor: National Health Insurance Scheme, Metro Mass Buss, introduction and implementation of Capitation Grants,introduction and implementation of School Feeding Programme, National Ambulance Service, Free Maternal Care, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme and many more.
We can say the resources of the nation are being managed with prudence and it is being done in accordance with economic philosophy of value for money under the distinguished leadership of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.
We, members of Greater Accra Association of Assembly Members will like to seize this wonderful opportunity to share with Ghanaians through this Press Conference some of the tremendous three and half achievements of President Nana Addo of which we are of the greatest conviction that they form the basis of the declaration of our support for his Presidential Candidature for election 2020 and our resident members of the various electoral areas and us are benefitting in Greater Accra Region.
a. EMPLOYMENT:
1. 1District 1Factory (Industrialization Policy)
President Nana Addo was never wrong with his vision to implement his proposition for OneDistrict, One Factory to ensure the achievement of many of our youth getting employed in the various sectors of the economy.
Fifty-eight (58) factories out of the 181 under the 1D1F initiative have been completed and operationalized.
This has created 10983 direct jobs and 43900 indirect jobs.
In Greater Accra nineteen (19) out of (58) factories have been completed and operationalized:
The following are factories and their locations in specific districts with regards to Greater Accra:
1) Osiaden Concrete Products Limited (District: Weija Gbawe) has been created to ensure the manufacturing of concrete products.
2) Ankod Industries (District: Shai Osudoku) have been created to ensure manufacturing of roofing sheets and related products.
3) Golden Milan Limited (District: Ningo Prampram) has been set up to ensure the manufacturing of aluminum profiles to support the construction of industries.
4) (85) Plus Alloys (District: Ningo Prampram) has been created for the production of steel and related products
5) Sentuo Ceramic Ghana (District: Tema Municipal) has been created for the production of ceramics, tiles and other related products
6) Sunda Ghana Investment (District: Ga South) has been established for the production of hardware e.g roofing sheet, iron rod and nails
7) Lan Tianyi Company limited (District: Shai Osudoku) has been created for the cultivation and processing of soya into milk.
8) Delawin Farms limited (District: Kpone kantamanso) created for rearing and processing poultry and related products.
9) Mass Industries Limited (District: Kpone Kantamanso) created for production of biscuits etc.
10) Sunda Ghana Diapers limited (District: Ga South) has been created for production of Diapers and Sanitary Napkins.
11) Nordia Hygiene Care and Industries Limited (District: Tema Municipal) has been created for the production of Diapers and Sanitary Napkins
12) Everpure Ghana limited (District: Ngleshie Amanfrom/Ga South) has been created for the production of mineral, sachet and flavored water and intravenous infusion.
13) Integrated Compost and Recycling, Plant limited (District: A.M.A) created for recycling of waste into compost
14) Hygiene Food Processing (District: Tema Municipal) created for the production of veg. spices, peppers and ready to eat meals.
15) Wentec Company (District: A.M.A) created for the production of sachet and water labels.
16) Navina Cartel Garments (District: Okaikoi North) created for the production of garments and apparel.
17) Innovation Manufacturing Group (District: Kpone) created the manufacturing of biscuits, confectionery and related products.
18) KAD Industries created (District: AMA) created for the manufacturing of garments
19) De united Food Industries (District: Tema West) created for the manufacturing of noodles and spaghetti.
All these 1d1f are within the municipalities of which are intrinsically linked to electoral areas of which we the assembly members are direct beneficiaries of this policy.
This policy which has created thousands of jobs as stated above has enabled complete minimization of social vices which are more often than not perpetrated by some of our unemployed youth who have no source of income to pursue their long-standing ambitions.
We can say without any reservation that President Nana Addo is really a godsent leader who has been chosen to salvage Ghana from poverty and also lay solid foundation for the achievement of prosperity.
2. YEA
Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has employed several (70,000) of our young people, under various modules including Community Protection Personnel, Sanitation, Arabic Instructors, Youth in Sports, etc.Since President Nana Addo took over the Presidential mantle in 2016 there has been significant improvement with regards to the number of our young people in Greater Accra who are currently working under various modules of the Agency.
The total number of the youth in Greater Accra who are currently engaged by the Agency is 8,172.
Once again, the evidence is very much glaring to the extent that no fictitious propaganda can change the true situation of the number of significant recruitments of our young people who are working under the various modules of the Agency since the New Patriotic Party government was given the mandate by Ghanaians to govern in 2016.
The following are figures to show the fantastic improvement regarding recruitment of young people into the various modules of the Agency in Greater Accra:
1. Community Police 2, 268
2. Youth in Agriculture Extension 40
3. Youth in Graduate Internship 48
4. Youth in Sports 250
5. Sanitation 5, 400
6. School Support with GES 166
Under NABCO: 100,000 Ghanaians, majority of them being youth have been employed to learn, practice and gain experience for the world of work.
We are happy to say that over twenty thousand (20,000) young people in the Greater Accra region are working under the various modules of NABCO to acquire the needed experience to contribute their quota to the general planning and development of our nation.
Equipping the Youth with Entrepreneurial Skills under National Entrepreneur and Innovation Programme-NEIP under NABCO has trained 45000 youth in Agric business, ICT, Trade and Commence and our young ones in Greater Accra Region are benefiting greatly.
Funding of young Entrepreneurs under NEIP: A Total of 9,350 businesses have been funded within three years ranging from GHC 10,000 to GHC 100,000.
b. EDUCATION:
1. FREE SHS POLICY
Visionary President Nana Addo made a bold pledge of which was captured in the manifesto of the Ruling New Patriotic Party in 2016 that he would facilitate the implementation of Free Senior High School Policy for the poor households to enable every school going Ghanaian child, daughter, son have the opportunity to be educated at the secondary level free of charge.
This pledge has been fulfilled and now over 2.2bilion has been paid for 1.2million young Ghanaians who are benefitting from free SHS: The President of the Republic is investing Billions of Cedis in educating the Future Leaders of Mother Ghana.
Free Learning Materials: By virtue of FREE SHS, learning materials like core textbooks, supplementary readers, uniforms, house-cloths, house-dress, technical drawing equipment, PE kits, notebooks and exercise books are being supplied for free since 2017
Double Track System-this novel lifesaving system has assisted 520,000 Ghanaian Children to get access to the Free SHS.
We, members of GAAM can boldly say without any shred of equivocation that our sons, daughters, nieces, cousins, nephews and grandchildren are all benefiting from the FREE SHS Policy which has been implemented by His Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.
This also signifies that several of us who would have had the challenge of paying fees simultaneously for our three BECE graduate wards who have qualified for admission into secondary level have been relieved of such a burden or challenge.
The FREE SHS has reduced significantly our financial burden of having to pay fees for our wards and wards of our electorates in the various Electoral Areas till they complete their secondary education.
DECENTRALIZATION OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE YOUTH
Scholarships for the Youth: In 2019 alone, over 30,000 brilliant but needy students were given scholarships through Government Decentralized Scholarship Schemeat the local level of which some of our electorates in our electoral areas have benefitted. It is projected that 60000 students will be given scholarships in 2020 and will be expanded in the subsequent years.
HEALTH AND SANITATION:
1. Cholera
Cumulatively, a total of 28,975 cases including 247 deaths (case fatality rate of 0.8%) were reported from 130 Districts in all the previous 10 regions of Ghana from June 10, to December 2014, as at the end of year 2014 the outbreak had not ended protracting to 2015.
This is the highest ever reported number of cholera cases in the country after the 1983 major outbreak.
The most affected district was La Dade Kotopon in the Greater Accra Region.
Greater Accra accounted for 70% of cases and 50% of deaths. The Cholera outbreak that started in the Greater Accra Region in June 2014 protracted spilling over to 2015.
The Greater Accra Region has always reported the highest proportion of the total cases and deaths in the country.
(87% in 2011; 69% in 2012; 88% in 2013, and 69% in 2014)
Through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, every household had been instructed to follow the policy of having a toilet facility within the household to the extent that 30, 632 household toilet facilities as at now have been built to prevent people from defecating in unauthorized or unhygienic public places.
No wonder under the administration of President Nana Addo there has been a total strategic management of prevention of the outbreak of cholera in the Greater Accra Region since he took over the presidential mantle in 2017.
2. Prudent and Strategic management of further spread of COVID 19.
This country was bedeviled with one of the deadliest human eating diseases pandemic-COVID 19.
The most advanced economic countries such as the USA, UK, Norway, Italy, Germany were grievously affected by this deadly disease wiping out several lives of their citizens.
We are proud to say in terms of comparative analysis with regards to strategic management of crisis situation such as an outbreak of pandemic disease which has no cure and highly contagious, we are of the view that the protocol arrangements or precautionary measures as announced by President Nana Addohave ensured the prevention of further spread of the disease across the nation.
For the past four months Ghanaians have been enjoying free utility bills, specifically light water under the leadership of President Nana Addo.
We wish to admit that some Ghanaians are facing water challenges with regards to some pipe born tap owners still insisting on payment of users or customers as their income or source of sustaining their business transactions for survival of livelihoods.
The introduction of the National Board of Small-Scale Industries has strategically helped to resuscitate and sustained several businesses in this season of COVID 19 of which some of our resident members in our various electoral areas including our households have hugely benefited.
The Disability Fund has been increased from 1.8% to 3%. This is a clear indication of the fact that President Nana Addo has not reneged on his promise or pledge to ensure that prosperity and sustainable livelihoods are brought to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian.
This is governance of competence and the preservation of humanity taking the center stage of decision making.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Benefits):
COMMON FUND ADMINISTRATION:
We must seize this opportunity once again to acknowledge the stupendous performance of Hon. Irene Naa Torshie Addo, the Administrator of the Common Fund of the Republic of Ghana.
Her positive extreme performance as administrator has really restored hope in the management of the common fund through her responsiveness in undertaking effectively her constitutional mandate entrusted to her by President Nana Addo.
Under the leadership of Nana Addo through Hon. Irene Naa Torshie, prompt payment or release of funds to the various MMDCEs is being consistently affected to enable them discharge their constitutionally mandated duties to undertake projects and bring governance to the doorsteps of the ordinary Ghanaian and we have benefitted through these projects.
It is wonderful to witness the strategic and prompt release of funds to the various MMDCEs to ensure the effective implementation of the precautionary measures or compliance of protocols for the prevention of further spread of COVID19 that has bedeviled the country.
OTHER BENEFITS
Apart from DACF allocations, the development authorities have also managed to bring additional works in the form of projects to our respective electoral areas.
We have also benefited as Members of GAAM tremendously from the year of road vision for the first time, our electoral areas are seeing which is believing asphaltic roads are being constructed and renovated with drains.
CREATION OF NEW REGIONS, MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLIES, REMUNERATIONS OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS
ladies and gentlemen of the Media, we, members of GAAM, will like our ex-President of the Republic who is a Presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama to come clear with his promise to ensure payment of services to Assembly Members when he is given the nod as President to manage the affairs of the state in 2021.
We find his will to fulfill this promise not credible and his mode of approach not sustainable for his track record as a vice President and President respectively he abandoned us, we the assembly members, left us in the state of hopelessness and took us for granted.
As the only head of state who had had the opportunity to serve in the capacity as an assembly member,most of us believed in his promise of paying Presiding Members and assembly members as stated,in page 93of the NDC’s 2012 manifesto.
It appears all the promises he made under theme 4 of the manifesto with the heading or caption:
‘WE ARE DEEPENING DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE’ were not scams enough, we are particularly interested in what his manifesto said about remunerations for overseers of the assemblies as cited in paragraph 8 of this subject matter.
It states, “Implement the decision of the CRC-proposed Independent Emoluments Commission, to determine the remuneration of DCEs, Presiding Members and have these charged on the consolidated fund.”
This was stated black and white and we believed he could deliver on his promise because he had been in our position before who should understand the plight of the Assembly member.
He left us with nothing more than broken hopes and hearts hence its surprising that this same Former President John Dramani Mahama is again making a promise to ensure the payment of monthly salaries to Assembly Members when he had the chance to do so but failed.
Just to put in our local parlance “s3 kwatrekwa b3mawo ntoma aa, 3yaa tie no din”
In short, we have seen, tested, tried and felt the leadership of former President John Dramani Mahama and we are much convinced beyond every measure that he has nothing to offer Assembly members of this country.
Ladies and gentlemen, GAAM wishes to acknowledge and applaud His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo for bringing governance to the doorstep of the ordinary Ghanaian through his massive and unprecedented decentralization of the local government system.
Through his visionary leadership, President Nana Addo has added 6 more regions to the 10 existing regions since independence till 2016.
He has further created 53 additional Municipal and District Assemblies; the largest of its kind initiated by any Head of State in the fourth republican dispensation during his four-year term.
In the Greater Accra Region, the President in a space of three years created 13 more municipalities in addition to the existing 16 he inherited as at January 2017, bringing it to a total of 29 MMDAs in the region.
This is a remarkable achievement and we are most grateful to President Nana Addo of the Republic of Ghana.
There has been enactment of new model standings for Assembly men.
Several workshops and orientation have been held to equip us for the task ahead.
The creation of new electoral areas has lessened the burden of assembly members with big electoral areas and huge populations. All these measures combined have given assembly members much more authority to execute our mandates in the various assemblies effectively for efficacy.
It must be stated that GAAM is very excited by the pronouncement made by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Hajia Halima Mahama said that government is considering allocating a certain percentage of the common fund to the District Assembly members for Developmental projects within our electoral areas.
This we find more feasible and practicable enough to bring us hope as assembly members. Therefore, it is not surprising that under her leadership as the local government Minister, construction of assembly office complexes for almost all the newly created assemblies has become a reality.
For proven track records of President Nana Addo, GAAM solidly supports President Nana Addo who is the Presidential Candidate of the NPP for emphatic victory in the December 2020 polls.
President Nana Addo has proven beyond every reasonable doubt that he is indeed a doer and action-oriented leader hence, the need to give him four years to do more for us.
We wish to appeal to the general public and other assembly members who are not part of this association to join our membership to have a well consolidated voice to ensure the achievement of the re-election of president Nana Addo to enable him to continue with his true leadership services he is rendering to the people of Ghana.
GAAM is confident about the fact that President Nana Addo is the right person at this material time to protect our progress as a nation through a radical transformation of this nation for the benefit of us all.
Friends from the media, we thank you for your attention.
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