Mahama promises to use borrowed funds judiciously

The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, has expressed his determination to use borrowed funds judiciously to create jobs, ensure equitable distribution of the national cake, fight corruption head-on and ensure peace and harmony in the country when given the nod for the second time.

Mr Mahama was speaking during engagements and rallies in some communities in the Eastern Region to round off his campaign tour of the area last Wednesday.

Hundreds of supporters of the NDC in some of the communities kept vigil as they waited for the arrival of the former president.

Clad in party colours, amid cheers and blowing of vuvuzelas, supporters at Abirem, Ofoase Ayirebi, Oda, Asene Manso, Akroso, Asamankese and Nsawam danced to NDC campaign songs and listened to messages from party functionaries as they waited for Mr Mahama who was returning to the region after his tour of northern Ghana.

He started his campaign from Akyem Akroso and ended at Nsawam. 

Small-scale mining

At some mining communities, Mr Mahama pledged to resolve issues between residents and companies operating in those areas for shared prosperity.

He said his administration would safeguard and streamline small-scale mining to create jobs while rolling out a national apprenticeship programme to train the youth in various employable skills.

Mr Mahama said the party also had a comprehensive plan to revamp agriculture for job creation and increased crop production.

At Ofoase Ayirebi, where the former President arrived at about 6.30 p.m., hundreds of ‘Okada’ riders waited at the rally grounds for hours to welcome the NDC campaign team.

Unfulfilled promises

The flag bearer said although President Akufo-Addo came to power riding on the back of huge promises, the government had failed to fulfil many of them.

He asked the crowds:  “Where is your factory. Did you receive One million dollars as they promised. What about your roads, have they been done, have they built a hospital and a school here? 

According to Mr Mahama, the country needed infrastructural development to accelerate economic growth and prosperity.

"We would commit to infrastructural development and you can trust us to do it because we have done it before," he said.

Mr Mahama said unlike the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that specialised in building public toilets and championing them as infrastructural developments, the NDC prided itself in the construction of hospitals, airports, schools, polyclinics and roads, among others.

He, therefore, appealed to the people to remember the impact of the infrastructural projects his government embarked upon and vote massively for the NDC and its parliamentary candidates.