PRESS CONFERENCE BY JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA – VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS LEADING GHANA IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND MOVING AWAY FROM THE POLITICS OF DECEPTION, DIVISION AND ARROGANCE

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, we have invited you here today primarily because we think the time has come to remind the good people of this country about the importance of the choices they will make on the 28th of December, and to help them gain a clearer understanding of the choices available to them. We would also explain why the National Democratic Congress is their best choice for a better Ghana.

However before I go into more detail on the pertinent issues we wish to bring to the Nation’s attention let me also add my voice to Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the Flag-bearer of the Great NDC Party in thanking all who voted for the NDC in the December 7th Elections. We thank you for demonstrating your commitment and for having the courage to vote according to your convictions. We know that we are where we are today only because in giving us your support, you gave us your trust and we promise not to let you down. For those who did not vote for us and voted for other candidates, we say we respect your choices, and believe it is our responsibility to work harder to make you appreciate that we will work harder and be more committed to making your lives better, and prove that we are simply the much better choice in this coming run off eleection. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all members, supporters, and especially the parliamentary candidates, foot soldiers and polling agents of our party the National Democratic Congress for the courageous manner in which they carried out their tasks to ensure that the will of the Ghanaian people prevails. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, fellow citizens, at the end of the December 7th Presidential Election none of the contenders to the office of President obtained the required number of votes to have won the election outright and hence we will go for a run-off election on the 28th of December 2008. We are confident of our chances of success in the run-off and will do our very best to achieve victory in this election in order to begin the ardurous task of creating a more integrated, united, prosperous and peaceful society. Where opportunities will be open to all Ghanaians and not just a privileged few. The NPP representative - Mr. Kwabena Agyepong made a particularly revealing remark at the time when the Chairman of the Electoral Commission declared that there would be a run-off election to be held on the 28th of December. He said and I quote, “We will do everything” to win the run-off. Knowing our opponents the NPP very well, we were aware that the word “everything” could cover a whole gamut of actions and activities, but even then we did not expect them to descend to such levels of deceit and desperation in their attempt to hold on to the reins of power. Then again, many strange things happen in the business of politics so maybe the recent events that have unfurled should not have been so much of a surprise. We refer to reports specifically placed in sections of the media making allegations about a hit list of prominent persons who would be the subject of attack by the NDC. The first of such allegations was made by Vance Azu of the Daily Graphic on Page 13 of the Saturday edition, where it was alleged that some “hoodlums” had threatened to attack Pastor Mensa Otabil of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC). Then on Monday, the Story was again carried in the Daily Guide where it was asserted that these hoodlums were bent on carrying out these actions because Pastor Mensa-Otabil did not support their political party and went further to make statements about the NDC obviously implying that these “hoodlums” had an association with the NDC. We have already issued a press statement on this subject and have made it quite clear that the NDC has nothing to do with these threats and would wish to have the matter investigated thoroughly by the police. Let me state categorically, that the NDC has nothing to do with these threats and we believe that there is a sinister hand in all this to try to stampede the electorate into making a choice in favour of a particular political party’s candidate. Pastor Otabil and many senior religious leaders, including the Muslim Council, the Christian and Pentecostal Councils have in many situations been our last recourse when the NPP Government has attempted to ride roughshod over the will of the people. We have utmost respect for them as the conscience of our nation and wish no harm to come to any of them. Let me also state that under a government led by Professor Mills and myself, No Ghanaian however highly or lowly placed in society shall entertain any fear of harm to themselves for any beliefs that they hold.

We are surprised that in spite of the frequency with which these allegations are being made in the media the police has been laid back in its response in investigating these allegations. We call on the command of the Ghana Police Service to commission a thorough investigation into this matter and bring a speedy end to this sleazy fear-mongering calculated to win cheap political favour. As a communications person, I know that with the right ICT expertise it is possible to track the origin of the e-mail that has been the source of all these allegations. We are prepared to assist and cooperate with the Police in this regard. We of the NDC dissociate ourselves from any such persons and are quite confident that none of our members would carry on such actions. Professor Mills and I have waged a clean, dignified, issues based campaign over the last few months, and these attacks on the party, which Professor Mills currently leads, are spiteful and incendiary. We have maintained our calm in spite of the many gratuitous provocative and insulting statements that were thrown at us and we will continue to do so, because we believe that is the kind of politics this country needs. We know that the only way to heal this nation and to bring us back together as one people irrespective of our ethnicity, religion, gender or political affiliation is to lead by example and ensure that there is decency and decorum in the way we conduct our campaign.

For the record, we would not endorse or countenance any attack on any person whosoever and for those who apparently choose to forget this very basic and pertinent fact I would wish to remind them that Professor Mills is the Leader of the NDC and I have the privilege to be his Running Mate. In the event that the good people of Ghana choose to vote for the NDC in the run-off, we will be the prime movers of the Leadership team of the NDC and we have both believed in the need for moderation, decency, honesty and integrity in the politics and governance of this country. I also wish to state that we do not have the time or the energy to waste in political witch-hunting as has been the specialization of our opponents over the last 8 years. This is not a political trend that we wish to continue to have in our body politic. The justice system shall be fair and even handed and would be politically colour blind. This nation desperately need leaders who are ready to unite the country and bring people together, not those who wish to drive us further apart with arrogance, deceit, vengeance and vendetta.

While we encourage the police to investigate these matters with dispatch and urgency to ascertain their truth or otherwise we are of the view that these allegations are just the latest in our opponents desperate attempts to do “everything” to win this election.

There has also been the claim that voting the NDC into power on December 28th would mean the scrapping of the National Health Insurance System. We have received many reports from the State Hospitals in Kumasi and Koforidua whose authorities have refused to give health care to persons holding NHIS cards because they doubt the continuity of the system after the defeat of the NPP. Whatever the veracity or otherwise of these reports we wish to state that we stand by our Manifesto pledge that we will improve the National Health Insurance Scheme in terms of:

• Nationwide coverage of all person’s resident in Ghana

• One life-time payment of premium since 85% of the current cost is already covered by our own contributions through the NHIL levy and SSNIT deductions

• Provision of better equipment and other infrastructure

• Better conditions of service for all health care personnel.

The next line of scaremongering by our opponents is the peddling of the persistent fallacy that a vote for Professor John Evans Atta-Mills will mean a third unconstitutional term of office for former President Rawlings. Really, the fact that the NPP continues to play this particular line of propaganda shows their general lack of respect for the intelligence of the ordinary Ghanaian. We would wish to point out that it would be constitutionally impossible for a Government headed by Professor John Evans Atta-Mills to be controlled by former President Rawlings and this particular piece of propaganda flies in the face of the demonstrated independence and tenacity of Professor Mills. We would also say that Ghanaians should be given the chance to judge the success or otherwise of Professor Mills Government by its actual performance relative to the NDC Manifesto pledges and not by the doom-mongering of a failed NPP administration. We wish to inform our opponents that the days when former President Rawlings was used as a bogeyman or in local parlance as a “kakai” by the NPP to scare the Ghanaian electorate to make a choice in their favour are over. Ultimate political authority would be held by Professor Mills with myself as an able assistant and we shall take full responsibility for all our actions. President Rawlings and President Kufuor would be treated with utmost respect and given all the courtesies befitting our only living ex-presidents. To those who have taken it upon themselves to concoct and propagate these vicious rumours against our party, and to those who would aid and facilitate the spread of such rumours, we wish to remind them that the Bible enjoins us as Christians not to bear false witness against our neighbours, and we are sure that like all of us, they will one day have to account for their sins to a higher authority.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, having lost the first round of these elections at the time when they thought that the only way to go was “high” our opponents have now become desperate and through sections of the media that have shown persistent hostility to the NDC they have now decided to deploy the politics of fear. This point was made by Professor Mills stated in his broadcast to the Nation on the evening of Monday the 16th of December and we hope that Ghanaians have taken note of the lengths to which our opponents will go to hold onto their privileges and positions. They are resorting to these tactics and pushing out these baseless rumours in the belief that by frightening people away from voting for the NDC they will be compelled to vote for the NPP believing it to be the only choice they have. They believe that when the choice is a choice between allegations of violence against corruption and decadence people will prefer to live with corruption and decadence and wallow under the yoke of oppression. They have also resorted to begging, pleading and pork barrel politics, which is just another example of how ready they are to do “everything” to win the run-off elections. We say that they are trying to beg, plead and buy their way back into the nation’s favour because there is no other reasonable explanation for the sudden drop in petroleum prices, release of drivers convicted for traffic related offences from prison, refund of monies paid out as fines (provided they can show receipts). There is no other reason for the sudden rush by some Government Officials to give out free petrol, and distributing textiles, rice, sugar and other commodities to selected communities. There is also no other reason that can be attributed for visits to our polling agents promising all sorts of things from roofing sheets, bags of cement, and cash incentives if they would look the other way on election day so that they can ensure their victory.

The Fisher-folk along the coast must have been amazed to have the outgoing MP for Cape Coast on her knees begging them for forgiveness for whatever wrongdoing the Kufuor Government had committed towards them. They must have be asking themselves what she had been thinking when they had raised their concerns to her over and over again before the elections only to have their concerns fall on deaf ears. For the past three years, the Minister for Fisheries Madam Gladys Asmah has persistently denied that foreign fishermen have been pair trawling in Ghana’s territorial waters to the detriment of the livelihood of our poor fisher-folk; it is amazing that it was only on the 15th of December 2008 the Government finally conceded the pair trawling menace and asked our ill-equipped Navy to go after these powerful shipping vessels in rubber dinghys. Our Fisher-folk must be thanking their stars for this wonderful thing called democracy, which has created a situation where the once high and mighty are ready to fall on their knees to keep their perks and official privileges. This demonstrates clearly that our democracy is a precious gift to be cherished and nurtured. We can now see that it is only when the people speak through the ballot box and some people in Political Leadership suddenly realize that they are in danger of losing their privileged and pampered lives that they climb down from the high horses on which they placed themselves and come back to the people whose mandate made them who they are today. This is a real demonstration of the fact that ultimate power rests with the people. The taxi drivers in Accra, Kumasi and other parts of the country must have been equally mesmerized when all of a sudden, after months of protesting against the punitive fines placed on them for traffic, related offences those of them who had been unfortunate enough to be placed in prison were told they were suddenly to be released. They must have been thankful that those who had paid fines would have the money refunded to them as long as they had the receipt to prove it. They must have been grateful that the elections had made the Christmas season start early with Government doing everything possible to buy their goodwill. They should also take pride in the fact that these election results were the best thing that could have happened to this country because it has demonstrated that leadership is given by the people and should not under any circumstances be considered as a divine right, and taken for granted. The question we wish to ask the good people of Ghana is whether two weeks of begging, pleading and buying their forgiveness will really bring a change in the leadership style of the NPP, or would it be back to the usual high-handedness, arrogance and neglect once the elections are over. For the fisher-folk all along the coast for how many years have you not complained about pair trawling and the depletion of the fishing stock and the effect that it is having on your homes, your families and your standard of living. Is seeing an NPP out-going MP on her knees going to help you to be able to continue to earn your livelihood through fishing, and look after your families, help you to give better education to your children and help you to expand your fishing business? Will it compensate for the difficulties you had in buying pre-mix because if you were not affiliated to the NPP whether you earned a living or not didn’t matter because the party always came first?

For those drivers who slept in prison for months on end simply because they couldn’t pay the fines imposed on them will the begging and pleading compensate for the weeks and months spent away from their families and the children who dropped out of school because their single mother’s just weren’t able to make ends meet? For the people of Accra who watched as prime lands were sold to build expensive real estate without any compensation being paid to the traditional land owners, will these apologies be enough compensation for the Constitutional Rights that you have always had and that have simply been ignored? Don’t you realize that these are the actions of people who have gone off message, and who are simply offering you bribes so that they can maintain their privileges and standard of living, so that they can continue to live comfortably off your taxes while you struggle to get by from day to day? An NDC Government led by Professor John Evans Atta Mills and myself will always remember that we were elected to serve the people, and to manage the resources of this wonderful country of ours such that the people are the ultimate beneficiaries. That is the reason why we will invest in people, invest in creating new jobs, invest in the economy by increasing the amount of available infrastructure and maintain a transparent and accountable Government. We will invest in you by investing in education, healthcare, and the social and cultural development of our communities. We will invest in jobs recognizing that although currently Government is currently the largest formal employer this should not be the case. We believe that the private sector is the engine of growth and that our policies and programs should be designed and implemented in such a way that the Ghanaian business sector can grow and thrive. That is the reason why when Professor Mills met the Association of Ghana Industries he signed the Memorandum of Understanding that was presented to him which stated from the point of view of Ghanaian business their expectations of the next Government. We note that our opponent did not agree to sign any such Memorandum even though every other Presidential Candidate invited to interact with the Association of Ghana Industries did so. We were surprised that this came from the representative of a party who pledged that there would be a “Golden Age of Business”. As it turns out it must have been Gold plated one, because for the last few years, the growth in the manufacturing sector has been on the decline.

We will not discriminate against any category of business people, because we know that whatever their political persuasion they give employment to Ghanaians and anything that improves the lives of our brothers and sisters and that is done without recourse to fraud, corruption and crony capitalism is to be commended. Ghanaian businesses ought to be encouraged and allowed to prosper without fear of political persecution, favouritism or discrimination based on a perception of your political affiliation. Professor Mills and I pledge to you that we will make sure we create an environment that allows equality of opportunity to Ghanaian businesses in all sectors of our economy.

We want access to Government contracts to be competitive, we want Ghanaian businessmen to bid and to be able to compete for Government jobs in a manner that is fair, equitable and transparent. That is the reason why we said that one of the four pillars of our campaign was maintaining a transparent and accountable government. We know that in order to develop to middle income status we need to continue to roll out infrastructural development by building new schools, roads, hospitals, the construction of affordable housing, by encouraging new industries and building a knowledge society. We are very much aware that this can only be done when we encourage the best people we have to bid for and execute government projects and programs and by so doing create Ghanaian industrial giants who will be examples to others on our sub-continent. We of the NDC are committed to making this happen. We know that our country is currently polarized and sharply divided. We are also very much aware that if we do not take the necessary steps at this time to bring people together and mend the broken bridges our country could develop further and deeper divisions, which would certainly not bode well for the future of our children, and our children’s children. It is time for us to put the politics of fear, division, arrogance and deception behind us. It is time to bring out what is the best in us and unite this country so that once again we see ourselves as Ghanaians first and everything else second. We must ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the nation’s resources so that we grow together in wealth and prosperity. It is time to put join together to create opportunities for all and to build a better Ghana.

Professor Mills and I invite you to join us in this quest, it will be a challenge but not a challenge that is too great for us to overcome, it will be a task worth undertaking, a nation worth building, and a future worth working for. It will be a much Better Ghana and we will all be the happier for it. Thank you for your attention.