Nduom spells out his vision for the poor in Ghana.

By discussing the issues that concerns many Ghanaians openly and with honesty, Papa Kwesi Nduom and the CPP are presenting to the Ghanaian people a choice between standing still and looking forward, a choice between caution and courage, a choice between failed policies of the past and the promising future of CPP policies (the 7 Year Development Plan).

Speaking to this writer in London, the CPP Presidential candidate and the man seen by Ghanaians as the next President of Ghana, Papa Kwesi Nduom, laid out his party’s vision for his homeland.

Papa Kwesi Nduom said the development challenges facing the country go far deeper than what the NPP and NDC openly admits.

He mentioned high inequality between the top 20% and the bottom 80%, between the north and the south, between the urban centres and the rural areas, gender inequality, between the old and the young etc, those that he referred to as his constituency. Papa Kwesi Nduom said the poor are locked in a cycle of poverty and are less able to escape because many lack the basic capabilities to participate in the economy, a situation that he finds worrying.

Papa Kwesi Nduom said no two crises are the same, but crises of the 1980s and early 1990s must never be allowed to be repeated in Ghana. The 1980s economic crisis affected Ghana the most. During the lost decade (1980s) Ghana lost over 90% of her skill labour. This situation was exacerbated by the expulsion of over 2 million Ghanaians from neighbouring countries to the homeland. Many were children, the old and pregnant women. Majority were expelled without being given the opportunity to collect their personal belongings. The sad event marked the beginning of our shared determination to forge ahead a one country, one people.

The Bretton Woods institutions package of policy response to the 1980s crisis, which included microeconomic and structural reforms (trade liberalisation and privatisation of key industries) and the introduction of user fees in health and education throw many of the poor into abject poverty. The living standard of the poor and the poorest, especially in the 3 northern regions declined considerably. Papa Kwesi Nduom said the 1980s was really a lost decade and watershed for his motherland, Ghana. The massive lays off in the formal private and in the public sector was followed by large emigration of skill Ghanaians which affected every institution in the land. Ghana’s leading teaching hospital, Korle Bu, once the pride of West Africa, lost over two thirds of her medical professionals. The rise of poverty and unemployment was followed by rise in crime and other types of violence. Cuts in public expenditure and other services led to deterioration in public health.

Papa Kwesi Nuom said despite improvement in the economy, many of the poor lack access to safe water, many do not have access to health services, the education system as it is now, does not meet the needs of the youth. He said over half of the youth are illiterate; a situation that he said if not addressed, might affect the development of the country in the long term. Nduom said the poor are excluded from many basic services; a situation that he said is unacceptable.

He also mentioned HIV/AIDS and its impact on the life expectancy, especially among the youth. Nduom said unless action is taken quickly, its impact on the country’s development would be devastating.

Papa Kwesi Nduom said to address the many problems confronting Ghana will require determined leadership, better governance, managing the country’s resources transparently, including the huge oil reserves in the Western Region, investment in infrastructure, in human development, service delivery and job creation. He said CPP is the only party that can deliver these promises, because the CPP has done it in the past and has the track record to support his assertions...

Papa Kwesi Nduom asserts that Ghana has enormous potential in both the public and private sector for improving the delivery of services and to help uplift over 12 million Ghanaians from poverty. Papa Kwesi Nduom admitted that tasks facing his homeland would require major effort by all Ghanaians, those at home and in Diaspora, and greater economic empowerment of and responsibility to ensure allocation and majoring of resources benefits all groups and regions.

Nduom stated that the pervasive inequality between the south and the north require strategic remedies such as access to services including clean water, sanitation, health care, electricity, decent housing, education and essential infrastructure including roads and railroad connecting the south to the north. Papa Kwesi Nduom said the CPP government will set targets for poverty reduction at the district level to reduce the incidence of absolute poverty within the first 4 years of his administration. Papa Kwesi Nduom vow to turn the north into Ghana’s bread basket.

With the future of Ghana’s youth in mind, Papa Kwesi Nduom said with the many developmental difficulties facing the Ghanaian people, especially the youth, “The choice we make as a party is for the future of our youth and the country and that if we get it wrong, the consequences for the youth would be profound”

Papa Kwesi Nduom said Ghana must choose a new course, a choice that will determine not only the future of the youth but the development of the country, from WA in the Upper West Region to Sekondi in the Western Region, from Dormaa Ahenkro in Brong Ahofo Region to Aflao in the Volta Region.

He said the challenges the country faces today are enormous and it is only the CPP who can manage the changes being proposed. Nduom said being honest and transparent and telling the Ghanaian people the true state of affairs would not be easy, but the people deserve to know the truth.

Papa Kwesi Nduom has thrown the gauntlet to Nana Akuffo Addo and Prof Kofi Atta Mills, by asserting that they make easy promises to the Ghanaian voters (promises that they cannot keep) instead of challenging them to take responsibility for our country.

Papa Kwesi Nduom said the difference between CPP and the other parties is that the NPP and NDC are not being honest about the challenges facing the country. Nduom said Ghanaian people deserves better and CPP is the only party that will develop a country where every tribe, be they Ga, Hausa, Moshi, Frafra, Ewe, Twi, Fante are given the same opportunity to share in the Ghanaian dream.

Papa Kwesi Nduom said CPP 7 Year Development Plan would guarantee better health care, sanitation, clean drinking water, affordable housing, quality education, bridge income disparity and provide electricity for the Ghanaian people. The plan will require everyone, the private sector, the public sector, government and citizens to contribute towards the development of our motherland. CPP 7 Year Development Plan will expand, restore opportunity and responsibility and ensure Ghanaians are equipped with skills to enable them contribute their quota towards the development of their motherland.

Unlike the NPP and NDC, CPP has always been seen as the party of all Ghanaians, the poor, rich, old and the young. Papa Kwesi Nduom said the country belongs to all Ghanaians and it only Ghanaians alone, Frafra, Moshi, Ewe, Ga, Fante Hausa, Twi and others can lift their country up from poverty and ensure everyone shares in the prosperity.