GNP to wag war on the economy

CONGRESS ADDRESS BY OFORI AMPOFO

FELLOW GHANAIANS.

You have heard much about how some of the political parties intend solving Ghana’s problems. It is time I tell you how Ghana National Party intends to solve the chronic problems of our country. Lend me please, your ears and attention. To us, it is all about the Economy. Without economic freedom, our political independence and all the talk about democracy and freedom of speech, means nothing to the ordinary Ghanaian who has no job and therefore has nothing to feed on.

After 51 years of political independence, our nation is still struggling for economic freedom. Ghana is one of the few nations in the world endowed with abundant natural and intelligent human resources. However, we have not made good use of these endowed potentials. Our population is just over twenty million but the majority live in abject poverty in the midst of plenty. We must create wealth to enjoy it and not to borrow to enjoy it. The words of Proverbs 29 verses 2 and 7, suggests that when the wicked rule the people suffer but when the righteous rule the people rejoice, I believe this quotation to be very true. Conditions in Ghana are typical of what has been written in the Bible, and perhaps in the Koran as well.

COST OF LIVING.

The cost of living conditions in Ghana is unbearable. Electricity and water tariffs are too high for consumers. And sadly enough, water, a basic necessity of life is even hard to get in Accra and indeed throughout the whole Country. School fees are also too high, making it almost impossible for parents to educate their children beyond junior secondary school. The majority of Ghanaians simply cannot afford the high cost of hospital usage outside the laudable National Health Insurance scheme. In general, the prices of goods and services are unbearable, as a result of the astronomically high petroleum pricing and import duties in the country.

Simply put, the economic situation in Ghana is barbaric and cruel to its residents. It only seems to serve the selfish interest of the upper class. We therefore need to practice bold economic measures that require both practical and common sense approach. Prescriptions from our own God endowed brains, instead of living under the harsh dictations of some creditor countries and institutions. If I may ask,

1. Do we have to wait on the World Bank to tell us that we need to go into mechanized agriculture for our food security? NO! 2. Do we have to wait on the World Bank to tell us to provide basic human needs like water and sanitation for the capital city and the rest of the country? NO! 3. Do we have to wait on the World Bank to tell us that the era of big government should be over? NO! 4. Do we have to wait on the World Bank to tell us that after 51 years of independence we need to start constructing storm drains (covered gutters) to fight the breeding of mosquitoes, when we know they are the causes of the deadly malaria parasites that kills thousands of our people every year? NO! 5. Do we have to wait for the World Bank to tell us how to manage our resources and create opportunities for all Ghanaians? NO!

Fellow Ghanaians, God has given us enough brains to determine what is good for our people but unfortunately, we have had too many dishonest, greedy and selfish individuals who have long paraded our corridors of power. At this point in our history, there should be no excuses for our underdevelopment. The unexamined life is not worth living. It is therefore gratifying that some Ghanaians have taken stock of our past and present, and resolved that there is the urgent need to change the dysfunctional colonial political system.

ECONOMIC WAR.

As a result of years of economic mismanagement, bribery and corruption that have plunged Ghanaians into economic deprivation and hopelessness, we advocate for Ghana to wage a relentless economic war code named “NATION BUILDING” This is to alleviate our people from the chronic economic hardships. We cannot forever remain a borrowing nation. Therefore, just as every organized home will plan and live within their means, so also should Ghana as a country, plan and live within her national income. We must learn to prioritize, plan for today and for the future. Ghana National Party has therefore drawn up a FIVE-year development ROAD MAP categorized under five levels. There will be automatic progression from level one to level two, and so on to level five on the hierarchy once all the expectations in each level are genuinely achieved. This implies that as a nation, any attempt to skip a developmental stage without significantly meeting all or most of the needs required in a particular level will present complex challenges. Level one, will deal with a).Political reform. b). Political corruption c). Population Inventory, d). Financial Management and Budgeting. There will be a special LUNCH for the ROAD MAP at a later date.

A. We must create a just and fair society.

B. A society where the distribution of wealth will never be discriminatory in regards to region, tribe, social influence or gender.

C. A society that will be full of compassion and benevolence.

D. A society where no one will wake up in the morning and do not know what to eat for lack of job opportunities.

SOME OF THE MEASURES FOR WAGING THE ECONOMIC WAR.

1. We will pay Living wages to all workers in Ghana, and in return, demand the best result and accountability for their stewardship.

2. We will punish economic saboteurs, bribery, corruption and willful misappropriation of state funds.

3. Political and Civil service corruption shall be tackled and uprooted at separate levels under our road map. Bribery and corruption are our national bane and until people are well paid and punished for indulging in these social evils of our country, all attempts to wage the economic war will be futile.

4. We will not accept mediocrity but rather demand national perfection and higher living standards as our way of life.

5. We will not tolerate the substandard execution of state contracts. All Government contracts shall have to be implemented according to specifications. Those who do not meet a contract specification shall be prosecuted, and excluded from further Government contracts.

6. All Government contracts, especially those relating to road construction, will at least include a minimum ten years warranty. It is a shame that most road construction in the country only last for two raining seasons, some less than six months and then the potholes resurface, this has been going on for decades and undoubtedly, a waste of scarce financial resources. Most urban roads today have turned out to be death traps, due to total neglect and lack of maintenance as if there are no regional and district functional administrations in the country. We will no longer tolerate inefficiencies in the twenty first century Ghana.

7. We will start constructing dual carriage highways with modern toll booths, from the capital city to all our major cities, for faster, safer and reliable transport and communications.

8. We will prioritize and plan our national budget based on our national income and needs. We will stop the chronic deficit spending habit of the country and cultivate the habit of savings that will ultimately make us self sufficient and self-reliant.

9. We will place lots of emphasis on science and technology as the key to our development. We will therefore invest substantially in scientific researches, and encourage and empower our scientists and engineers to access and tap into the know how of our indigenous son Apostle Kwadwo Safo and others at Soame magazine in Kumasi, Odawna in Accra, and many others around the country for our technological take-off, national development and growth.

10. The era of big government should be over. We will drastically reduce the number of government ministers from the known 80 to around 40 while at the same time emphasizing on the development of our districts and local governments. We will have to cut our coat according to our cloth. There is also a Ghanaian adage that says (Aserewa hwe ne kese3 so na wanwene ne buo) Literally ( the little bird considers it’s size to weave it’s nest)

11. We will pay the president, ministers, parliamentarians, top government officials and chief executive officers, a consolidated taxable salary to be determined by a comprehensive national salary commission, as demanded under our manifesto, instead of spending between 80 and 100 million cedis a month on government officials under the colonial legacy of salary, allowances and privileges. The nation will save between 30 and 40 million cedis a month on each official of state towards national development. It is economically irresponsible to lavishly spend our national income and go borrowing. Politics is a public service and should not be seen as a gold mine. We will fairly distribute the national wealth; create jobs and opportunities for all. If I may ask, how much do the farmers that create the bulk of our national wealth make during a whole year? The farmers of Ghana have sacrificed for too long to educate leaders of this country. It is therefore just fair that the leaders of Ghana, at this point in our history also sacrifice to build a vibrant economy for the poor farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Those who cannot sacrifice for the country are not obliged under any law to take any government appointment or to be ministers of state. Those who want to be Billionaires will have to establish their businesses pay their taxes and nobody will have a problem with them being billionaires. People should no longer reap where they have not sown. Again, it is common sense that we create wealth before we enjoy it. It is the opposite in our part of the world, where money is always borrowed from the World Bank, IMF and other creditors to enjoy a very expensive lifestyle in a country we claim is heavily indebted. We will change the way politics has been done over the last four decades and leave a better country for our children and generations unborn.

12. All government bungalows are our national endowments that should generate revenue towards our national development like cocoa, gold, timber, diamond and others. It is therefore unacceptable for some to be accommodated free at the expense of our national development.

13. We will protect and cultivate a culture of maintaining what belongs to the state at all times. It is a shame that most national assets have been sold, left to rot or deteriorated due to inefficient management and lack of maintenance. Tema Meridian hotel and township is a classic example of neglected national assets and it is really a shame.

EXCESSIVE TAXATION.

Excessive taxation system is counter productive in all parts of the world, and is a major cause for political instability in most countries. The cost of petroleum products and import duties in the country will therefore be reviewed and we will instead, look at a wider source of revenue generation. Fellow Ghanaians, these are bold economic measures that cannot obviously be pursued by those who enjoy the old political system. They know what to do to free the majority from economic hardships but they will not do it because the system favors their selfish interests. This is because they want to enslave every Ghanaian while they remain the slave masters for generations to come. Why then did we fight colonialism?

If past governments, both military and civilian had pursued such policies, Ghana should be a proud nation today; just as Malaysia, Singapore, India and others in the Asian belt are proud and now do not rely on the world economic power blocks for survival. Ghana National Party has come to fight this economic war, which we believe will go a long way to restructure our economy and set us on the road to prosperity and self-reliance. We will save enough to create jobs, improve all levels of our educational institutions, improve our medical facilities to world class standards to serve the sub-Sahara African specialized medical needs, and to improve the living standards of our people, especially the disabled and marginalized. We have a job to do, and we are dedicated and committed to at long last, fulfill the aspirations of the Ghanaian desire for economic freedom. Ghana National Party is the best and last hope to wage the war for Ghana’s economic freedom and political stability. In the name of GOD AND ALLAH, we call on all Ghanaians to spiritually and financially support our cause for change because the old traditions have miserably failed us through deceptions, selfishness and unfulfilled promises. They have nothing new other than asking for your votes to try them again. I think you have had enough of that rhetoric.

Arise, students of Ghana, Arise, workers of Ghana, Arise farmers of Ghana, Arise, Christians and Muslims. Arise, and be an apostle for the message of change. Tell our people to critically look at their conditions and accept to vote Ghana National Party to power in December 2008. We will build a just and fair society where people will be judged by their intelligence and performance, but not by their tribe or what connection one has with the president, a minister, Parliamentarian or a top government official.

Fellow Ghanaians, those who believe in freedom, understand that it does not come about without sweat and sacrifices. Throughout history, many have sacrificed for others to have freedom. Kwame Nkrumah, J B Danquah and others sacrificed for Ghana to have political freedom. The black American civil rights leader of blessed memory, Dr. Martin Luther King JR. sacrificed his life, that black Americans and indeed black people all over the world shall be recognized. Today, a black American woman Dr. Condoleezza Rice is the most powerful woman in the world as America’s secretary of state. Additionally, a black American senator Barrack Obama, with a Kenyan father, is making history in American politics in the democratic presidential primaries. Senator Edward Kennedy calls it A NEW GENERATION OF POLITICS IN AMERICA. It is worthwhile to mention that the democratic heavy weights of American politics are supporting Obama for change in America’s political direction. These are living testimonies that suggests that black Africa will be capable of managing their own affairs under a level plain field. GHANA NEEDS A NEW GENERATION OF POLITICS, to also change our political direction. Our democracy is said to be no where near flawed democracy. Ghana National Party is therefore committed to true democracy, and will introduce the Swedish and Danish models of democracy where FREEDOM OF INFORMATION shall be placed at the doorsteps of all Ghanaians to access. Everything that happens in our Government is not transparent. We will have nothing to hide from our people, under a committed policy of absolute transparency and accountability. We will therefore enact the freedom of information bill and sign it into law within the first three months of GNP administration. These are not just some of the usual rhetoric or empty promises of politicians. Rather, it is the determination of a desperate people to attempt to do for once, what is right for our country and people in our lifetime and AGAIN, to offer our people the right under our constitution to the basic necessities of life, fairness, opportunities and justice for all.

We would however like to caution our numerous supporters and sympathizers that it is not going to be easy. We will hit rocks digging the trenches and tunnels but we will have to sacrifice all energies to finish the job. In the end, when success crowns our efforts with economic freedom, we shall all sing with joy, FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST! WE ARE ECONOMICALLY FREE AT LONG LAST.

Mr. Chairman, many are those who may have not heard about the Ghana National Party. This is because we don’t have the kind of money those making the most noise have. Instead, we have the right and best message and ideas that will be good for the whole Nation. That will win the elections but not their money. Our intention is to offer Ghanaians a new type of leadership, a new platform with a vision of great new ideas and possibilities, for our ECONOMIC FREEDOM. Remember, it took God over four hundred years to redeem the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. This is the time God has set for Ghana’s redemption. I therefore urge all Ghanaians to disabuse the “OBIAA BAA SAA” irresponsible talk, and embrace the era of a new beginning for Ghana’s economic emancipation.

At this point, I would like to thank the delegates who have reposed their confidence in me to lead our great party through the December elections and beyond. I have every confidence that the people of Ghana will repeat the history of the year 2000, when after years of hardships, they voted for change. The question is, are our conditions of living any better? If the answer is NO! which we all know, then, I sincerely wish to recommend the just outdoored Ghana National Party, which I have just been appointed the commander in chief, as the best alternative which must be your choice for change when you vote in December 2008. I am the son of peasant farmers of blessed memory. My mother died when I was two years and given birth after me. I have therefore got to this age through the hard way and therefore feel the pain of the ordinary man and the poor in society. When voted into power, I will never rest until there is fairness and opportunities for the poor children of Gambaga, and all parts of the country.

Mr. Chairman, Nii Mei Ke Naa Mei, Nananom, members of the diplomatic corp. distinguished guests, members of the press, representatives of the electoral commission, representatives of the various political parties, ladies and gentlemen.

I thank you all for you ears and attention. God bless you all.