By Kizito CUDJOE
The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, set a transformative tone in the Ledzekoku constituency by highlighting his administration’s significant employment of medical personnel, as part of his campaign in the Greater Accra region.
Addressing a crowd at the Teshe Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Dr. Bawumia proudly announced that the government has recruited 200,000 medical professionals over the past seven years—a feat aimed at strengthening healthcare services across the country.
Engaging directly with trainee nurses, the Vice President reiterated his commitment to improving working conditions for health workers, underscoring his vision for a more robust public healthcare system.
“Our administration has placed healthcare at the center of national development, and we will continue to invest in the sector to ensure better conditions of service for all health workers,” he told the crowd.
Dr. Bawumia’s visit to Teshie was part of a broader constituency-focused campaign aimed at galvanizing support for the NPP in the upcoming December elections.
At the Church of Pentecost’s Great Temple in Teshie, where he held a community engagement with religious and traditional leaders, he laid out his “Bold Solutions for Jobs and Business” vision. His focus on job creation and business growth resonated with the crowd, which included drivers, traders, and fisherfolk.
The Vice President’s plans include a 40 percent reduction in public transport costs through the introduction of electric buses and a 50 percent cut in electricity bills via the generation of 2,000 megawatts of solar power within the first four years of his administration.
He also highlighted the NPP’s achievements under President Akufo-Addo, such as the Free SHS program and the digitization of public institutions like the DVLA and the Passport Office, which have streamlined public service delivery.
Flanked by Dr. Benard Okoe Boye, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Ledzekoku, Dr. Bawumia was greeted with enthusiasm by the constituents.
Dr. Okoe Boye, who is also the Minister of Health, further emphasized the government’s commitment to healthcare by announcing that kidney patients under 18 and those above 60 will now be covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme for treatment costs.
Dr. Bawumia calls for decency in political campaigns amid election build-up
The Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged political figures to maintain decorum as campaign activities ramp up for the 2024 General Elections.
Speaking at a rally at Insakina within the Amasaman Constituency of the Greater Accra region, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the importance of respectful discourse. “While it is essential for politicians to campaign and seek votes from the electorate, there must be a standard of decency in the language we use,” he stated.
Dr. Bawumia stressed that elections should be a contest of ideas, not a platform for personal attacks.
He, therefore, called on politicians to focus on presenting their policies and visions for the country rather than resorting to insults.
The Vice President maintained that the ruling government has achieved far more than any government since the beginning of the 4th Republic, and listed the numerous projects and policies including the Free Senior High School scheme among others as part of this.
Outlining his vision for the country, Dr. Bawumia asserted that given the importance digitalization in this era, there are plans to train some one million youth in digital skills including training on coding
During a stakeholder meeting at Amasaman as part of the campaign tour of the Greater Accra region, Pobiman Mantse, Nii Tetteh Kootse, among others entreated the flag bearer of the NPP to tackle the issue of poor road network linking some of the towns and communities in the area.
The Parliamentary Candidate of NPP for Amasaman Constituency, Yahaya Kasim Atta, rallied people of the area to vote massively for the party in the elections.
Next NPP gov’t to streamline passport applications using GhanaCard
The Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to overhaul the country’s passport application process by integrating it with the national GhanaCard system.
He stated that the current system, burdened by backlogs and lengthy queues, would be significantly improved through data centralization.
Dr. Bawumia explained that since the GhanaCard already captures essential personal data, future passport applications would require minimal steps. Applicants would only need to pay the processing fees, after which their passports would be printed, eliminating bureaucratic delays.
This initiative, he stated, aims to enhance efficiency and convenience for Ghanaians.
During a stakeholder engagement with residents, traders, businesses, religious groups, and party supporters in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality in the Greater Accra region, Dr. Bawumia outlined the broader benefits of the GhanaCard system.
He emphasized that the system, considered a pioneering initiative in Africa, would facilitate the implementation of a national credit system, enhancing financial inclusion and accessibility.
This credit system is expected to be launched in the coming weeks, which will form part of the steps towards modernizing Ghana’s financial infrastructure.
Dr. Bawumia also noted that the GhanaCard has been registered with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), making it a recognized identification document across some 44,000 international airports, thereby streamlining international travel for Ghanaians.
The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, detailing his vision for Ghana, highlighted the high cost of electricity as a key issue, attributing it largely to the reliance on oil and gas for power generation.
To address this, he reiterated his commitment to reducing electricity costs by 50 percent. As part of his energy sector plans, Dr. Bawumia said he aims to introduce 2,000 megawatts of solar power into the national grid if elected into office. This move, he indicated, is intended to diversify the country’s energy mix, lower generation costs, and promote sustainable energy use.
Responding to appeals to tackle the long-standing water supply issues in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, pledged to take decisive action to resolve the crisis.
He stated that he would engage the head of the Ghana Water Company Limited to conduct feasibility studies on the situation immediately. The outcome of this assessment, he said, will be used to develop a plan to address the water supply challenges in the municipality, ensuring a sustainable solution for residents and businesses.
Senior Business Journalist & Vice-Presidential Correspondent of B&FT
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