What did Mahama do for the youth during his 8 years? - Bawumia asks

Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has challenged former President John Dramani Mahama to spell out what he did for the youth in the country, in the eight years he was in government as Vice President and President respectively.

Addressing NPP youth wing in Accra during a meeting on Wednesday, Dr. Bawumia said, Mr Mahama is churning out promises to the youth that he cannot keep.

According to the vice president, Mr Mahama had failed the youth during his time in office, and will do same if given the chance, because he (Mahama) is not a ‘new person’

 “we are in an election year and we are hearing a lot of promises from the former president John Mahama, and you will even after sometime wonder if he has been in office before and may be tempted to think he is a new person. But former President Mahama is not a new quantity but a known quantity who has been in office for eight years as a Vice President and President. What did Mahama do for the youth during his tenure?”

Bawumia said, contrary to Mahama’s ‘incompetence’, President Akufo-Addo has demonstrated his understanding of the issues Ghanaian youth face, and he has made moves to address them in three and half years.

 “promises are one thing but deeds and actions are another. Actions speak louder than words and John Mahama’s record of incompetence has already spoken very loudly. President Akufo-Addo has demonstrated his understanding of the issues affecting the youth and has taken steps to tackle them in his first term. His [Akufo-Addo] next term in office will be transformational for Ghana with the youth at the centre of that transformation.”

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The Vice President listed several youth-centred initiatives such as job creation through one district one factory, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan, President's Business Support Programme, Planting for Food and Jobs, Greenhouse Village Initiative, Campus Business Pitch, Presidential Empowerment for Women with Disability, revival of Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, NABCO, as well as other programs which he said the youth have benefitted from, such as restoration of teacher and nursing trainee allowances, refund of deposits of collapsed financial institutions, free water and electricity, etc.

"Over the last three and half years, we have developed and implemented many initiatives designed to place the youth in the forefront of national development," Dr. Bawumia said.

"We have created over two million jobs in the public and private formal sectors since 2017 (inclusive of governemnt job-creation programmes and initiatives such as Plating for Food and Jobs, NBCO Graduate Programme and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan."

"Our policies have also led to significant job creation by the private sector , for example, through the revival of the Obuasi Mine of Anglogold Ashanti. Since its restart, from June 2018 to June 2020, the Obuasi Mine has employed 4,163 people on the mine rehabilitation project, and we have also created over two hundred and fidty thousand private formal sector jobs according to data from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)."

Dr. Bawumia stated that President Akufo-Addo has proved his understanding of issues affecting the youth and that having taken steps to tackle them in his first term, his next term will be more promising.