The Majority Leader of the Parliament of Ghana, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged Ghanaians to remain resolute with their choice for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the next President of Ghana, as he offers a better future for the country, more than former President John Dramani Mahama, who is staging a comeback.
In a comparative analysis of the two political leaders at a press conference in Accra, on Friday, April 19, 2024 Afenyo-Markin reasoned that Bawumia’s eligibility for eight-years in office presents an opportunity for him to introduce medium to long-term policies that would inure to the benefit of the country than Mr. Mahama, who has been tested and failed in his delivery.
Mahama, he noted, would have only one term in office, should he be elected to govern the country.
Further hitting hard on the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Afenyo-Markin said Mahama’s new government would come with lots of challenges, key amongst them is the lack of a sense of urgency to govern.
Besides, the NDC would also be hit with leadership crisis that would spur instability in Mahama’s new government.
“We know his [Mahama] track record. He is the same person with the same old people coming to tell us that they have something new to offer. Perish the thought, should the opportunity smile at him, he has only one term and there would be no sense of urgency.
“So, from day one, that government would be in crisis because those party people will be struggling on who should be the next leader”, noted the Majority Leader.
Surrounded by some MPs from the Majority Group, to give him morale support in his delivery, Afenyo-Markin, who is also the NPP MP for Effutu added, “Ghanaians need a stable government with a focus and a vision. With what is happening in the world, we don’t need a government that will struggle from day one.
But with Dr. Bawumia, we have a new person coming in, who knows that he has everything at stake and should be successful. So, he would have much more motivation to work extra hard to introduce new policies.
He comes with new ideas and has already started with the digitalization policy which has created a new opportunity for the private sector to grow.
So, comparing the leadership of the NPP and NDC, today, one has something at stake more than the other. Bawumia offers a better future for this country than former President Mahama.
Concluding his analysis on the two leaders, Afenyo-Markin who was recently elected as the 3rd Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament urged Ghanaians to reject former President Mahama in the December 7, 2024, polls, insisting that he has nothing new to offer if elected to govern the country.
He also took time to tout the achievements of the government NPP in the education, health, energy and the fisheries sectors.
For instance, in the education sector, Afenyo-Markin underscored the impact the Free Senior High School policy has had on the vulnerable in the society.
He said enrollment has increased by 75% where access has hit a staggering 1.4 million, following the implementation of the policy.
“Majoirty of the children are from vulnerable homes who couldn’t have afforded it if it were to be a fee-paying policy”, he noted.
Commenting on the Community SHS Project, popularly known as E-Blocks, which was introduced by the Mahama administration, Afenyo-Markin said after taking over the reins of power, the government under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo has completed 31 of the E-Blocks, compared to 29 achieved by the Mahama administration.
Twenty of those projects that were at different stages of completion, he added, have been re-awarded and currently ongoing
By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
