On March 2, 2023, former president John Dramani Mahama launched his 2024 presidential run with several fascinating promises for Ghana. Several National Democratic Congress supporters and executives met at the well-organized event hosted at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta Region (NDC).
After nearly eight years in opposition, John Mahama told an enthusiastic crowd at the UHAS’s Cedi Auditorium that he had learned a great deal. The room was filled with shouting, applause, and the tooting of noisemakers.
“I can say with full confidence that I learned a lot during the period and I am ready to be the President Ghanaians are looking for,” he said
In his first campaign address for the 2024 elections, Mahama made several pledges to the Ghanaian people:
- He said Ex-gratia payments will be eliminated.
John Mahama campaigned on a platform that would end ex gratia payments to politicians serving under Article 71. In his criticism of ex gratia payments, Mahama echoed the sentiments of prominent Ghanaian civil society organizations.
“We will continue and bring to conclusion the constitution review process began by President Atta Mills including a review of the controversial article 71 to reduce the number of office holders, and remove the disparities in privileges and emoluments vis a vis the public and civil service. The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive under Article 71 will be scrapped,” he said.
- Reduce the size of government
From the point of view of a large government, civil society groups have repeatedly taken strong aim at Nana Akufo-Addo. To get people to believe in Ghana’s democracy again, Mahama plans to cut the number of people in his administration down to 60 and make other changes.
The NDC candidate for president also pledged to have the fewest ministries of any presidential candidate in the 4th Republic.
“I will form a government of less than 60 ministers and deputy ministers of state”.
- Covid-19 Expenditure Audit
If re-elected in 2024, Mahama has vowed to look into how the present government of Nana Akufo-Addo has spent taxpayer money, including the results of the COVID-19 audit and the Auditor-General’s reports from the past several years. He promised that anti-corruption efforts would be allowed to thrive under his administration.
Source – Tru News Report
