ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
Indeed, the First and Second ladies have since 2017, engaged in courses that have brought succor to millions of Ghanaians.
The story of the First lady’s intervention in the health sector is a matter of public record.
The Second Lady’s work among poor and vulnerable communities around the country continues to put smiles in the faces of a people, who hitherto were dejected and despondent.
They have therefore been key communicators of our achievements this far.
They both continue to draw large crowds of people who troop to them to express their gratitude for the contributions that they have made to their lives.
Key members of the campaign structure, that is, the National Chairman of the Party, the General Secretary, National Organiser, Youth Organiser, Womens’ Organiser, Campaign Manager and all his deputies, Lord Commey, Afua Asabea Asare and myself, have all been around the country.
Indeed as we speak many of these officers are on the field, selling the NPP’s message of a brighter future.
These press conferences that we have been addressing are all part of the channels for selling our message.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we are ready.
We are ready for December 7.
We are winning but we must win.
I call on all NPP people around the country to stay focused on our message.
We have done a lot.
We continue to make the point, that no government in the fourth republic, in its first term, has done the volume of work that the NPP has done.
The Ghanaian people know.
They will show it on December 7.
The NDC know this.
They go around the country too.
They hear the people.
Indeed, there is a video in circulation of the Presidential candidate of the NDC when he visited the Western-North region.
At a rally he asked the people in Twi, “have your lives progressed or retrogressed?”
Of course, he was expecting that the people will say that their lives had retrogressed.
To his utter shock and dismay, the people shouted in unison, “EKO NE NIM.”
To wit, our lives have progressed.
Those areas are farming areas.
They have seen the benefits of the panting for food jobs programme and how that has improved their incomes.
They have seen how the revival of the NHIS gives them better access to health care.
They have seen how the free SHS programme has enabled their children go to school.
For many families in those areas, it is the free SHS programme that got many families to have their first ever SHS graduate in their life time.
To compound the woes of the NDC, their attempt to claim authorship of the free SHS programme has subjected them to public ridicule.
Candidate John Mahama has become the butt of many jokes in Ghana today.
They know they are losing.
Indeed, they know they have lost.
They have therefore decided that they will resort to the politics of calumny, vilification and mudslinging as a last ditch attempt at reviving their dead campaign.
NDC campaign no, ator nsuom.
NDC campaign, egblen.
NDC campaign, yamutu.
NDC nim campaign maa, kpiya.
So, they have started throwing in doctored videos, manufactured and concocted documents, all in an attempt to cast NPP actors in bad light and hope that it will attract some revulsion for the NPP and hopefully revive their campaign.
But no amount of fake news, concoctions, distortions and lies and vilification will revive a dead campaign.
Dead campaigns are revived by coherent strategy, anchored on a sound message.
Nothing else will work.
So, we are putting the public on notice, that they should watch out for these fake stories in the last week of campaigning.
Let us treat them with the contempt that they deserve.
I want to conclude by asserting without fear of contradiction, that the NPP is the only party in the fourth republic that has initiated and executed programmes that have benefitted the mass of the people.
Indeed, we are the only and true pro-people party.
Many of the things and programmes that are benefitting millions of Ghanains were opposed by the NDC.
When we found oil, they called ridiculed it and called it adwengu.
When we introduced the NHIS bill in parliament they wanted none of it.
They walked out of parliament.
When we sought to introduce free SHS they pooh-poohed it and said it was not possible.
I can recount all the serious programmes that have transformed lives in Ghana- free maternal care, NPP; capitation grant, NPP; school feeding, NPP; metro mass transit, NPP; NHIS, NPP; one district, one factory, NPP; planting for food and jobs, NPP; one village, one dam, NPP; free SHS/TVET, NPP; Zongo Development Fund, NPP; one ambulance, one constituency, NPP; one district, one warehouse, NPP.
So, anytime the NDC come into office, what do they do?
It is all about create, loot and share.
The bankruptcy of ideas on the part of the NDC is even more telling in this election cycle.
Go onto the streets and ask people what they remember about the NDC manifesto.
They will tell you two things- Okada and mortuaries for Muslim communities.
Subhanallah!
Ladies and gentlemen, lets us move Ghana forward.
Let us protect our progress.
Let us come out in our numbers on December 7, 2020 and give Akufo-Addo a resounding victory that will teach politicians that Ghanaians will only accept governments that work to further the interests of the citizens, not those who come to power for the sake of it and who invest in Guinea Fowl Authorities which fly to Burkina Fasso.
Four More To Do More for You!
Number One on the ballot!
God bless our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.
Our respected party leader and flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, the next President of our beloved Republic, HE Lordina Mahama, Niimei, Naamei, Nananom.
Togbey ooo Mama ooo, Council of Elders, Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the National Chairman, the General Secretary, the entire leadership of the National Democratic Congress, from the national through the regional, constituency to the wards and branches, to our devoted, hardworking and teeming supporters and sympathisers, many who have travelled from across the country, to you all I extend my deep appreciation for endorsing my nomination and for accepting me, again.
To my family, colleagues, and friends, all those who have sent me volumes of moving letters and voice and written notes and songs and prayers of support since my nomination, accept my undying gratitude.
My plea is for all of us, bound by a shared vision to see our country take a turn for the better, to work towards realizing that vision.
HE Ayebida President Mahama, please allow me to address you directly: As I stated in my brief acceptance note on March 7, 2024, by renominating me you have demonstrated your remarkable consistency and unwavering commitment to inclusivity and innovation.
I have heard you share with the public your rationale for choosing me, again.
I have found that very touching.
Thank you very much; as the Gonjas express it with meaning: ansan kushun.
I see your choice as an affirmation of your belief in the capabilities of the Ghanaian woman.
I will repay your abiding confidence with loyalty, understanding and a devotion to duty.
My output, going forward, by the Grace of God, will continue to demonstrate what the world knows already, that women are also capable of high achievements; that we do so with that reservoir of strength, determination, and mental acuity that only those who are noble and far-sighted can comprehend and contend with.
I will share in our collective successes and, share responsibility for our setbacks if any.
And, at the time of reckoning, HE John Dramani Mahama, I will not, in the advancement of self-serving ambition, declare to the world that I was only the driver's mate.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, before I go on to other important matters, please let me state my understanding of where we are as a country and the implications of what lays ahead, as clearly as I can manage it: the election ahead of us is not about making history, although that is important.
It is not about returning a former president back to power, or about producing the first woman vice president, historical and exciting though they are.
It is not only about bringing the National Democratic Congress to power although that is indispensable in our current circumstances.
It is about winning the elections for a purpose that goes beyond those enumerated above.
The purpose is the opportunity to hold our country together, again; to heal Ghana; it is about the chance to pull Ghana from the precipice of destruction, of normalizing corruption, of incomprehensible greed, from deep despair.
The election ahead is about hard work and abiding sacrifice.
It is to embrace everyone in building a Ghana that functions, again.
It is to work towards a Ghana where citizens have confidence and hope and are determined to regain their independence of thought and agenda.
We must work towards a Ghana that at the very least, can feed itself; where the law truly works; where there is shared prosperity; where democracy has not become a fluke; where people are not abused and where the necessities of life are not denied the majority or eventually, anyone.
It is a chance to work hard towards a country where citizens do not feel disrespected, intimidated, or ignored because of the way they vote or the language they speak.
The victory we seek as a party is to invite everyone to the onerous task of rebuilding a broken Ghana, of restoring hope, in a manner that the NDC is capable of doing through their history and achievements.
My brothers and sisters, we are not in ordinary times.
Some of us have been around for a while and have experienced the to-and-fro of politics in Ghana.
But never have we experienced the levels of greed, unbridled arrogance, unrestrained impunity, sheer dishonesty, barefaced hypocrisy and compassion displayed by this incumbent government over the past seven years and more.
The task ahead is formidable, much more than it was four years ago.
I remain inspired by the fact that, as a people, we have faced terrible situations before.
Check our history.
Please don’t begin with the Fourth Republic or the struggle for independence, important though they are.
Go hundreds of years back.
In those hard times, our forefathers and foremothers did not throw up their arms in despair.
They fought back; they resisted, they sacrificed, they persevered; they brought back hope where there was none; they picked up the broken pieces and carefully, strategically, sewed them back, and they left for us a legacy of selflessness, patriotism, and pride.
It’s our turn to leave the same and even better to our future generations.
Across the political divide, across social and professional groupings, among the youth, you hear of complaints and stories concerning state capture, where this government has chosen to use its power not in the broader interest of all Ghanaians but to favour a small clique.
John and I have agreed, that whoever has participated in the plunder of the state must be held accountable.
This is not a threat; it is a promise, premised on the wishes of our citizens across the various political and social divides, and hinged on the principle of accountability.
Let us face the facts: The promotion of ethnocentric elitism masquerading as intellectualism; nepotism cloaked as know-how; weakness strutting as courage; and crony capitalism masked as development in freedom; shameless hypocrisy acting as objectivity… these never served a country determined to make progress at any level.
Rather, the most significant achievement of these things has been a country in near insolvency, its natural resources such as water and land and environment in rebellion, a people harassed and intimidated into numbness and as some say cynically, bribed into silence.
I envisage a report of the administration of HE John Dramani Mahama on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress which justifies his return.
The report would have no reference to the following: A multi-million-dollar dugout; I don’t know about you but the image I get looking at the trench is that of a hole in utter shock that anyone could believe it was intended as a thanksgiving gift to the Almighty, Invisible, God Only Wise A free SHS at war, with the battle fought on the grounds of food, shelter, space, calendar, teaching and learning materials, or those who spend a couple of weeks at school and several months idling at home; past questions instead of textbooks and science equipment, or an atmosphere that suppresses learning.
Free water and electricity to a few that turns out to be the most expensive for all.
Such a report would not find: Covid-19 money is shared for partisan political campaign purposes, while people die from a lack of support at our health facilities An Agyapa-like manifesto under the NDC led by JDM It would not include: A president clearing malfeasance and writing love letters to prejudge a bad situation It would not find: Unemployment has jumped from 8 to 14% (check out the actual numbers), a GDP that has gone AWOL or a cedi that refuses to be tamed.
Or, Weak efforts to hide the truth of dumsor.
The report would not include: Scandals surrounding the PDS; Australian Visas; Kelni GVG; Bost Contaminated Fuel; excavators and 'aboboyaa' tricycles that can fly swifter than guinea fowls (nkonfem); or the loss of some GHS 60.8 at a central bank, or Unfulfilled promises of one village one dam; one million dollars per constituency per year; 350 secondary schools from scratch and too, too many betrayals It would not see: A tracker in hiding, too embarrassed to expose its plagiarized content In truth, such an investigation would not reveal over 100 scandals, and counting, during the tenure of the NDC under JDM What would the report say about the NDC under JDM?
After exhausting the list of clinics, hospitals, medical centres, expansion of existing universities, polytechnics turned technical universities, brand new universities focused on current and projected national needs; Mahama Schools, popularly called E-Blocks constructed from scratch; a debilitating shift system in education painstakingly and effectively abolished; tens of education expansion projects at all levels; textbook ratio at the primary level from one book to three children to four books per child, and yes, even the over-supply of chalk… It would highlight new roads, the harbours, railway lines, the ayalolo buses, the lack of intimidation of opposing voices, serious investment and practice to enable a digitized economy and society, the report would go on to point at housing projects including the famous Saglemi complex and those happily razed to make room for a presumed cathedral, journalists not hounded into exile…need I add more?
The report would find that once upon some years ago, the blame for power outages was placed at the doorsteps of the president and the minister for energy.
The report would find a president who solved the energy crisis he inherited and a minister who did resign on principle.
The report would tell of a timetable for load shedding, provided to respect the dignity of citizens and acknowledge their right to plan and also to learn the truth of our situation with energy.
The report would contrast the existing arrogance in leadership with that of the respectful JDM, who builds the children and youth by offering quality education, serious, adaptable training, lasting skills, who opens up the economy to create more space for jobs and for self-actualisation.
It would highlight a JDM who does not line up desperate, young people in the heat of the tropical sun, to march and salute him as head of state, for jobs that have no head, tail, or future.
The report would explain the foundations of the policies of the NDC that thrive on consensus building- from observation, study, analysis through vigorous debates that tolerate all views, to an agreement on the options at hand and end with well-thought-through implementation plans.
The benefits of such an approach inure to all—nation, community, and individual, necessarily in that order.
The report would highlight, going forward, the critical processes that would lead to innovations and flexibilities of the brave, timely and intentional intervention of a 24-hour economy as proposed by HE Mahama after consulting widely with stakeholders and citizens across the country.
I am not surprised at all that many significant labour groups, businesses and individuals have embraced the concept.
It is a vision anchored on the firm belief that with the right policies and incentives in place, we can inspire a new generation of enterprises to adopt a multi-shift work system and wider participation in the economy, thereby ushering us into a new golden era of Ghanaian industry.
Obiara beye bi.
By the time the policy is in full flight, we will see how from the vegetable seller to the miner; from the smallest hamlet to the crowded cities; from the farmer to the fisherfolk; from the young couple to the single parent; everyone will come to see and apply the benefits of a 24-hour economy for national, group and individual advancement.
Please come join us in our town hall meetings and other programs to learn more about this incredibly effective strategy.
Do not fall victim to those who have realized that having failed in sloganeering and packaging, they have exhausted their strategies and therefore resort to deception and destruction.
We are particularly pleased to see, as evidenced in credible polls, that this visionary policy has caught on and resonated with the public, especially our young people.
I know for a fact that the nation builder, John Mahama, who is not an economist, will deliver this economic model.
He thinks through what he says and considers advice; he is confident enough to amend his views when confronted by working alternatives.
He does not rush with decisions that have serious effects on the lives of others.
John Mahama does not shoot from the hip.
A 24-hour economy will demand that we pay special attention to skills training – "Nsaano edwuma."
That is why we are serious about continuing with the critical reforms and the improvements we made in our technical and vocational training institutions, to ensure that we equip our young people with the technical skills necessary for a thriving economy.
"Nsaano edwuma" also means equipping our youth with TECH skills so that they are ready to participate in our economy and in the global remote economy.
So, as we mentioned several times during the 2020 campaign, we intend to implement the ONE MILLION CODERS PROGRAM, which sets an ambitious and attainable goal to train over a million of our youth in coding, data science, and other tech fields.
The potential for this pool of young people to contribute to Ghana's GDP is enormous, and Insha Allah, it shall happen— live.
Definitely, we will pay special attention to issues and challenges faced by women in all walks of life.
That is part of the reason we proposed extended maternity leave, in line with one of H.E President Mahama's 2020 election promises.
And in the 2024 manifesto, the flexibility offered within the context of a 24-hour economy must hold special attraction for women, for obvious reasons.
Women entrepreneurs must have access to capital for the entire sector to boost their businesses.
That is why we will actively pursue the establishment of a Women Development Bank to nurture and grow women-owned, women-led businesses.
Women must become millionaires too, through hard work, as the men do.
Women do not need hands outs.
We need a hand up.
Women of Ghana are capable to managing the bank 100%.
The bank will take care of the small-scale businesswomen—such as those hawking or anyone who does not depend on huge capital to run her business.
I envisage its board, including trading associations and cooperatives, fully represented and making decisions and being accountable to its members.
Anaa?
Aloo wonyee??
And the world knows what we do with our resources when women prosper.
We do not leave our children and the wider families behind.
There is better stability and peace at home; most will demand less “chop money.”
All these add up to make a nation, a party, groups and individuals at peace.
Surely, this is what Kwegyir Aggrey must have observed when he made his famous statement about the far-reaching effects of the education of women.
And, if you have any doubts about this, remember Esther Ocloo.
What brilliance, what innovation, what a display of entrepreneurship!
She showed the way; let’s revive the dream and hope and actions of our hero and heroine entrepreneurs as models.
Let’s stop killing their dreams because some of us are too lazy, too envious, too lacking in original ideas or have capacities that are also too low to match their results.
How do we preach entrepreneurship, encourage its study and propose its practice, and then turn around to make waste of the efforts of successful entrepreneurs?
If you decide you don’t like the owner, think of their worker who may be a member of your community, political party, or church.
We must move to the level of encouragement, appreciation and support of those who participate in the private sector, regardless.
Their efforts at nation-building trickle down to all groups.
We will also undertake the modernisation of our markets, which remain special and dominant places for many women in the economy.
Market women deserve the benefits of a clean, modernized marketplace.
It must not end with the beautiful Kejetia or attractive Kotokoraba and allied markets.
My fellow Ghanaians across the political divide, please, please, please, I am not about to burst into a James Brown song!
Let’s show some respect to our citizens.
So, the lights are not stable and because someone has not told us there is dumsor it means there’s none.
So, the Electoral Commission is struggling to defend its credibility and until the commission tells us that the missing equipment means nothing, everyone should believe that there are not issues to worry about.
How did disrespect grow such wings?
Actions that impoverish and disenfranchise do not necessarily translate into feeblemindedness in the angry, the hungry and the oppressed.
On the contrary… again, check out the details in history.
EC, I address you directly: it is in the national interest, and in your own interest, that you make transparent what has been and is going on at your establishment.
The truth will not be suppressed.
You cannot be so independent as to disregard the people who validate your existence.
That does not exist anywhere.
A word to the wise is in Assin North.
This administration has all but given up.
Worse, they will not consult; they will not engage; they will not review.
Womo ntie obiaa.
Womo beko no saa Amanfo nso ne womo be pem so saa Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my brothers and sisters, fellow Ghanaians, Ghana requires a different environment, and urgently so.
Therefore, the Ghanaian voter is presented, again, with the experienced, humble, focused, and truthful John Mahama, who has always consulted, out of respect and out of the conviction that knowledge does not reside in the head of any one person.
The condescending sees this as a sign of not having original ideas.
The unpretentious see it as a sign of understanding the foundations of democracy, which is consensus building, the clearest signpost to sustainable peace.
I see it as a sign of strength, and I feel privileged to work with him.
Consensus building should be the fulcrum of any progressive, positive project.
It has already been demonstrated to us how, without such a foundation, the Ghana Without Aid has turned to Ghana Without Compass.
The choice is clear; let’s make it on December 7 this year.
Corruption is rampant in too many government and non government institutions; sadly, those institutions meant to check on corruption have been significantly weakened.
We must strengthen the institutions and we will do just that when the NDC comes to power from January 2025, God willing.
It is our duty to ensure that our sources of wealth are not given away to obscure entities shrouded in opaque deals.
We must not arrive at a destination where our national assets and natural resources are treated by some as if they were assets of their own creation, to be willed forever to relatives and friends.