The Presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has promised to work with relevant state authorities to recover state assets and funds illicitly obtained through corruption, should he emerge victorious in the forthcoming December 7 general elections.
He said this during his live broadcast titled, “Mahama Conversations”. The former President referenced the case of former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah and the alleged $1 million stolen from her while stashed in her Abelemkpe home. He vowed to retrieve every single penny from the said case when voted into power.
“Ghana’s youth have further experienced how a minister could stash millions of dollars in her home and only God knows the full extent of Ghanaian taxpayers’ money that has been stashed away by many others. But I say to the good people of Ghana that, working with Ghanaians and international anti-corruption partners, we shall do all that is humanly possible to retrieve such wrongly acquired wealth,” Mr Mahama said.
He added that, as Ghana’s socio-economic challenges persist, the struggles of the many and the opulence of the few have become glaring, with the younger generation taking notice of the inappropriate spending habits of those in power, including the use of private jets for personal trips, despite the availability of a presidential jet.
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“Notwithstanding all these socio-economic difficulties, the young people continue to observe the opulence of the [New Patriotic Party] administration’s officials and their families chartering private jets at $20,000 per hour for trips that our own Falcon Executive Jet could have done and as the Minister for Defence explained, it [the Falcon Executive Jet] had no shower for a presidential bath,” he said.
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Mr. Mahama further reiterated his commitment to the implementation of the 24-hour economy initiative, which he is confident will enhance the well-being of many Ghanaians.
“The 24-hour initiative is the answer for now and in the future. It will create an enabling environment with deliberate policies for businesses, companies, and government institutions to operate 24/7 in a three-eight-hour shift system. In addition to the traditional 8-hour shift system, the two additional work shifts that my administration will introduce will double and sometimes triple the number of jobs that participate in public and private entities that we currently have,” he said.
He highlighted the advantages of the 24-hour economy policy as one that will revive varying sectors of the economy – from essential service delivery to agriculture services.
“Giving more to society, providing efficient service delivery, and generating decent and well-paying jobs. The benefits of this system will include but not be limited to; 24-hour port and harbour services, 24-hour customs services, 24-hour DVLA services, 24-hour agro-processing factories, 24-hour manufacturing industries, 24-hour construction companies and many more,” he added.
The 24-hour policy has been met with both enthusiasm and scepticism, as trader groups welcome the move, while others claim that the country is already operating under a similar framework, fueling public discussions.
