The presidential nominee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, elucidated the factors that influenced his decision to select the former Minister of Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate for the upcoming 2024 presidential race.
According to him, her integrity and vision for Ghana make her the perfect candidate to serve as Vice President.
Mahama expressed his sentiments via a post on social media platform X.
“I am proud to have Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as my running mate. Her integrity, dedication and vision for a better Ghana make her the ideal candidate to join me in leading our party to victory in the upcoming elections.”
On Thursday, March 7, the NDC officially revealed Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as Mahama’s running mate.
She previously ran alongside Mahama as his vice-presidential candidate in the 2020 general elections, resulting in their defeat to the incumbent President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
I am proud to have Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as my running mate.
Her integrity, dedication, and vision for a better Ghana make her the ideal candidate to join me in leading our party to victory in the upcoming elections.
“A middle-income country should maintain a debt to GDP ratio of no more than 60 percent, according to recommendations.
If you surpass 60% and reach 70% or more, you are classified as a highly indebted poor country, or HIPC.
Everyone in Ghana owes close to GH $900 if we divide the debt among all citizens, including children, he said.
Addressing residents of Kakasunaka in the Kpone Katamanso constituency on Wednesday as part of his campaign tour of the Greater Accra Region, Mr Mahama said the government has since the year 2017 borrowed GH¢157 billion, thereby increasing the debt to GDP ratio to an unprecedented 76.7 percent.
“The recommended debt to GDP profile for a middle-income country is that we should remain not more than 60 percent debt to GDP. If you pass 60 percent and you go to 70 percent and above, you are becoming highly debt distressed, which is the same as HIPC. If we take that debt and divide it amongst all Ghanaians, including children, everybody owes almost GH¢9000,” he said.
Mr Mahama was amazed at the ballooning national debt stock inspite of attacks on his tenure and pledges by the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that it was capable of developing the country without loans.
He said when the NPP was in opposition, it created the impression that Ghanaians were sitting on money but were hungry as a result of the policies of the Mahama administration.
“But today we are hungrier than we were in 2016. How many people can eat three square meals a day today? And the question you ask is, where is the money, GH¢ 157 billion, what have you done with it? Show us”, he said.
Mr Mahama said his government developed the country with the GH¢56 billion it took in loans, adding the evidence can be seen all over the country that his government invested in roads, school blocks, hospitals, water and power expansion projects, among others.
Mr Mahama said, among others, the next NDC governement will focus on job creation, implementation of Free Primary Healthcare to ensure universal access to healthcare, rolling out Free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (T-VET) as well as state-sponsored National Apprenticeship Programme.
