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President Nana Akufo-Addo has questioned the feasibility of former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed "24-hour economy" policy, casting doubts on its practicality based on Mahama’s past performance. Speaking at the commissioning of the Sekyere Afram Plains District Hospital in Drobonso on November 25, President Akufo-Addo critiqued Mahama's track record, particularly during his tenure as Ghana’s leader.
Akufo-Addo pointed out that Mahama’s administration was marred by persistent power outages, commonly referred to as “Dumsor,” which disrupted businesses and households nationwide. “If he couldn’t maintain a consistent 12-hour power supply during his presidency, how can he promise a 24-hour economy? This is misleading,” Akufo-Addo stated.
The President’s remarks come as Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) gear up for the 2024 elections, with bold promises aimed at revitalizing Ghana’s economy. However, Akufo-Addo urged Ghanaians to critically assess the viability of such proposals, calling for honesty and feasibility in campaign promises.
Turning to his administration’s achievements, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the success of the Free Senior High School (SHS) initiative, which he described as a transformative policy. He noted that before the implementation of Free SHS, economic barriers prevented over 1,000 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates annually from continuing to secondary school, cumulatively denying nearly a million young Ghanaians access to further education over a decade.
“Elsewhere in the world, governments cover the school fees of young people, and we decided Ghana should do the same,” Akufo-Addo said. He emphasized the policy’s impact, stating that the number of SHS students has doubled from 800,000 to 1.6 million, with 5.7 million students benefiting since its inception.
The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to expanding access to quality education and ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder Ghanaian youth from achieving their full potential.
The commissioning of the Sekyere Afram Plains District Hospital was another milestone Akufo-Addo highlighted. He stressed his government’s dedication to improving healthcare infrastructure across the country as part of its broader development agenda.
As the 2024 elections approach, the discourse between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC continues to shape public opinion, with both sides presenting competing visions for Ghana’s future.
This report is based on coverage by MyJoyOnline.com.
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