The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has stated that he is running for the presidency because he wants to leave a legacy with a solid infrastructure that is accessible for all. He made this known on Sunday, September 6, when he shared some personal reflections on the political substance of the manifesto which is set to be launched on Monday, September 7, at the University of Professional Studies in Accra.
He expressed his gratitude to the people of Ghana for giving him the chance to serve as vice president and then as president for four years. He further indicated his readiness and availability to serve the people of Ghana all his life.
He explained that he did not take that decision to contest for the highest office of the land in a haste but it was based upon conscious thoughts of the vulnerabilities that the country faces especially in the area of infrastructural development.
He stressed that no country can aspire to become developed and no society can be truly resilient in the face of crisis and adversity without a solid economic and social infrastructure.
According to him, due to the indispensable role played by infrastructure in a nation’s development, he took the initiative to invest massively in infrastructural development during his tenure of office.
He however lamented that, the NPP has failed to build upon the legacy that he has laid which has now made the nation very vulnerable and less resilient.
He indicated that he increased access to electricity from 69.2% in 2012 to 79.3% in 2016. However, the NPP government increased overall access to electricity from 79.3% to only 82.3%, a mere 3 percentage points increase in four years.
“It is our sacred mission to turn Ghana into an advanced nation as soon as possible! It is our moral obligation to be bold and to aim for greatness!
“’Good enough’ is no longer good enough! To prosper and thrive, we need fundamental change! We need to set our standards and expectations far higher than ‘good enough’! If we settle for ‘good enough’, we settle for a slow death of our very soul and of our pride.
“I run for President because I want to leave a legacy: a solid infrastructure, with 100% access for all. With this legacy, we will build a truly developed Ghana, on a par with the advanced nations.”
He concluded by suggesting that he knows how to do it better than the current government and much of what he has planned, he has already delivered. He therefore, call on all and sundry to come and witness the launch of the manifesto.