By Clifford Okyere
Former President and Flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has declared that the country does not need a ‘try me too’ leader to handle the affairs of the country anymore. He made this statement at the launch of his flagbearer campaign, dubbed ‘Building The Ghana We Want Together’, for the NDC at the University of Health and Allied Sciences Cedi Hall in Ho.
According to Mahama, the current state of the country is at its most dreadful stage, and for that matter, the party cannot have an ill-prepared candidate to represent them and also confront the head-on problems that the country is currently faced with, adding that, the country needs a leader who owns up to responsibilities and is not a victim-blamer.
“Ghana at this time does not need a ‘try-me-too leader; Ghana needs a leader who accepts responsibility and works to fix the problem, not one who shifts blame to others.”
The former President further stated that he has over the period monitored the country’s problems and has his eyes set on dubious activities he says are being perpetrated by the ruling government, remarking that he knows how to deliver “that badly needed change,” the country desperately needs.
He insisted, “We will not run a government of slogans, instead, we will run a government of action.”
Mr. Mahama promised that the next NDC government will ensure that the payment of ex-gratia and other emolument under Article 71 be scrapped. He also added that his government will conduct various probes into public financial spending, especially COVID-19 funds, among others, that will lead to the prosecution of all persons found culpable. He finally added that he will reduce the size of government under his tenure to 60 ministerial and deputy ministerial appointees.
Meanwhile, the former president believes he is the best candidate to lead the NDC into the next general election in 2024.
He competes with four other candidates, including the former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor; former Mayor of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu; and businessman, Ernest Kwaku Krobea, in the race to be the next NDC’s flagbearer in the 2024 election.