Former President John Dramani Mahama says before the end of 2021, if he is re-elected president in December, he will introduce and begin the implementation of a free primary healthcare plan.
“This will make the provision of primary healthcare to all Ghanaians young and elderly free,” he stressed.
Mr Dramani Mahama made this known on Monday, July 27 at the unveiling of his running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
He said promises of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the electioneering campaign will be a “sacred social contract that will be honoured and not betrayed”.
“This pledge is to all including our compatriots who have lost interest, faith and hope in our politics.”
He promised to change the face of politics in Ghana “so that no one will be considered less Ghanaian or more Ghanaian than the other”.
The former president will be contesting his third elections in December, having won one – in 2012 – and lost one – in 2016.
In both previous elections, he was partnered by Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, who passed away on June 29, 2018.
He will thus contest the December 7 election with Prof Opoku-Agyemang, who served in his government as Minister of Education.
On his choice of a woman as his running mate, the first for a major political party in Ghana, Mr Dramani Mahama said this is only a continuation of tradition the NDC has been noted for.
“As I described her in my statement following the announcement I made, she is God-fearing, a distinguished scholar, a conscientious public servant, and a role model.
“The NDC has a lot to show when it comes to putting women at the forefront of leadership. Women constitute about 50 per cent of Ghana’s population and women form the majority of Ghana’s workforce.
“They must lead in order to advance our nation’s progress and we have been vindicated at every turn by the sterling output of these female high-fliers.”
He mentioned Ghana’s first female Speaker of Parliament, Joyce Bamford-Addo, first female Foreign Minister, Hannah Tetteh, first female Attorney General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, first female Chair of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC), Charlotte Osei, who was also first female Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the first female Chair of the Council of State, Cecilia Johnson, as examples of first female appointments by the NDC.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana