Ghana's opposition candidate promises to turn around struggling economy

With just days to Ghana’s December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections, the main opposition leader, Nana Akufo-Addo has told the media he is best placed to turn around the country’s economy.

Akufo-Addo who is confident of winning the upcoming presidential election accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of worsening the plight of the average Ghanaian.

“Our programme I think is more acceptable to the people because of the circumstances in the country,” he said adding that president John Mahama “and his party have ran the economy of Ghana poorly and they brought a lot of difficulties for the Ghanaian people and that’s why I think we have a good chance of winning”.

Nana Addo whose campaign has been focused on reviving Ghana’s struggling economy noted that numerous untapped economic opporunities existed in the country for growth.

“Across the country we believe there are raw materials and economic opportunities in all the district of Ghana that can find expression in industrial, semi-industrial activities and enterprises, and we are going to encourage that.”

Ghana’s economic woes has led it to subscribe to an IMF support programme has been a topical discussion even before the election season kicked in.

For the opposition leader what is key now is “how we are going to reverse the downward slide of the economy, how we are going to grow the economy again.”

“We believe we have a lot of policies in place that are going to allow us to do that,” he added.

There had been pockets of reports of clashes between supporters of the various parties which has generated increased calls for peace in the country.

“If we are serious about wanting peace in Ghana, it is important that these acts of violence being perpetrated by operatives of the ruling party are dealt with according to law,” Akufo-Addo said.

Nana Akufo-Addo, a former Attorney General and Foreign Minister of Ghana, is making his third attempt at the presidency.

On Sunday held a rally in the Ghanaian capital Accra where he urged the voters to give him a shot at the presidency promising to turn around the fortunes of the country.

He faces stiff competition from incumbent president John Dramani Mahama and five other candidates including a former first lady of the country, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.