Religious Tolerance Is Ghana’s Trump Card … Bawumia tells the clergy in Ho

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has told the clergy in the Volta regional capital, Ho, during his one day campaign tour of the region that one of the greatest achievements of Ghana is her religious tolerance.

The policy, he noted, has not only driven the development of the country, but has also ensured peace, making Ghana one of the most peaceful countries not only in West Africa, but Africa as a whole.

Dr Bawumia, therefore, asked the clergy to at all times pray for peace and stability of the countryparticularly for him to succeed as the next President of Ghana.He commended the faith based organisations for the tremendous role they have played in ensuring that there is peace in the country.

He noted that without peace, these faith based organisations wouldn’t have been able to provide educational infrastructure, health facilities and agriculture to complement what the government was doing.

Dr Bawumia, who is also the Vice President, reiterated his promise to grant tax rebate to religious groups on projects they execute, just as external development partners are currently enjoying.

The basis for this planned support, he explained, was that the local development partners would never ceased to exist but those coming from outside the borders of the country would one day leave the country.

Dr Bawumia’s campaign chairman, Mr Dan Botwe,on his part said the presidential candidate of the NPP and the party believe that the success of every human effort has its foundation in God, hence the involvement of the clergy in the campaign.

He said it was unfortunate that whenever people heard of politics, they associate it with lies, which in his view was not true.

According to him, some politicians sometimes engaged in propaganda and appealed to the clergy to educate the people on the truth.

The Volta Regional Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev Seth Mawutor, commended government for its development programmes and policies and hoped that the desire of Dr Bawumia becoming the president of Ghana would become a reality.

The NPP Presidential Candidate also addressed the Volta Regional House of Chiefs in Ho and the youth from the 18 municipal and districts in the Volta region.

Earlier on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 Alhaji Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia met with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and emphasised his commitment to collaborating with the private sector to curb government borrowing and enforce fiscal discipline.

This was part of his ongoing “Bold Solutions for the Future” initiative, where he has been meeting with various identifiable groups to discuss his policy proposals.

During the meeting, Dr. Bawumia reaffirmed his intention to streamline the government by limiting the number of ministers to not more than 50, a promise that extends to the leadership of state-owned enterprises.

This, he believes, will promote efficiency and reduce unnecessary governmental expenditure. He also discussed offering incentives to the private sector to alleviate some financial burdens on the government, thereby curbing excessive spending.

The General Secretary of the TUC, Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, expressed his admiration for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign slogan and vision, noting its positive impact on the country.

He particularly highlighted Dr. Bawumia’s assertion that “Ideas, Systems and Institutions are ingredients for transforming a country,” reinforcing the slogan, “It is Possible,” as a crucial message for national development.

Dr. Baah presented the “TUC Manifesto” to Dr. Bawumia, indicating the union’s readiness to support the outlined objectives. He advocated for a constitutional amendment to rebalance the distribution of power between the President and the populace, emphasising the need for collective action to resolve the ongoing power crisis definitively.

Dr. Baah also lauded Dr. Bawumia’s vision for digitalization as a transformative idea that could significantly benefit the country.

The outcomes of this meeting were multifaceted. Firstly, there was a mutual understanding and alignment on the need for fiscal discipline and reducing government size.

Dr. Bawumia’s proposals to involve the private sector more deeply in economic activities and to streamline government operations resonated well with the TUC leadership.

Secondly, the call for constitutional amendments to rebalance power dynamics indicated a shared commitment to more democratic governance structures.

Lastly, the emphasis on solving the power crisis and advancing digitalization showcased a forward-thinking approach to addressing critical national issues.