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NDC Manifesto launch: Mahama pledges 120 days social contract with Ghanaians

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) the NDC has launched its 2024 manifesto promising jobs, accountability and transparency for Ghanaians.
As part of the manifesto, the former President and flagbearer, John Mahama also laid out his 120 days Social Contract with the people of Ghana.
According to the former President, John Dramani Mahama, Ghanaians are experiencing some economic hardships as a result of some bad policies of the current government.
For this reason, he said among other things that his government would do is to scrap nuisance taxes, improve education, implement a bold $10 billion infrastructure investment to cater for public housing projects.
MAHAMA’S FIRST 120 DAYS SOCIAL CONTRACT WITH THE PEOPLE OF GHANA.
1. Nominate within the first 14 days the complete list of Cabinet Ministers for parliamentary approval.
2. Constitute the LEANEST AND MOST EFFICIENT government under the fourth republic in my first 90 days in office.
3. Establish a robust CODE OF CONDUCT AND STANDARDS for all government officials.
4. Hold a National Economic Dialogue to discuss the true state of the economy and prepare a homegrown fiscal consolidation programme to guide the budget.
5. Within my first 90 days in office, scrap the following draconian taxes to alleviate hardships and ease the high cost of doing business: E-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on bet winnings, and Emissions levy.
6. Within my first 90 days in office, review taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes.
7. Commence drafting needed legal amendments and prepare for implementing the 24-Hour Economy Policy under the Office of the President.
8. Establish an Accelerated Export Development Council (AEDC) to promote exports as part of a broader strategy for economic transformation.
9. Convene a national consultative conference on EDUCATION to build consensus on needed improvements to the sector.
10. Implement the ‘No-Academic-Fee’ policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions—universities, colleges of education, nursing training institutions, etc.).
11. Introduce the following social interventions: Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares) Fund.
12. Commence the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools.
13. Institute inquiries and/or forensic audits into the following matters of public interest: The collapse of Indigenous Ghanaian banks and financial institutions at a supposed cost of GHS25 billion, illegal printing of money, the US$58 million National Cathedral scandal, illegal and inflated single- sourced contracts, COVID-19 expenditure scandal, PDS, Agyapa, SML, Ambulance spare parts deal, 13th African Games, Sky Train, Pwalugu Dam, Maths Sets, Galamsey Fraud, missing excavators and tricycles, Sputnik-V, BOST Scandal, and others…
14. Institute a government policy banning political appointees from purchasing state assets.
15. Allocate seed money for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank.
16. Launch the following priority job creation programmes in the first budget: ‘Adwumawura’ Programme, ‘National Apprenticeship Programme’ and ‘One Million Coders Programme’.
17. Commence the review of the Customs (Amendment) Act 2020 to scrap the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles to rescue the local automotive industry at Suame Magazine, Kokompe, Abossey Okai, among others.
18. Lay before parliament a new bill to streamline government scholarship administration, prohibit political appointees from accessing government scholarships, and eliminate political patronage, cronyism, nepotism, and corruption in awarding government scholarships.
19. Ban illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves. Roll out our ‘Tree for Life’ and Blue Water Initiative’ to heal and sustainably harness the environment by turning areas and water bodies degraded by illegal mining into economic and ecological recovery hubs.
20. Launch ‘The Black Star Experience’ initiative as Ghana’s flagship Culture, Arts and Tourism brand to transform Ghana into a preferred tourism destination.
21. Commence investigative processes to purge state security agencies of all militia and vigilante elements.
22. Re-open investigations into major unresolved criminal cases including the 2020 election killings, Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale and Silas Wulochamey.
23. Initiate a probe into the man-made disaster caused by the VRA’s spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams that displaced and destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of citizens in the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra.
24. Initiate immediate steps to compensate the flood victims, including those in the Oti, Bono East and Savanna regions.
25. Carry out a shakeup of all loss-making SOEs and realign them to break even and transition into profit-making.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
President John Dramani Mahama to kick off 2025/26 Premier League season in Accra

The 2025/26 Premier League will officially kick off on Friday, September 12, 2025, at the Accra Sports Stadium, with the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, performing the ceremonial kick-off ahead of the season opener between Accra Hearts of Oak and league debutants Hohoe United.
President Mahama will be joined by Football Association President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, members of the Executive Council and football fans from across the capital as the curtain rises on what promises to be one of the most exciting campaigns in recent years.
Giants Hearts of Oak will open their quest for a league title when they take on newly promoted Hohoe United under the floodlights of the Accra Sports Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm local time (19:00 GMT).
The Phobians, bolstered by new signings and a strong pre-season campaign, are eager to end a four-year run without an opening-day victory, while United will be aiming to make a statement in their first-ever top-flight match.
Before the main fixture, there will be a curtain-raiser between the Black Starlets (Ghana U-17) and Auroras FC, the youth side of Hearts of Oak, at 4:00 pm local time.
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, top Afro-dancehall and reggae musician Stonebwoy (Livingstone Etse Satekla) will deliver a live performance at the venue, ensuring fans enjoy not only football but also top-class entertainment on opening night.
This season is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, with traditional heavyweights, ambitious newcomers and revitalized clubs all targeting glory. From title races to survival battles, fans are set for months of excitement, drama and unforgettable moments.
News
GES opens promotion applications for teaching staff

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has invited applications from qualified teachers and officers for promotion to higher ranks within the service.
In a notice signed by the Acting Deputy Director-General for Management Services, Prof. Smile Dzisi, the GES said the ranks available are Deputy Director, Assistant Director I, Assistant Director II and Principal Superintendent.
According to the statement, applicants must meet the minimum years of service required for each position.
Teachers seeking promotion to Deputy Director must have been promoted to Assistant Director I in or before 2021.
Similarly, those applying for Assistant Director I should have held the rank of Assistant Director II since 2021 or earlier.
Applicants for Assistant Director II must have been Principal Superintendents from 2021 or earlier, while those applying for Principal Superintendent must have been Senior Superintendent I since 2021 or before.
The GES stated that teachers with approved Master’s or PhD degrees may use their certificates to apply for promotion out of turn if the qualifications meet set conditions.
These include completing an approved course of study and obtaining the certificate after their previous promotion but not later than 2023.
Applicants are to complete the online application form and upload all required documents in PDF format, except for the passport-size photograph.
The application window runs from Thursday, September 11, to Thursday, October 2, 2025. The GES urged all applicants who had applied earlier to re-apply.
By: Jacob Aggrey