Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for the Damongo Constituency, has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, for their 24-hour economy policy, calling it a catchphrase.
He claimed that after being given control of the economy for four years, the NDC and Mr Mahama brought about a power outage and could not even maintain a 12-hour economy.
The Minister claims that the NDC’s track record demonstrates that their purported 24-hour economy cannot be trusted.
On Saturday, February 17, 2024, Mr. Jinapor made his announcement as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Damongo Constituency. He claimed that the NDC had failed to explain the so-called 24-hour economy to the average Ghanaian and that their track record of dumsor (power outages) during their tenure in office demonstrated their inability to deliver a 24-hour economy.
To choose its parliamentary candidates for seats where members of parliament are currently in office, the NPP held legislative primaries last month.
The current Member of Parliament, Mr. Jinapor, was not challenged in the Damongo Constituency.
According to the party’s Constitution, where only a person is nominated at the close of nominations, the person is acclaimed as the Parliamentary Candidate.
This is the second time that Mr Jinapor has gone unopposed in the Damongo Constituency.
Several dignitaries, including the Party’s general secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua; Francis Asenso Boakye, the Minister of Roads and Highways and Member of Parliament for Bantama; Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; and Fatima Abubakar, the Minister-designate for Information, attended the ceremony to recognize the Minister as the Parliamentary Candidate formally.
During the ceremony, Mr. Jinapor urged the people of Ghana to cast their votes in large numbers for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s presidential candidate.
He said in just two months after his election, Dr Bawumia had laid down his policies and strategies to take Ghana to the next level when elected as the President of the Republic.
He said Mr Mahama, on the contrary, has not been able to make any substantive policy proposition to Ghanaians but has rather asked for a period of honeymoon when elected.
According to Mr Jinapor, even though the NDC has been touting a supposed 24-hour economy, they have failed to explain what this means to Ghanaians.
“When you ask them what 24-hour economy means, they either say Jack Toronto, or something else.”
The Minister said Mr Mahama when he became President, plunged the economy into dumsor [Power crisis], and collapsed small and medium-scale businesses.
He asked how someone who could not provide for a day’s economy makes provision for a night economy.
“For four years … in the day, tailors could not work, in the day, there was no economy for welders, carpenters, fitters, and thousands and millions of Ghanaians, how then are you going to provide a 24-hour economy,” Mr Jinapor asked.
The Minister said contemporary development, across the world, revolves around technology and digitisation.
He said, that even as Vice President, Dr Bawumia has championed policies that will bring the much-needed development to Ghanaians, and has proven that when elected as President, he can take Ghana to the next level.
He called on Ghanaians to rally behind the NPP and Dr Bawumia to continue the progressive policies the Government is implementing.
