The flagbearer of the Convention Peoples Party Ivor Greenstreet takes his turn at the IEA Encounter this evening to outline the vision of the CPP and policies the party will implement if it wins the 2016 elections. For a country challenged by power, poor sanitation, economic issues, educational setback, Ivor will have a lot to share and lot to answer from his guests. The CPP flagbearer is the second in the series of the IEA encounters with presidential candidates who have representation in Parliament. The PNC flagbearer Dr Edward Mahama was the first to face the panel of experts, bureaucrats, business men, interest groups to outline his vision and was soon after bombarded with questions. It will be no different for Ivor Greenstreet. 

Ivor Greenstreet officially announces the 'apam fofro' the new covenant campaign being run by the CPP in the hope of winning the 2016 elections. He starts with a famous quote, a song from Bob Marley which says "If you are the big tree, we are the small axe, sharpened to cut you down." He says the CPP is ready to cut down the big political parties in the November elections.He says the CPP wants a just society for all. The CPP believes in the oneness of Ghana not in the world banks of ethnic divisions created by the NPP and the NDC. He says the CPP has the ideas and the vision to develop the country, something both the NDC and the NPP did not have. He says over 30 percent of the population is poor with 19 percent extremely poor. 53 percent of households occupy a single room with inflation high and the cost of living high. Ghana is second in Africa for open defecation and second in Africa for cholera after Nigeria. This is absolutely unacceptable and impermissible. That is why there is supposed to be a new covenant with the CPP. Apam fofro he calls it.

Under CPP there will be a new national identification system developed with a local software system which will better solve the poor address system in the country and that will create jobs.

Recent stats show that 48% of Ghanaians between ages 15 and 24 are jobless and that will peak in the coming decade. Are we not a creative country? Kwame Nkrumah was a creative mind. In his time, even prisoners worked to produce food; in our time we pack them into prison houses to rot. The CPP believes it is possible to change the structure of the economy. Ask yourself how we got here? 24 years of the same policies by the NPP and the NDC have brought us here. Inflation targeting among other bad policies by the two governments is what has brought us here. The CPP will not implement that. In an era where there is difficulty, government is rather increasing taxes.

We believe in the development concept that has human beings at the centre and not one about statistics.

A CPP government will abrogate any EPA agreement signed unilaterally with the EU. Ghana is safer and sound. We will stand by Nigeria in seeking a collective negotiation with the EU on the EPA agreement.

Education

60 per cent of population are educated in South Korea. In Ghana it is 3 per cent. Ghana needs a seismic redirection of the curricula not the three year, four year debate being waged by the NPP and the NDC.

The vision of the CPP for education is ICT technology based. We will ensure that politicians will not meddle in the NHIS policy. We will improve emergency services and improve access to care when in labour which is causing needless death especially in the case of women who are disabled. Doctors have to pay for postgraduate education but under CPP it will be free.

There will also be the affordable housing project as part of the policies the CPP government will implement. The CPP will pass the rent control act immediately. We will tear down the barriers that make people suffer. The six months rent law has been violated and all of us have been made to believe that the 2 year, 3 year rent advance is the norm. That will change under the CPP. A roof over a man is basic. The days of Kaneshie estates will be brought back under the CPP government.

The flagstaff house was constructed without a ramp. Those who constructed it never for once thought that a man in a wheel chair will be president. But it will happen.