It was an eternity of promises and policies. Ghanaians may have asked for more than they can chew in this demand for manifestos. What were we expecting? The document will promise, pledge, plan and predict. Settle down.

The public has never really had to listen to a presidential candidate take time to highlight his manifesto on live TV.

And so when President Mahama did so, his audience may not have been fully prepared for 'one night, one speech'.

If President Mahama is to read one page of the manifesto daily, he would still be reading it after everybody has voted on December 7. And if there is a run-off, he would finish on Christmas eve, 24 December, just when the saviour is about to be born.

Photo: [L] Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Emmanuel Bombande

The 100-page document had  ‘plenty, plenty, plenty’ ideas he warned. Tonight gonna be a good night.

Finance minister Seth Terpker rubbed his face to keep from getting unconscious amidst the bombarding display of ideas.

And President Mahama while focusing on his plans, unconsciously kept the audience engaged and awake with sharp jabs at NPP Presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.

At the mention or reference to Akufo-Addo or his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the room became alive with ripples of laughter and a renewed commitment to keep listening - waiting for the next jab.

Mahama pointed out that his Bole Bamboi hometown may not have portable water but it has not stopped him from citing a water project in Akufo-Addo’s hometown of Kyebi. We laughed.

He said his policies are aimed at integrated development not the 'snapshot' approach adopted by Akufo-Addo’s catch phrase promises of 'one-this one-that'.

If a $290-million Eastern corridor road travels across 26 districts, surely that is more investment per constituency than Akufo-Addo’s promise to sink $1million in each of the 275 constituencies, he asserted.

President Mahama suggested that the NPP’s one-village-one-dam policy is something that a bulldozer can easily do with one scoop of the ground. This cannot be the kind of dam that can sustainably improve agriculture, he suggested.

The NPP's one-district-one-factory cannot be supported by even sixth-form economics, he landed another jab.

By that statement, President Mahama had nicely navigated away from the error of his running mate who suggested that Dr. Bawumia does not understand ‘simple primary school’ economics.

NDC General Secretary Johnson Aseidu Nketia and Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur

Cruel social media cut Amissah-Arthur to size for pointing out that economics is taught in primary school. The president had taken a cue – 'one mistake, one lesson'.

Mahama explained that the controversial scrapping of the teacher trainee allowance is to allow another form of 'allowance' - you can call it the 'access allowance' . Previously, students were admitted on the basis of government's ability to pay the trainee allowance. 

This meant a quota system of admission was put in place to control the number that could be admitted hence government could not admit more because it was shackled by financial constraints.

But with the scrapping of the allowance, the flood gates for more admission have been opened. 'What can possibly be wrong with this?' the NDC argument summarised.

The opposition is a dealer of past failures. The government is a dealer of future opportunities. So the President began a presentation to prove that the glass of water is half full despite the opposition's lamentation that it is half empty.

Like legendary painter, Michaeal Angelo, Mahama painted a Mona Lisa of Ghana’s future -- exquisite, priceless.

Ever an eternal optimist, President Mahama sold a vision which if it comes to pass may leave the next president technically employed but practically jobless.

There will be a glass factory because every single piece of glass is imported.

There is going to be a new age of electronic text books for schools. He also announced a Provident Fund for the entertainment industry. He lamented that artistes in Ghana are severely unrewarded for their work and are unable to reap the full benefit of the creativity. He will fix that.

Photo: Justice minister Marietta Brew Appiah and CEO of the Chamber Bulk Distribution Companies (BDCs) Senyo Hosi

Photo: Deputy Finance minster Mona Quartey with Justice minister Marietta Brew Appiah

The President is going to build possibly the first-ever College of Education to train nursery teachers and another to train teachers for a technical and vocational education revolution about to start in Ghana.

He threw in a jewelry village to tackle the importation of jewelry from Dubai. He said he will build an intelligent traffic system.

He made a fearless mention of SADA, an agency 'sadder' for its unfortunate mismanagement. SADA idea will be expanded to other zones for development, he pledged.

The President left no one in doubt that he will not be denied the right to campaign on his massive infrastructural developments. He did, he liked it and it makes him happy -- forget the opposition's whining lectures.

And explaining his vision after vision, the president sowed high-yield seeds of ideas in fertilized soil of NDC minds. 

The President's ability to leverage integrated communication tools are unmatched.We are surrounded by three huge screens -North, South and West - each showing different clips of his 'Accounting to the People' tour.  The videos painted an impressive picture of his infrastructural developments.

There was a complimentary copy of the 'Green Book' for every seat and an umbrella for each person. Keep it for a rainy day.

While he spoke from a fortress of comfort with his team around him, outside the State House, a social media siege prepared an attack of jabs, sarcasm and cruel humour - something the President has condemned as a 'vortex of cynicism'.

The pre-manifesto launch of the governing NDC was held at a place that signaled their disinterest in relinquishing power any time soon – the State House.

'This is where we stand, this is where we fight, this is where we win'

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