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Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) launched its 2024 manifesto on Aug. 24, 2024, promising to implement aggressive policies to create millions of jobs and revive the ailing Ghanaian economy.
Barely four hours after the NDC’s 2024 policy document launch, several flyers with campaign promises purportedly taken from the manifesto have emerged on social media.
DUBAWA has identified and fact-checked some of the claims on the flyers, making the rounds on social media in Ghana.
Claim 1: An X user has alleged that the 2024 Presidential candidate of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has promised to scrap all taxes if elected in the upcoming polls.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s investigations showed that the NDC leader, John Mahama, did not promise to scrap all taxes in force in the country if elected on Dec. 7, 2024, as the X user alleged. Rather, the ex-Ghanaian leader has promised to remove five taxes he has described as “draconian” to ease the hardship on Ghanaians: the E-levy, COVID levy, 10% betting tax, emissions levy, and import duty on vehicles and equipment for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Verification
Investigations by DUBAWA into the claim have revealed that the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama, did not promise to scrap all taxes currently in force in Ghana if returned to the presidency in Dec. 2024.
The ex-Ghanaian president promised to scrap five taxes he considers “draconian” within the first 100 days in office to “alleviate hardships and ease the high cost of doing business.”
See page 22 of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto under the heading “Resetting the economy and creating prosperity for all.”
The taxes the NDC proposed to eliminate are the E-levy, COVID levy, 10% betting tax, emissions levy, and import duty on vehicles and equipment for industrial and agricultural purposes.
Also, see news reports on the taxes the NDC has proposed to scrap within the first 100 days in office here, here, and here.
Nowhere in the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto does the party or Mr Mahama promise to scrap all taxes in the country.
Conclusion
The NDC’s 2024 flagbearer, John Mahama, promised to scrap only five taxes he considered “draconian” to ease the hardship on Ghanaians, not all taxes, as the X user alleged.
Claim 2: An X user claims the 2024 flagbearer of Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has promised to provide “universal access to night clubs for under 30-year-olds” in Ghana.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s investigations revealed that the ex-Ghanaian leader, John Maham, did not make the promise the X user alleged. Under his 24-hour economy policy, the NDC’s 2024 Presidential candidate proposes implementing policies to enable businesses to operate both during the day and at night. However, the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto does not promise universal nightclub access for Ghanaians under 30.
Verification
DUBAWA’s research on the claim revealed that the NDC’s 2024 Presidential candidate, John Mahama, did not promise to provide universal access to nightclubs for Ghanaians under 30, as the X user alleged.
The claim posted on X has received reactions from other users who believed the NDC made that promise. One X user said: “This is what they are going to use our taxpayers’ money to do?”
Another X user wrote: “NDC is a disgrace party mpa…apuuu wei.”
Despite the many comments showing that some people believed the X user’s claim, DUBAWA opted to probe the claim.
Focusing on 12 industries, Mr Mahama’s 24-hour economy policy aims to stimulate demand and create an enabling environment for businesses to operate 24 hours a day.
From minutes 40:01 to 40:50 of the video on his Facebook page, Mr Mahama said this: “These businesses include selected state institutions, restaurants, discotheques, nightclubs, hotels, retail centres, shopping malls, transportation, and security services.”
A screenshot of the flyer as shared on X
As part of strategies to create a business-friendly environment, the NDC flagbearer has promised cheaper, more reliable electricity and tax incentives for participating businesses.
See pages 31 and 32 of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto for the party’s promises under the 24-hour economy policy.
However, the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto does not promise universal nightclub access for Ghanaians under 30.
A content analysis conducted by DUBAWA showed that the NDC used the word “universal” only once throughout the entire 2024 Manifesto, and this was not used in the context the X user alleged.
On page 60 of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto, under the theme “Energy for sustainable development,” Mr Mahama promises to “Initiate the LIGHT UP GHANA Project to support the 24-hour Economy by resuming the universal street lighting programme.”
Although nightclubs operating in Ghana stand to benefit from the 24-hour economy policy, the NDC has yet to guarantee access to these facilities to Ghanaians under 30 years old.
Ghanaians 18 years and above already have unimpeded access to these nightclubs in the country.
Conclusion
The NDC’s 2024 Presidential candidate, John Mahama, did not promise universal access to nightclubs to Ghanaians under 30. This promise is not found anywhere in the NDC 2024 manifesto.
Claim 3: Multiple X users here and here have alleged that the 2024 flagbearer of Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has promised to provide free ice cream to Ghanaian students on tertiary campuses if elected on Dec. 7, 2024.
Verdict: False. Nowhere in the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto does the party or its flagbearer, John Mahama, promise to provide free ice cream to Ghanaian students on tertiary campuses every Friday. DUBAWA’s investigations showed the alleged campaign promise does not come from the party’s 2024 Manifesto, as the X user alleged.
Verification
DUBAWA’s investigations showed that John Mahama, the flagbearer of Ghana’s largest opposition party, the NDC, did not promise to provide free ice cream to Ghanaian students every Friday if elected in the Dec. 2024 poll.
A content analysis conducted by DUBAWA showed that the NDC used the words “ice cream” only once throughout the 2024 Manifesto.
A screenshot of the flyer as shared on X
However, the context in which those words were used had nothing to do with the X users’ claims here and here.
On page 51 of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto, under the theme “Ghana’s Palm Industry (Red Gold),” the NDC promised to offer incentives for palm growing in the country.
“More than half of all packaged products consumed worldwide contain palm oil. It is found in lipsticks, soaps, detergents, and ice cream. Despite its vast fertile land, it is depressing that Ghana cannot meet its domestic demand for palm oil, let alone take advantage of the about $80 billion global palm oil industry,” the party said on pages 51 and 52 of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto.
Also, the word “tertiary” was used nine times in the entire NDC’s 2024 Manifesto; however, it was not used in the context the X users alleged.
Under his promise to transform Ghana’s education, as found on pages 39 to 42 of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto, Mr Mahama promised to implement a “No-Academic-Fee policy for first-year students in all public tertiary institutions, including Universities, Colleges of Education and Nursing Training Colleges.”