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Achieved
political and economic stability in a region rife with conflicts (for
example Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone).
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Created 110 districts through
non-partisan district level elections. Education, infrastructure
developments and healthcare all devolved to the district level. Annual
government subvention by law goes to the district — unthinkable in many
other African countries.
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Absorbed hundreds of thousands
of Ghanaians living in Nigeria who were expelled. Housed them at El -Wak
stadium in 1983 and then moved them to their family homes. Most other
economies, including even advanced ones such as Germany saw their
economies suffer when they reunified with integrated citizens (for
example German reunification)
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Built first ever memorials to
Kwame Nkrumah and W.E.B. DuBois.
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Followed an independent
foreign policy
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Returned Ghana to democratic
rule in 1992, after a public referendum by a wide majority approved a
new constitution. Neither Nigeria, Iraq, Togo, nor Côte d'Ivoire were
able to achieve this feat (in Nigeria two governments were overthrown
during this period).
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Passed the value added tax
(VATR of 10%) to secure government revenue base, which today funds most
government public expenditures.
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Passed the Ghana Educational
Trust Fund (GET Fund) that is today educating millions of Ghanaians.
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First Ghanaian President in 20
years to be received on a state visit of the US.
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Exapanded electricity to
Northern parts of Ghana - hitherto ignored by ruling elites since 1957.
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Both Bill Clinton and Queen
Elizabeth II visited Ghana during Rawlings tenure to highlight the
successes of the country.
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The NDC’s agricultural policy
and programme 1994-2000 resulted in the recognition of Ghana’s Food
Production Index of 148% for 1995-1997 as “the third highest achievement
in the record after Jordan (157%) and China (156%) in the World Bank’s
“1999-2000 Development Report.”
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Contributed immensely towards
dispute resolution and peace keeping in several of the unstable
countries in the West African sub-region and beyond.
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Started the Expansion Project
and the Renovation of the 37 Military Hospital.
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In the urban road sector,
reconstructed the entire Kumasi city roads, Sekondi-Takoradi city roads
and Accra city roads. In Accra, these included the six-lane dual
carriage road leading to the four-lane dual carriage road from the
Tetteh Quarshie Interchange to the Independence Avenue.
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Constructed the Kumasi-Sunyani
asphalt road; the Kintampo-Tamale-Bolgatanga-Paga Faso asphalt road; and
the double surfacing bitumen Bibiani-Awaso-Sefwi Wiawso road.
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Established the University for
Development Studies, and used his Hunger Award Prize Money to buy books
for the University's Library.
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He upgraded the Winneba Advanced Teacher Training
College into a full-fledged public University of Education, Winneba,
thus adding two new public Universities to the three that had existed
since independence.
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Introduced the policy of
allowing the establishment of private tertiary institutions, including
Universities, to supplement the public sector Universities. Implemented
the policy of one region, one Polytechnic.
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Made sure that every district
had at least two senior secondary schools.
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Constructed the modern
regional hospitals at Cape Coast, Ho and Sunyani. Numerous modern
district hospitals were constructed in the district capitals all over
the country.
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Potable water was provided for
so many communities that at the time he was leaving office, guinea worm
infestation had virtually been eradicated from Ghana.
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The housing sector, the
sprawling housing estates at Adenta, Sakumono, Lashibi, and on the
Spintex Road all in Accra and the SSNIT Estates all over the country
were constructed during His Era.
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There was the smooth, historic
transfer of power from the NDC to the NPP.
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The creation of District
Assemblies’ Common Fund, the GetFund, the Road Fund, the EDIF and the
Energy Fund
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Ghana’s huge reputation in
international peace keeping, coupled with the ability of H. E JJ
Rawlings to get the illustrious son of Ghana, Kofi Annan, elected as the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.