Former Vice President and 2024 NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has promised that workers who lost their jobs under the current administration would receive employment priority if his party regains power.
Speaking at a Takoradi rally during his “Thank You Tour” on Saturday, the economist-turned-politician sought to position the NPP as the solution to Ghana’s employment crisis.
“I know how it feels to lose your job, your daily bread,” Bawumia told supporters, his voice echoing through the packed venue. “In the next NPP administration, you will be prioritized for jobs.” The declaration came as part of a broader economic recovery message aimed at rehabilitating the party’s image after its 2024 electoral defeat.
Analysts view this pledge as strategic outreach to disaffected voters, particularly in industrial hubs like Takoradi where recent layoffs in mining and manufacturing have hit hard. Bawumia outlined plans for targeted job creation programs but provided scant policy details, instead emphasizing emotional connection with displaced workers.
The Thank You Tour, initially conceived as a post-election gratitude exercise, has gradually morphed into a pre-campaign platform. Party insiders confirm the NPP is leveraging these gatherings to test economic messages ahead of the 2028 elections. While Bawumia’s jobs promise resonated with the Takoradi crowd, opposition critics dismissed it as recycled rhetoric, recalling similar unfulfilled pledges from previous NPP campaigns.
As Ghana’s unemployment rate hovers around 14%, with youth joblessness nearly triple that figure, employment policies are becoming a decisive electoral battleground. Bawumia’s focus on displaced workers suggests the NPP recognizes this vulnerability, though whether promises alone can rebuild trust remains uncertain. The tour continues across all sixteen regions, with observers watching for more substantive policy announcements to emerge alongside the emotional appeals.
