Politics of Saturday, 17 August 2024

Source: Stephen Darko, Contributor

Be wary of Mahama – Ex-NDC executive warns electorates

Former President John Dramani Mahama Former President John Dramani Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama and Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has incurred the wrath of ex-party executive, Stephen Ashitey Adjei after describing President Nana Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party government as uncaring compared to him.

According to Mr. Stephen Ashitey Adjei who is the leader of the over 4,000 ex-workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, it was under former President John Agyekum Kufuor that he and his colleagues were retrenched in 2002 without their severance benefits.

“As the leader of the over 4,000 ex-workers of the GPHA, I found the impression created about President Akufo-Addo dishonest because, between the two of them, President Akufo-Addo has shown concern and taken action by instructing GPHA to pay us while John Mahama ignored us. How then can he claim that he is more caring than Akufo-Addo?” Mr Ashitey Adjei wrote in a social media post.

According to him, “Mr Mahama thinks he can hoodwink Ghanaians but he is only tickling himself and laughing. On election day, it is not sweet talk that will inform the voter but the lived experiences of people like us who endured injustice and hardship under John Mahama’s first government that will count.”

The ex-NDC executive popularly called Moshake pointed out that, apart from himself and colleagues, Nursing and Teacher trainees whose allowances were withdrawn by Mahama’s first government, soldiers whose peace keeping allowances were delayed and students who are now enjoying free SHS which John Mahama opposed are all waiting for the day of reckoning.

Moshake’s take is in response to Mr. John Mahama’s recent pronouncements in the Volta Region where he went on a campaign tour.

Addressing voters, John Mahama lamented that during the time of late former President Rawlings the NPP used to only get single digit numbers in terms of votes but the party in the last elections have managed to gain double digit vote figures, 14%.

Mr. Mahama then called for the return of the loyalty of Voltarians telling them that the NPP will come with bribes and that if they do, they should take the money and enjoy it but voted for their preferred party.

John Mahama also said the NDC is confident that Volta will vote massively for the party again and that the party is looking to escalate its landslide wins from 84% to 94% in 2024.

But commenting on the above rhetoric, Moshake said Mahama was only being a populist regionalist.

“Mr. Mahama should explain to Voltarians what he did for the region when he was president from 2012 to 2016,” he wrote.

To Mr. Mahama’s claim that president Akufo-Addo was uncaring when the Volta region was recently flooded, Moshake pointed out that Mahama was president for four years and in the period, he did not complete the Keta sea defense.

He also pointed out that it was the Mahama government which had abolished Okada, and yet he now says he will legalize it.

“Mr. Mahama also opposed free SHS, today he says he will improve it. His government fought against galamsey but because he wants votes he says he will regularize illegal mining.”

As for Mr. Mahama’s promise to abolish the tax on betting winnings, Moshake said John Mahama is only proving that he is not a genuine Christian as he is openly promoting gambling among the youth even though the Bible forbids gambling.