General News of Thursday, 6 May 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

How NPP, NDC politicians are feasting on #FixTheCountry campaign

Politicians have offered divergent views on the campaign Politicians have offered divergent views on the campaign

Right from when the campaign started, the brains behind it have stressed the fact that it is a non-partisan movement which is neither targeted at the government nor the opposition National Democratic Congress.

They have maintained that #FixTheCountry is an unbiased and independent approach aimed at bringing the attention of not just those in power but the entire political class to the teething issues affecting the country particularly the youth.

But when you embark on an initiative that has the potential of making the party in power unpopular and by that give some advantage to the opposition, you will obviously court the attention of the political class who will pounce on it and devour it from the angle of the party in power.

While most have been quiet on the issue, a sizable number of Ghanaian politicians from both NPP and NDC have commented on the #FixTheCountry crusade and made known their support or rejection of the campaign.

Gabby Otchere-Darko

The cousin of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was one of the first three if not the first to react to the campaign.

Gabby understood the principle of #FixingTheCountry but said that it is collective thing and that after over six decades of independence, Ghana had no excuse to be experiencing some of the hardships it is current facing.

“No patriot can say he or she is against a clarion call to fix our country. After 64 years, we have have run out of excuses. Let’s get it fixed and fixed now! Together we can!

“Several ways of helping fix our country, after 64yrs of under-performance. You must get involved: by finding faults, praising efforts, naming & shaming, getting your hands dirty. In short, by doing something in your own corner. Blame you may, but know you are part of the game,” Gabby tweeted.



Sammy Gyamfi

The Communications Director of the NDC had been silent on the issue until it emerged that a request by the campaigners to protest on May 9 had been turned down by the Ghana Police Service.

As an opposition party member who is aware of the benefits a demonstration could fetch his party, Sammy Gyamfi chastised the police for their decision.

“COVID should not be used as a pretext to suppress our inalienable right to peaceful assembly. It’s about time we had a national conversation about the constitutionality of the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012) and the selective application of same”, he tweeted on Tuesday.



Hopeson Adorye

Hopeson Adorye has over the years gained a reputation of issuing unpopular views and on this occasion, he did not disappoint.

The failed NPP aspirant for Kpone Kantamanso suggested shockingly that the activists had no moral right to call for good governance since they do not pay taxes.

“You don't pay Taxes and levies and you say wetin? Fix what #PayTaxesToFixTheCountry,” he wrote.



Stan Dogboe

Stan Dogbe joined the campaign on Tuesday, May 4, 2020 after the increment in fuel prices took effect.

With a picture of Shell Filling Station, Dogbe tweeted “It’s done. 4more to increase more. The Ghana we asked for?”.



Kennedy Agyapong

The Assin Central Member of Parliament is of the view that the people behind #FixTheCountry are being misled by the NDC.

He says the government is fixing the country hence the need for them to back the president instead of embarking on a protest.

“When Mills wanted to come to power, he promised to reduce everything. But when he came to power, the prices skyrocketed. Someone who said he was going to reduce the prices had skyrocketed it. Ghanaians and the NPP should be vigilant. Use your brain and tell the people clamouring to fix the country that the NPP has fixed it and we continue to fix it.”

John Dumelo

The failed Ayawaso West Parliamentary candidate has been part of the fight right from the scratch.

He maintains that his association with the crusade is not for political advantage but as a Ghana he is concerned with how the country is being managed.

“The same way I am for #FixTheCountry now, is the same way I will be in 2024 when the NDC comes to power and IF things are not going on well as a country. This Country needs to move forward! It’s Ghana first! #FixTheCountry,” he posted on social media.



Freddie Blay

Freddie Blay, the chairman of the NPP believes that people behind it have been hired by the opposition NDC.

He told Starr News “it’s a democratic country, you can have an opinion, maybe most of them are NDC people and maybe they are even referring to what then-candidate Akufo-Addo did say that when you are in power and people are complaining that things aren’t going well, fix it. Of course, government is in the act of fixing the problems in this country.”

He further explained: “Talk about dumsor, it’s not the dumsor as we know it in the NDC era that took place for four years, a few problems that we encountering. We are having problems with our distributing lines and definitely, efforts are being made to repair the broken-down ones.”