Former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed shock over what he says are claims by the Akufo-Addo government that the promised one million dollars per constituency allocation for 2017 expired with the 2017 budget.

Responding to a question posed by the Member of Parliament for Mion, Mohammed Abdul-Aziz, about when the government would release the cedi equivalent of the one million dollars to every constituency as promised, the Minister of Special Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, said the money technically expired with the budget in 2017 as the structure needed to implement the programme was not available.

But former President Mahama is wondering how a million dollars per constituency meant for development as promised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the lead-up to the 2016 elections, could expire.

Mr Mahama, who is on a three-day campaign tour of the Upper East Region, expressed shock at the minister’s response when he addressed delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East Constituency.

He asked: “Have you ever seen one million dollars expiring?” adding that: “I am aware that rice has expiry date, oil has expiry date and other commodities, but one million dollars has no expiry date”.

Mr Mahama pointed out that with two months left for the year to end, time is running out for that allocation to also expire.

He said Ghanaians have now seen through the lies and deceit of the NPP, noting that such deception could shake the faith of Ghanaians in the democratic system.

Mr Mahama also called for unity in the NDC following the elections of new executives at the constituency and regional levels, and promised to work hard to reduce the high cost of living in the country should he win the 2020 polls.