General News of Monday, 6 April 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Mahama trolled after Akufo-Addo’s lockdown reliefs

Former President Mahama Former President Mahama

The country was thrown into a state of ecstasy following President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s address to the nation, Sunday, which announced some interventions by the government as it strives to limit and stop the importation of Coronavirus, contain its spread, provide adequate care for the sick and limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life.

Among others, the president mentioned that the government will absorb the water bills for all Ghanaians for April, May and June; roll out a soft loan scheme up to a total of six hundred million cedis (GH¢600 million), which will have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period for micro, small and medium-scale businesses.

An insurance package, he said, “with an assured sum of three hundred and fifty thousand cedis (GH¢350,000) for each health personnel and allied professional at the forefront of the fight, has been put in place, with a daily allowance of one hundred and fifty cedis (GH¢150) being paid to contact tracers.”

A tax holiday for all health workers, for the next three months was also announced while disclosing that “all frontline health workers will receive an additional allowance of fifty per cent (50%) of their basic salary per month, i.e April, May, and June. The March allowance will be paid alongside that of April.”

The wild jubilation, however, became political as some social media users turned the conversation into an election game changer. They suggested that the president has scored political points, slimming former president John Mahama’s chance of bringing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) back to power.

A video of Mr. Mahama weeping profusely during the launch of NDC’s Electronic Payment Platform in January emerged, forming part of the materials used in trolling the flagbearer. While suggesting Mahama was crying over his loss, others used memes to taunt him.

Here are a few:





























Meanwhile some have suggested that Mahama should rather be praised. According to them, during his time as president, Mahama took pragmatic steps in ensuring that no Ebola case was recorded in the country. They argued that a good leader should be proactive.