Opinions of Wednesday, 7 November 2018

Columnist: Elvis Figo Awonekai

Mahama betrayed the trust of Upper East Region under his reign (Part 1)

Former president John Mahama Former president John Mahama

As I walk through the valley of my beloved town Tanzui in Bolgatanga, I shall know no shame and fear no evil because When your pride, dignity and trust is injured by a brother you believe you will know no shame, so permit me space in your medium to express the humiliation and betrayal towards my people by our own brother, John Dramani Mahama.

It is a fact and a matter of public records that the Upper East Region massively voted for our brother John Mahama to become the Vice President and President during the 2008 and 2012 elections respectively. He had 66% of total valid votes in Upper East Region during the 2012 elections. While other Regions were voting for change in election 2016, Upper East Region still stocked with John Mahama but our reward for being faithful and loyal to a brother is rejection, humiliation and betrayal of trust.

Page 12 of the NDC 2012 manifesto; Advancing the Better Ghana Agenda promised that the next NDC Government will "Establish Regional Hospitals in the Eastern Region at Koforidua, Upper East Region at Bolgatanga and Upper West Region in Wa to complete the NDC’s grand plan of providing a modern Regional Hospital in each of the ten Regions of Ghana". With this promise in mind the good people of Upper East Region turned out in their numbers and voted for our brother by about 66% of the total valid votes count as against Nana Akufo Addo's 25% in the 2012 elections. The reward for voting our brother was that Upper East Region was denied a Regional referral hospital and it's fair share of development.

On the same page 12 of the NDC manifesto 2012; Advancing the Better Ghana Agenda, they promised that the next NDC government will use "the newly passed National Health Insurance Bill has now given them the requisite legal impetus to vigorously broaden and expand our national health care scheme for the benefit of all Ghanaians". As at the time John Mahama was leaving power that's 7 January 2017, he had facilitated the payment of NHIS service providers in some parts of the Country, while owing facilities in Upper East Region by over twelve (12) months.

The Volta, Central and Brong Ahafo Regions have all got Regional referral hospitals, Upper West and Eastern Regions had recently benefited from the John Mahama's national policy of giving each Region an Ultra modern referral hospital as stated in their page 12 of their manifesto. What then was the sin of Upper East Region?

I remember vividly that the leadership of BONABOTO and other interest groupings met then President John Mahama on different occasions on same project but each time he played politics by saying Upper East Region chiefs did not provide land for the project, this prompted the leadership of BONABOTO to swung into action and secured four(4) parcels of land of over fifty acres each at Bolga-Sherigu and Winkongo and appropriately informed the the Upper East Regional Health Directorate, which had inspected these lands. To show commitment, the chiefs and stakeholders of Upper East Region, made commitments in writing to the Ministry of Health in Accra and copied relevant authorities and stakeholders in this regards.

How did the people of Upper East Region Wronged John Dramani Mahama that he betrayed our trust.Our brother did not like the Regions equally, he hated Upper East Region hence the humiliation and betrayal of trust.

I called on the market gods of Upper East Region; Ayiah from Bolgatanga, yaga Sana from Navrongo, Asumpogro from Zorko and Awoba from Fumbisi to come together and give our brother, John Mahama an unprecedented defeat on his return to do more damage to our dear Region.

......To be continued......

Elvis Figo Awonekai

(0200300148)

NPP UE Deputy Secretary