Mahama Blames Akufo-Addo For Undermining Ghana’s Peace and Freedom

Mahama and Akufo-Addo, the two key contenders of the 2020 election

Accra, Ghana, August 9, 2020//-Former president John Dramani Mahama has blamed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for making Ghanaians live in fear by “denying them the needed peace and freedom as guaranteed by the country’s constitution”.

According to him, the constitution guarantees Ghanaians a democratic right to go about their everyday business in peace without fear or intimidation as well as the right to free speech without fear of harassment or death.

These democratic rights the former president noted have been taken away by the current administration making Ghanaians live in fear in their own country.

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) expressed these views when he was speaking at the Gbewaa palace in Yendi in the Northern Region.

Mr Mahama visited the King of Dagbon after acquiring his voters card at Bole to introduce himself as the leader and flagbearer of the NDC.

He was worried over the manner in which radio stations were being closed down as well as attacks on journalists “just because they do not toe the line of government”.

Mahama and Akufo-Addo

He emphasised: “Our constitution guarantees us certain democratic rights that is the right to go about our business in peace without fear or intimidation, it also allows us to exercise our democratic rights of free speech without fear of harassment or death, unfortunately some of these things are becoming in short supply under this administration”.

“Ndan Yaa Naa, radio stations and other media outlets that are seen not to toe the line of government have been shut down for several years now, all pleas and requests to have these radio stations opened have been refused. Journalists live in fear of their lives because they fear they will be harassed, intimidated and even in extreme situations they could be killed,” he added.

Such “intolerant acts by the government,” Mahama said is what led to the violence witnessed at various registration centers in the just ended voters registration exercise by the electoral commission.

“It is therefore not surprising that, for a very simple exercise like a registration exercise for people to write their names so that they can vote in an upcoming election, we’ve seen the series of violence that has taken place across the length and breadth of this country.

It’s most unfortunate, if you observe most of the incidence that have happened you won’t believe that this is the Ghana that we all know and the Ghana that we are all citizens of”.

Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama

According to the leader of the NDC, authority and leadership is granted by God and the will of the people and no amount of violence perpetrated by anyone can give them the power. He pledged to abide by peace and called on his followers to remain peaceful and not do anything to disturb the peace of the country.

He therefore implored Ghanaians to resist anyone who attempts to intimidate and or use violence to prevent them from voting on Election Day on 7th December 2020.

Payment of Assembly members

He reechoed his commitment to put assembly members on salary when voted into power although the current government said it wasn’t possible.

Mr Mahama maintains that, assembly members play a major role in the governance system yet do not get any reward for their work.

He said, he intends to reduce the size of a future NDC government and channel the monies into rewarding assembly members.

“When this government took over they ballooned the size of central government, 125 ministers. I intend to cut down the size and use it to pay our hardworking assembly members we can pay them, it is possible”, Mr Mahama assured.

He also assured that, the next NDC government under his leadership would adopt a free healthcare plan that would grant all Ghanaians access to primary healthcare in the country.

Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama

The health care services he indicated would cover CHPS compounds, Polyclinics, Clinics as well as District hospitals.

Touching nn infrastructure, Mr Mahama said that the best way to give long lasting solutions to Ghana’s problems is infrastructural development and not putting cash in people’s pockets.

“If someone gives you money today, by tomorrow it will finish. But if you build that hospital, the school it will be there for generations, so governance is common sense and not rocket science”, he stressed.

African Eye Report

 

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