‘NPP delegates voted for change’ – NDC urges Ghanaians to vote out Akufo-Addo
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the results of the parliamentary primaries within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has sent a strong message to the government.
It is that the people want change, the NDC National Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi has said.
At least 40 sitting MPs lost their seat, along with about 11 leaders on committees of parliament.
NPP Primaries: Profile of Akufo-Addo’s army of new faces for 2020 polls
The Aviation Minister, Joseph Adda lost his Navarango Central seat while a deputy minister for Agriculture and MP for Walewale, Sagre Bambangi, also lost.
In a press statement, the NDC National Communication Officer said these losses are indications of a wider Ghanaian clamour for a change in government.
“This is a clear indication that even NPP supporters are generally unhappy with the abysmal performance of their own government, and have invited the rest of Ghanaians to reject this nonperforming, nepotistic and corrupt Akufo-Addo government.”
Read full statement
SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE 4TH EDITION OF THE WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS, BY COMRADE SAMMY GYAMFI, NATIONAL COMMUNICATION OFFICER.
Date: Monday, 22nd June, 2020.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE NDC ON THE FALLOUTS FROM THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES HELD OVER THE WEEKEND.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, I welcome you once again to another edition of the NDC’s weekly press briefing.
Today, we shall share with you our observations on the just-ended Parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) which took place over the weekend and which was characterized by obscene violence, and unprecedented levels of vote-buying and showboating.
As you may be aware, the entire primaries was conducted in an environment where those who could afford the biggest pecuniary or monetary inducements, carried the day.
Huge amounts of money (in some cases, GHS6,000, GHS5,000, GHS3,000) exchanged hands in the full glare of the media, while material gifts such as refrigerators, flat screen Televisions, motorbikes, tricycles and other valuables were distributed to bribe and induce party delegates.
How a party, which few years ago, toured the world with a cup in hand begging for money, can afford this level of ostentation three and half years after coming into office, speaks volumes of the endemic corruption and thievery that has engulfed the Akufo-Addo government.
Another disturbing feature of the NPP’s parliamentary primaries was violence, which took center stage throughout the country. Some contestants unleashed hoodlums belonging to the numerous “vigilante” groups affiliated to the NPP against their opponents.
We also saw the use of state security to bully and brutalize opponents and in some areas, party members engaged in free-for-all exchange of blows, in confirmation of the violent reputation that the NPP has become known for under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.
It is this same culture of violence, thuggery and lawlessness, that led to the unlawful, callous and senseless demolishing and destruction of properties belonging the Nigerian High Commission in Accra this weekend, in violation of international law.
Friends from the media, even though the practice of vote-buying and electoral violence is not a new phenomenon in our body politics per se, the high level of violence, vote-buying and the wanton display of opulence we witnessed during the just-ended parliamentary primaries of the NPP, is nothing like we have seen in the history of this country, and must give every democracy-loving Ghanaian genuine cause for concern.
Even more bizarre and worrying, were reports by you in the media of how social distancing, wearing of face masks and other critical COVID-19 preventive protocols were defied and thrown to the dogs, as delegates congregated in their hundreds, mingled and interacted, including wild jubilations, in the full glare of the Police.
It is sad, cruel and reprehensible for President Akufo Addo who promulgated the law (E.I 64), which has led to the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of Pastors and other Ghanaians, to turn around and supervise the flagrant violation of the same law by his party officials and members with impunity as we saw on display during the NPP’s Parliamentary primaries.
This is unacceptable and abominable, particularly at a time church and mosque gatherings have been restricted to a maximum of 100 attendees and a duration of one (1) hour, and at a time, Ghanaians who are found not to be wearing face masks are being subjected to all manner of degrading and inhumane treatment.
The recklessness and lawlessness displayed by the NPP during their just-ended Parliamentary Primaries, coupled with the selective application of the law on COVID-19 preventive protocols by our law enforcement agencies, make the imprisonment of pastors and Ghanaians who were convicted for breaching public gathering restrictions under E.I 64, totally unjustifiable and unfair.
Actions they say, speak louder than words. The flagrant violation of COVID-19 precautionary protocols provided under E.I 64 by officials and members of the NPP and the President’s tacit approval of same, make nonsense of our collective fight against the dreaded coronavirus pandemic and shows that President Akufo Addo and the NPP are not committed to Ghana’s COVID fight.
Friends from the media, we must hasten to add, that the results that emerged out of the NPP’s primaries, where as many as over 40 incumbent MP’s lost their seats, reflects the dissatisfaction of NPP supporters and Ghanaians at large, with the abysmal performance of the Akufo Addo government.
In all, over 40 incumbent MPs, including eleven (11) Parliamentary Select Committee Chairmen, four (4) Parliamentary Select Committee Vice Chairmen, two (2) Regional Ministers, one (1) Minister of State and three (3) Deputy Ministers of State, lost their seats. The defeat of so many incumbents, especially those in Parliamentary leadership, shows that the NPP delegates voted for change and passed an overwhelming vote of no confidence in their own government.
Our checks have revealed that many first-time MPs lost their seats because no developmental projects have been undertaken in their constituencies in the last three and half years. This is a clear indication that even NPP supporters are generally unhappy with the abysmal performance of their own government, and have invited the rest of Ghanaians to reject this nonperforming, nepotistic and corrupt Akufo-Addo government.
It is pretty obvious, even to the uninitiated, that but for the undemocratic imposition of some 65 incumbent Members of Parliament by the powers that be in the NPP, the situation would have been worse.
We in the NDC are not surprised at the turn of events, because we have always known that President Akufo-Addo and his corrupt government have underperformed, having fulfilled just 14% of their 631 manifesto promises, and are only marking time to an overwhelming rejection by the Ghanaian electorate on 7th December, 2020.
WHY GHANA NEEDS JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA AS PRESIDENT NOW
Having registered the above sentiments, I wish to share with you, why President John Dramani Mahama is the leader that Ghana needs now.
Distinguished friends from the media, even though there has been, and continues to be hopelessness, lawlessness and absolute impunity in the last three and half years under the vindictive and nonperforming Akufo-Addo government; there is hope for a better, inclusive and prosperous Ghana.
This hope is anchored on the return of the visionary, trustworthy and humble John Dramani Mahama to the Jubilee House on 7th January, 2021, to rescue our beloved country from the hands of the vindictive, corrupt and nepotistic Akufo-Addo government and restore the nation back to the path of true progress and development.
H.E John Dramani Mahama is committed to fixing the mess that has been created by the maladministration of the Akufo-Addo government in all sectors of the nation and deliver the transformational leadership that is needed to create prosperity and wealth for all Ghanaians.
As he has announced through his digital conversations with the nation in the last few months, President Mahama when elected shall:
- Pay all customers of the collapsed financial institutions whose monies are locked-up in full and restore indigenous Ghanaian participation in the financial sector.
- Reduce the size of government by at least forty (40) ministers to reduce government expenditure and channel those resources into the productive sectors of the economy for the benefit of Ghanaians.
- Provide free Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) from the second cycle to Tertiary level to build the human resource base of the nation for industrial development, entrepreneurship and job creation.
- Institute a National Apprenticeship Program in line with his vision of rapid industrialization and job creation for the country.
- Scrap the 50% increment in the Communication Service Tax to reduce the cost of telephoning and data. This will reduce the cost of living and the cost of doing business in the country.
- Construct a regional hospital for each of the six (6) newly-created regions and the Western Region to improve access to quality and efficient health care delivery.
- Provide districts without hospitals with fully-equipped modern health facilities.
- Take healthcare to the doorsteps of the people by building a first of its kind “Onipa Nua” Hospital Ship and deploy it to provide medical services to the inaccessible riverine and fishing communities on the inland Volta water ways. Additionally, the next Mahama government will rehabilitate the “Onuador” mobile vans that have been abandoned by the Akufo-Addo government and procure more, to provide medical outreach services in underserved and hard to reach areas in all the 16 regions of the country.
- Construct two (2) new international-standard Infectious Diseases Centers and two (2) additional international research centers.
- Abolish the dreaded double-track system of secondary education through an emergency and massive infrastructure drive. This will ensure a conducive environment and one-track qualitative learning experience for SHS students.
- Establish University Campuses in each of the six (6) newly-created regions.
- Abolish the mandatory national service and obnoxious licensure exams for teacher trainees and restore the automatic employment of teacher trainee graduates. Let me state unequivocally, that no teacher trainee graduate, will be denied posting or employment under the next Mahama government. Additionally, the promotion and welfare of teachers will be prioritized by the next Mahama government.
- Restore the automatic employment of Nursing Trainee graduates. Again let me state unequivocally, that no nursing trainee graduate will be denied posting or employment under the next Mahama government.
- Restore the distribution of free cocoa fertilizer and chemicals to cocoa farmers to boost cocoa yield and improve the welfare of cocoa farmers.
- Complete the Eastern Corridor roads, dualise the Aflao, Cape Coast and Kumasi roads among others.
- Complete all abandoned or uncompleted hospital and health projects, educational projects, road projects and other infrastructural projects in the country.
- Punish corruption and end the practice of nepotism.
- Train, remunerate and empower assembly members to be responsible for the local level registration of births and deaths in their electoral areas, to improve the national population register.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, these are but a few of the policy alternatives which have been announced by the flag-bearer of the NDC, H.E John Dramani Mahama.
It is worth noting, that we shall be outdooring our manifesto for the 2020 general elections in August. But even before that, the flag-bearer and leader of the NDC will in the coming days announce some big-ticket policies which are central to his transformational vision for this country.
This will include a major and comprehensive job creation policy he intends to undertake, to create millions of permanent and dignifying jobs for the teeming unemployed youth when he assumes the reins of power in 2021.
CONCLUSION
The point has to be made, that the 2020 general elections is a referendum on the performance of President Akufo-Addo who has failed woefully to deliver on his numerous campaign promises to Ghanaians, having fulfilled only 14% of the 631 promises in the 2016 manifesto of the NPP.
The comfort and transformation Ghanaians were promised by President Akufo-Addo and the NPP have become a pipe dream. Today, cost of living is so high and unbearable for the vast majority of Ghanaians due to the bad governance of President Akufo Addo.
The free fall of the Ghana cedi continues unabated and businesses continue to collapse leading to job losses.
Whiles Ghanaians continue to suffer, corruption continues to thrive under President Akufo-Addo, who despite promising to fight same, has turned himself into an enabler and promoter of corruption, for which reason he has earned for himself the unenviable “Chief corruption clearing agent” accolade.
President Akufo Addo has normalized nepotism and has continuously demonstrated little care for the welfare of Ghanaians. He has proven to be dishonest, corrupt and inept, for which reason he must be shown the exit come December 7, 2020.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ghana needs a visionary, trustworthy and humble leader to ensure development, progress and prosperity for all and not a select few. And that leader, is none other than H.E John Dramani Mahama.
Thank you for your attention.
Signed.
Comrade Sammy Gyamfi
(National Communication Officer)