The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has called on chiefs to critically scrutinise promises the government has been making to them ahead of the 2020 general elections.
The former president said chiefs should ask questions when the President and the Vice President visit their areas to cut sods for new projects to begin.
Mr. Mahama wants chiefs to ask during sod-cutting ceremonies if such projects have been captured by government in the 2020 budget.
He also urged chiefs to ask if such projects have been sent to Parliament and loan arrangements made for such projects or not.
Speaking at the NDC’s town hall meeting in Kumasi, former President Mahama said the government has been embarking on a number of sod cutting ceremonies in recent times just to deceive the public in order to win their votes.
He has described such sod-cutting ceremonies as “Sakawa” or “419”.
“Lately, the President and his Vice have been going round to cut the sod for various projects without having contractors on site. They only bring the equipment to the site just for the sod-cutting ceremony and return them when the President leaves. So it is just for deception. It is Sakawa. It is 419″.
NPP implementing policies in our manifesto – Mahama
At the same town hall meeting, John Mahama accused the governing NPP of implementing some of the policies highlighted in his party’s 2020 manifesto.
He cited issues related to the legalisation of okada, cancellation of licensure examinations and inclusion of private Senior High Schools in deprived areas as part of the free SHS policy as examples of policies the Akufo-Addo government is seeking to implement even before the 2020 general elections.
“The NPP seems to be implementing some of the policies captured in our manifesto. Recently, they revealed that consultations have begun to review the law banning the activities of okada riders. Similarly, the Teacher licensure exam has been suspended after we promised to cancel it in our manifesto. In the same vein, owners of private schools are being engaged after we promised to extend the coverage of the free SHS policy to such schools in deprived areas without government’s free SHS. Even though they accused us of not thinking through our promises, the NPP is implementing them,” he added.
