Since the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama launched its December, 2016 election campaign in Cape Coast, the President and his wife have started distributing goodies to the electorate across the country.
This, the paper believes, could be the party’s way of influencing or enticing Ghanaians to change the pattern of votes in the upcoming December 7 general elections in its favour.
Soon after the launching, Mr. John Mahama distributed some outboard motors to fishermen in the Western Region, during his campaign tours of the region.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Linda Ofori Kwarfo described the act as “more than vote buying,” in an interview with Joy FM.
Not long after that, the first lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama also hit the road running, distributing assorted items to five institutions in Kasoa and other parts of the country, all in the name of her NGO.
The Chronicle is alarmed about why the party decided to wait till after its campaign launch to commence this habit of distributing items to people along its campaign trail. The question is – what is the motivation?
Political parties contesting in any general election, not only here in Ghana, but the world over must be given equal playing field to enable all and sundry to contest freely, fairly and transparently.
Before going to the Western Region, the NDC made it abundantly clear that its flagbearer, the President, would be embarking on a campaign to appeal to Ghanaians to renew his mandate for another four-year term.
Who is funding all the items the President and his wife, the First Lady, are going round the country distributing; is it not the tax payer?
One does not need a prophet to tell him or her that the NDC is using state resources to purchase all those assorted items and distributing same on its campaign tour of the country to influence voters.
Indeed, the writing on the wall is clear enough, especially given the fact that all the other political parties have to go round looking for funds to fuel their vehicles, print T-shirts and posters among others.
The paper is of the opinion that the time has come for nation Ghana to draw a line between the duties of the sitting president and his role as a presidential candidate.
We at The Chronicle are tempted to believe what the Executive Director of the GII said after the news of the President distributing outboard motors to some fishermen in the Western Region, as a matter of truth.
It is not fair for the Mahama-led NDC to use its incumbency to the disadvantage of the rest of the political parties contesting in the forthcoming general elections.
Explaining her point, Mrs. Linda Ofori Kwarfo said; “We have two aspects of abuse of incumbency; coercive abuse and corrupt abuse, the latter is using state resources to fuel or fund such activities.”
Having pledged at the United Nations conference he attended on Wednesday that under his watch, he would ensure that the country goes through a free, fair and transparent elections, he must endeavour to create an equal playing field for all the political parties.
Furthermore, the President must desist from the act where he and his wife have been distributing items to Ghanaians on his political tour, if he indeed wants to keep his pledge to the United Nations.