General Secretary of the governing NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia has chastised the opposition NPP for deceiving Ghanaians with freebies when they are voted into power.
According to him the Nana Addo led NPP’s campaign promise to put money in the pockets of Ghana is not only disingenuous but also a recipe for disaster which will in the long run create social deviants.
He was reacting to the NPP’s campaign promise of putting cash in the pockets of Ghanaians when voted into power because the Mahama administration has worsened their socio economic plight.
They have also accused the administration of focusing too much on infrastructure at the expense of impoverishing the people.
But Mr Asiedu Nketia says the NPP’s comment demonstrate a clear case of anattempt by the party to hoodwink the Ghanaian electorates to get their votes.
He explained that the development projects being delivered nationwide by his government will form the foundation for Ghana’s economic take off and that Ghanaians to bear with the present challenges in the country because they are sacrifices necessary for Ghana’s brighter future.
Speaking to a mammoth rally in Shai Osu Doku as part of president Mahama’s Greater Accra campaign tour, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said “We all know everybody needsmoney to solve their problems. Some of the political parties are going round saying that John Mahama is building schools, hospitals. Roads, electricity, water. They are saying these things are not necessary because they do not put money in your pocket. And that when you vote for them they will come and put money in your pockets for free. But we also know that if you want to put money in people’s pocket you have to work for it. And so if anybody comes to tell you that they are going to look for money and come put money in your pocket then you have to be careful. Because we all know that you can get money in your pocket only when you work And so if the person comes to tell you that they will imply come and put money in your pocket without working for your wages then it means the person wants to come and teach you how to steal.
He also adds “They also say teachers don’t have work to do nurses don’t have work to do, the youth don’t have work to do. But let me ask you where do carpenters work, where do nurses work, where do teaches work. It is only when these infrastructure is built then these group of workers will get a place to work and so the logic of the NPP buffles me. So when you hear them say that John Mahama should stop building factories, schools, roads, where are the teachers, nurses, carpenters going to work I wonder. And so if the government is building these project they are meant to create job opportunities for Ghanaians
President Mahama has passionately admonished Ghanaians to bear with the present challenges in the country because they are sacrifices necessary for Ghana’s brighter future.
“Currently, in all the road construction that’s going on in this country, 95% of the contractors are Ghanaians and not foreigners. And so by doing this, we are expanding the road construction industry and making Ghanaians take advantage of the commanding heights of that particular industry.”
“In 2012 when I became President, there were six foreign companies that had asphalt plants to be able to do asphalt roads. Today, 22 Ghanaian companies have their own asphalt plants and these are the gains that we are making in this country.”
President Mahama compared his situation to Ghana’s first President who spent time improving infrastructure but was still overthrown because people could not sacrifice patiently by enduring the momentary hardship.
“I can understand when people say things are tight. During Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s time, they said things were right and that there was no milk and cornered beef among others; but at the time he was building Akosombo, he was building Valco, Tema Steelworks, the shoe factories, GIHOC Distilleries to create jobs; and so we drove him away in a coup. The same people complaining today that things are hard drove Nkrumah away. And Nkrumah said if I knew it was milk you wanted, I would have connected it through a tap for you to drink.”
“In everybody’s life, you make sacrifices for things that are important. Times come when we have to squeeze ourselves a bit to do the precious things that we need in life. We can’t have money in our pockets when the roads are not good?”
The President reiterated, “What is the use of money when you are sick and can’t get a hospital to be cured? And so sometimes when we are squeezing ourselves, it is to do the things that are essential; to put in place the social and economic infrastructure after which you can begin to put money in your pocket. And so it’s good politics to say things are hard; but the money that we are raising we are using for things that will benefit this country. We have spent these last four years investing in bringing the social infrastructure back to scratch and when I win the second term, then we will start putting money in your pocket. And I wish to pledge that we will continue working in the interest of the people of Ghana.”
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