Source: tntnewspapergh.com
The Ashanti Regional Organizer for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP),Dr.Francis Adomako,who is popularly known as Francois,has stated emphatically that, Ashanti region is better off with Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia,the vice President,who is also 2024 Presidential candidate of NPP.
According to him,the NPP has a better record of completing inherited projects in Ashanti Region than the NDC.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday,3rd December,2024 at Miklin hotels in Kumasi,Francois revealed that for the last 8 years of the NDC from 2009 to 2016, not a single inherited project from previous governments was completed. The opposite is true in the case of NPP.
Dr.Francis Adomako aka Francois addressing a press conference
He explained that, Nana Addo government has completed 7 out of the 8 hospitals he inherited from previous governments, completed 3 inherited markets and started 3 major projects that were outrightly abandoned; the 800 bed KNUST Teaching Hospital, the Boankra inland port and the 700 bed maternity block at KATH.
The full statement is attached below;
PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE ASHANTI REGIONAL ORGANIZER OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY ON DECEMBER 03, 2024.
Thank you ladies and gentlemen from the media. We have invited you here to address 4 cardinal issues of concern to the good people of Ashanti Region and Ghana as a whole.
- CRIMINAL STEREOTYPE OF ASHANTI REGION BY FUNCTIONARIES OF JOHN MAHAMA
We, in Ashanti Region, have taken notice of an irresponsible and unfortunate stereotype of the people of Ashanti Region by Stan Xoese Dogbe (one of Mahama’s appendages), Efo Kormi, etc (see post from John Mahama’s functionaries) where they allege that there is an assassination plot on the life of John Mahama and some NDC Parliamentary candidates in the Ashanti Region.
This is a serious matter that bothers on the lives of some Ghanaians. Politics aside, they are Ghanaians and their lives must be protected. That said, we condemn the consistent stereotype of the Ashanti Region by the NDC in no uncertain terms and calls for a quick retraction and apology from these functionaries of John Mahama. We also call on John Mahama to render a public apology to the good people of Ashanti Region for the acidic tongue of his functionaries.
While we publicly know the anti-Ashanti sentiments in the NDC, we dare remind the NDC, John Mahama and his functionaries that Ashanti Region is arguably the most peaceful region in Ghana and our hospitality is arguably unparalleled. We call on the Police Service to take an active interest in this matter and invite these functionaries of John Mahama for further and better particulars on their allegations of assassination plot.
We, however, caution that time without number, NDC functionaries makes allegations and blame others for the very things they plot or are doing. It is our hope that the Police Service attend to this matter with urgency to manage similar foul tongues that will seek to pollute the peace we so jealously want to protect.
Ashanti Region is peaceful, will remain peaceful before, during and after the elections. While stakes may be high ahead of the December 07 elections,
it is not by itself, a licence to rant irresponsibly like some John Mahama functionaries are doing.
We, are however, worried about the continuous stereotype of the inhabitants of the Ashanti Region by some members of the NDC.
While there is a strong perception of anti-Ashanti sentiments among the rank and file of NDC, such stereotypes serve to fuel this perception. Unfortunately and for the bad leadership style of John Mahama, he finds no need to calls such fouls mouths to order.
2. MAHAMA’S SILENCE ON THE INSULTS AND ATTACKS ON PUBLIC FIGURES AND LEADERS FROM THE ASHANTI REGION BY HIS FUNCTIONARIES
3.
In recent times, his communicators and persons known to be campaigning for him have sustained a hate campaign and run a barrage of insults on notable characters and public figures from the Ashanti Region;
First of such characters has been Kevin Taylor who has insulted almost every person of influence and power within the Asante Kingdom (watch video of Kevin Taylor, the external communications director of the NDC, insulting Manhyia as he campaign for John Mahama)
There has not been a single moment when John Mahama has disassociated himself from his insults.
Second, Twene Jonas, known to be a campaigner for John Mahama has also insulted almost every notable character in the Ashanti Kingdom (watch a video of Jonas ranting on the Asante Kingdom). Once again, John Mahama’s tacit support through his loud silence has been profound.
Few weeks ago, two of his communications, Dela Eden and Samuel Huntor descended heavily of the respected Former President and Statement, HE John Agyekum Kufour.
The 86 year of statesman was not spared from the acidic and uncultured tongues of these functionaries of John Mahama (watch their videos). Weeks after, and as disappointing as John Mahama will be, he is yet to make a comment on it.
This is not much of a surprise considering the fact that John Mahama is on record to have said that ‘for some people in a certain part of Ghana, after eating their fufu, they will go and vote for stupid people.’ Knowing very well that fufu is a traditional food of the Asantes, it was too reckless for John Mahama to go that low. This was not just a plain insult on the people of Ashanti Region, it is a great sign of disrespect to the people.
For once, John Mahama should show leadership and apologise to Ashanti Region for the irresponsible actions of his campaigners, to which, he is the ultimate beneficiary.
- CRUDE VOTER SUPPRESSION STRATEGIES
In the final lap of this elections and particularly in the Ashanti Region, we have taken notice of some developments that we wish to equally bring to the attention of Ghanaians. The NDC has activated a voter suppression strategy in the Ashanti Region and we are glad to say that it will be rejected fiercely by the NPP.
This was rehearsed in Assin North by-elections where they tormented troubles in polling stations where NPP was strong to discourage voter turnout as NDC polling stations voted in peace and calm. In the last weeks, two incidents happened which have strengthened this notion:
First, around the New 4 junction of the garages at Suame Constituency, NDC functionaries were distributing NPP t-shirts to their supporters to engage in mind-boggling campaigns (watch the video). This is just like the old strategy they deployed on Muslim women by pulling their ‘mayaafi’ to create disaffection for the NPP.
To the good people of Ashanti Region, kindly note that the NDC is behind any of such acts. More importantly, always remember that if you’ve lived peacefully in Ashanti Region all these years and only one party, the NDC, stands to benefit from such an action. We urge the public to report, and if possible, effect a citizens arrest.
Second, some incidents happened around Santasi roundabout 2 week where a group of NDC supporters in a RAM pick up with a DV plate (according to one of the drivers) smashed glass of a car. Apparently, it had a siren fitted in it and the driver at a glance assumed they were national security personnel. It was seconds later that he noticed that it was part of the advance team of Asiedu Nketia when he visited the Ashanti Region.
To all commercial drivers, if any group of people abuse you and attack you in any form within these last few days, please know that it is part of the voter suppression strategy of the NDC. We encourage you to report it to the a Police Service or effect a citizens arrest
Finally on this particular subject, after a failed attempt to inaugurate Azorka boys at Asawase on November 3, 2024, we are reliably informed of the busing of some Azorka boys to Ashanti Region for create mayhem on the day of elections.
We have a message for them. We will police the ballot boxes any day, anytime and anywhere.
No form of intimidation will work on December 07. Every Ghanaian, registered and available to vote will only have one vote, and every valid ballot will be counted without fail. We urge the Security Services to do their job without fear not favor. We also urge all supporters of the NPP to stay within a reasonable distance from the polling centre after voting.
We policed our ballots in 2000, 2004, 2016 and 2020, and we will effectively do that again. To the NDC thugs, make sure you are accompanied by the sons and daughters of John Mahama, Naana Opoku Agyeman, Asiedu Nketia, Fiifi Kwetey, Joseph Yammin, Nana Akwasi, Captain Jabari, Kofi Boakye, and Fuseini Donkor when you are deployed to cause mayhem on polling day because you will face fierce resistance, nothing like you’ve ever faced in your life. It will even be better if they accompany you themselves.
Mr. Mahama must know that he cannot seek the votes of the people he so badly wants to visit mayhem on.
This is Ashanti Region!
4. WHY ASHANTI REGION IS BETTER OFF WITH BAWUMIA THAN JOHN MAHAMA.
a. The NPP has a better record of completing inherited projects in Ashanti Region than the NDC. For the last 8 years of the NDC from 2009 to 2016, not a single inherited project from previous governments was completed. The opposite is true in the case of NPP.
The Nana Addo government has completed 7 out of the 8 hospitals he inherited from previous governments, completed 3 inherited markets and started 3 major projects that were outrightly abandoned; the 800 bed KNUST Teaching Hospital, the Boankra inland port and the 700 bed maternity block at KATH.
As a result, we are firm in our minds that John Mahama cannot be trusted with ongoing projects like the Suame interchange, the Boankra Inland Port, the ongoing Agenda 111 projects, the 700 bed maternity block at KATH, among others.
b. John Mahama’s record on health in Ashanti Region has been the unprincipled imposition of capitation on the people of Ashanti Region which took the lives of many loved ones and brought us a lot of pain. NHIS collapsed under you watch, to the extent that private health providers started rejecting NHIS card holders. NDC in 8 years completed not a single hospital in Ashanti Region in 8 years; zero out of the 6 inherited and zero out of the two he started under the NMS projects. Very characteristic of John Mahama, he misappropriated $6 million of the project money to conduct a research if he was going to win the 2016 elections. This is the legacy John Mahama left in Ashanti Region.
The NPP on the other hand has completed 7 (4 Eurojet projects, Bekwai, 2 NMS projects and the 800 bed KNUST teaching hospital) of the 8 hospitals inherited, completed 7 (5 VAMED projects and 2 Agenda 111 projects) of those started by Nana Addo with 18 ongoing at different levels.
From the foregoing, the record of the NPP is unmatched when it comes to health.
c. We recall the untempered language of John Mahama when the people of Ashanti Region asked for good roads. In the face of the deplorable nature of the roads in Ashanti Region in 2016, John Mahama told the people that they are ungrateful and not even constructing their roads with gold will make them grateful.
That was one of the many insults he visited of the
Region. It was not surprised that poor roads was the major issue in 2017 in the Ashanti Region. For the records, NDC constructed only 452.4km of road works in 8 years as against the about 1354km of road works done by the NPP in the Ashanti Region since 2017.
For the many people in the Ashanti Region who are hoping and eager to see the road constructed are fully aware that the potential that their roads will be constructed with NPP in power is higher than having John Mahama in power.
d. Education
The NPP has proven with the record in the education sector that it is indeed possible when you are positively minded about your ideas and you have good policy implementers to work with. Despite the 43 different against Free SHS by John Mahama and the unguided commentaries from his functionaries about Free SHS, it has become a game changer in many households. About 400,000 kids in the Ashanti Region are deserving and proud beneficiaries of the samepolicy John Mahama lambasted.
In his usual character, John Mahama made a u-turn in an attempt to steal such an envious legacy of Nana Addo, the Free SHS President.
In addition, the NPP has constructed 321 different infrastructure within the SHS level in the Ashanti Region, given high schools buses, pick ups, invested heavily in STEM and TVET. This has reflected greatly in the quality of passes recorded under Free SHS and the poor WASSCE performance that Ghana witnessed under John Mahama.
Mahama’s lack of a clear vision is the biggest threat to the education sector in Ghana.
CONCLUSION
We want to assure you of our firm commitment to a peaceful electioneering process but also indicate clearly that any form of crude tactics and intimidation will be opposed fiercely. We urge the Police Service, Military and other security services to work and act professionally. We also urge the electoral officers to work professionally and not in ways that will create rejected ballots or compromise any vote.
To the good people of the Ashanti Region, we commit to making sure your vote counts and that nobody will be allowed to intimidate you on polling day. We are hopeful of a very massive voter turnout on December 07, 2024. That is what the NDC is afraid of hence, all the crude tactics. But they got it wrong this time because we will give them a run for the money. Turnout will be huge and the margin of victory for Dr. Bawumia will be wide and huge.
Lastly and more importantly, we wish to call on all party supporters to be vigilant before, during and after the voting process. If possible, do not go home after voting. Position yourself at a reasonable distance from the polling area like we did in 2016 and 2020.
Safeguarding every polling station is cardinal to the stable democracy.Aluta continua! Victoria Asserts!
As a result, we are firm in our minds that John Mahama cannot be trusted with ongoing projects like the Suame interchange, the Boankra Inland Port, the ongoing Agenda 111 projects, the 700 bed maternity block at KATH, among others.
b. John Mahama’s record on health in Ashanti Region has been the unprincipled imposition of capitation on the people of Ashanti Region which took the lives of many loved ones and brought us a lot of pain. NHIS collapsed under you watch, to the extent that private health providers started rejecting NHIS card holders. NDC in 8 years completed not a single hospital in Ashanti Region in 8 years; zero out of the 6 inherited and zero out of the two he started under the NMS projects. Very characteristic of John Mahama, he misappropriated $6 million of the project money to conduct a research if he was going to win the 2016 elections. This is the legacy John Mahama left in Ashanti Region.
The NPP on the other hand has completed 7 (4 Eurojet projects, Bekwai, 2 NMS projects and the 800 bed KNUST teaching hospital) of the 8 hospitals inherited, completed 7 (5 VAMED projects and 2 Agenda 111 projects) of those started by Nana Addo with 18 ongoing at different levels.
From the foregoing, the record of the NPP is unmatched when it comes to health.
c. We recall the untempered language of John Mahama when the people of Ashanti Region asked for good roads. In the face of the deplorable nature of the roads in Ashanti Region in 2016, John Mahama told the people that they are ungrateful and not even constructing their roads with gold will make them grateful.
That was one of the many insults he visited of the
Region. It was not surprised that poor roads was the major issue in 2017 in the Ashanti Region. For the records, NDC constructed only 452.4km of road works in 8 years as against the about 1354km of road works done by the NPP in the Ashanti Region since 2017.
For the many people in the Ashanti Region who are hoping and eager to see the road constructed are fully aware that the potential that their roads will be constructed with NPP in power is higher than having John Mahama in power.
d. Education
The NPP has proven with the record in the education sector that it is indeed possible when you are positively minded about your ideas and you have good policy implementers to work with. Despite the 43 different against Free SHS by John Mahama and the unguided commentaries from his functionaries about Free SHS, it has become a game changer in many households. About 400,000 kids in the Ashanti Region are deserving and proud beneficiaries of the same policy John Mahama lambasted.
In his usual character, John Mahama made a u-turn in an attempt to steal such an envious legacy of Nana Addo, the Free SHS President.
In addition, the NPP has constructed 321 different infrastructure within the SHS level in the Ashanti Region, given high schools buses, pick ups, invested heavily in STEM and TVET. This has reflected greatly in the quality of passes recorded under Free SHS and the poor WASSCE performance that Ghana witnessed under John Mahama.
Mahama’s lack of a clear vision is the biggest threat to the education sector in Ghana.
CONCLUSION
We want to assure you of our firm commitment to a peaceful electioneering process but also indicate clearly that any form of crude tactics and intimidation will be opposed fiercely. We urge the Police Service, Military and other security services to work and act professionally. We also urge the electoral officers to work professionally and not in ways that will create rejected ballots or compromise any vote.
To the good people of the Ashanti Region, we commit to making sure your vote counts and that nobody will be allowed to intimidate you on polling day. We are hopeful of a very massive voter turnout on December 07, 2024. That is what the NDC is afraid of hence, all the crude tactics. But they got it wrong this time because we will give them a run for the money. Turnout will be huge and the margin of victory for Dr. Bawumia will be wide and huge.
Lastly and more importantly, we wish to call on all party supporters to be vigilant before, during and after the voting process. If possible, do not go home after voting. Position yourself at a reasonable distance from the polling area like we did in 2016 and 2020.
Safeguarding every polling station is cardinal to the stable democracy.Aluta continua! Victoria Asserts!
