Razak Kojo Opoku
Some civil society groups still entertain fears that former President Mahama’s level of incompetence in managing the affairs of the country, which culminated in his humiliating electoral defeat in 2016, will worsen if he is re-elected in the upcoming elections.
One of such groups is the Concerned Voters Movement (CVM), which says “a critical examination of the so-called NDC’s People’s Manifesto depicts complete departure of reality.”
According to the group, “The NDC document rather devised means of exploiting the ignorance of sections of unsuspecting Ghanaians.”
“Again, the so-called People’s Manifesto depicts different picture of what the ‘social democrats’ aspire for. It rather focuses on championing an agenda of winning the 2020 general elections through lies and half-baked truth based on selective and exploitative programmes and policies,” the group said in a statement issued yesterday.
Signed by Razak Kojo Opoku, the founder and president of the group, the statement added: “The yesterday incompetent John Mahama is still the same today, his attitude has grown from bad in 2016 to worse in 2020.”
Housing
The group is particularly questioning the seriousness of John Mahama in addressing the housing problems facing most Ghanaians, and wonders why the NDC’s manifesto is silent on the Saglemi Affordable Housing project, which the NDC government started in 2012.
“We, the members of the Concerned Voters Movement (CVM), want to know if the NDC’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, meant well to solve the housing problems in this country. Why were Mr Mahama and the entire NDC’s People’s Manifesto silent over Saglemi Affordable Housing project which the NDC government started in 2012, although the project is uncompleted?”
Making a number of references from the NDC’s manifesto, CVM observed that under Social Housing of the NDC Manifesto, on page 94, the party’s presidential candidate promises that “The next NDC Government will, over a four (4) year period, roll out an aggressive social housing plan to deliver a minimum of twenty thousand (20,000) low-income houses in all 260 metropolis, municipalities and districts.”
Among other promises, Mr Mahama also pledges that “the next NDC Government will work to end the crisis of access and cost of securing affordable land for residential or business purposes.”
‘Saglemi Housing stench’
The 5000-housing unit facility, which was started by the NDC administration in 2012, is seated on a 300-acre land, with one to three-bedroom apartments for supposed low-income earners.
“The flagship housing project of the NDC”, Ghanaians were told, “was designed to reduce the country’s massive housing deficit. But what is the end result today?” the group asked.
According to group, the 5,000 Saglemi Housing project units were scaled down twice, yet the contract sum of $200 million remained unchanged. The project was altered without recourse to Parliament from 5000 units to 1502 and reduced again to 1,024 units. But the $200 million earmarked for the 5000 housing units remained the same.
“How can $200 million budgeted for 5000 housing units remain the same budget for 1,502 housing units or 1,024 housing units? Ghanaians, let’s wake up because the incompetent John Mahama is roaming around deceiving unsuspecting voters,” the group stated.
Members of the Concerned Voters Movement believe that this demonstrates “how the NDC’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, and the NDC administration milked our dear country by cutting back on the number of housing units Ghanaians should have received from this project.”
Source: dailystatesman.com.gh
