Today in History: Akufo-Addo's governance worse than military regime - Asiedu Nketia

Two years ago, the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, questioned the democratic dispensation under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

His critique was borne out of the mishaps surrounding the Electoral Commission's resolve to use the identification cards produced by the National Identification Authority (NIA) as

Read full articlea prerequisite tool during the registration exercise for new voter identification cards.

General Mosquito who reacted to the issue on Okay FM’s morning show said:

“What is the motive behind the idea that apart from the Ashanti Region, none of the regions in the country has been able to register more people with the NIA Card? What we are saying is that the way and manner the NIA has gone about the registration process, if we are to use this card for the new voter’s register, then it means about two million Ghanaians will be disenfranchised in the 2020 general elections. those who were successful to go through the NIA registration have not been able to receive their cards. In the Upper East, those who have received their cards are about 6 percent and so 94 percent of those who registered have not yet received their cards. In Upper West, those who have received their cards are 5 percent and 95 percent do not have their cards. In Northern Region, it is 33 percent, Bono East is 11 percent, Bono Region is 10 percent; in Ahafo Region, 8 percent people have received their cards and if you come to Ashanti Region, over 50 percent of the people have received their cards,”

He also warned against what he described as the use of intimidation by the Akufo-Addo government to suppress the will of Ghanaians.

Read full story originally published on Ghanaweb but sourced to Peacefmonline

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, is questioning the democratic dispensation under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

His critique is borne out of the brouhaha surrounding the Electoral Commission's resolve to use the identification cards produced by the National Identification Authority (NIA) as a prerequisite tool during the registration exercise for new voter’s identification cards.

“What is the motive behind the idea that apart from the Ashanti Region, none of the regions in the country has been able to register more people with the NIA Card? What we are saying is that the way and manner the NIA has gone about the registration process, if we are to use this card for the new voter’s register, then it means about two million Ghanaians will be disenfranchised in the 2020 general elections”, the NDC General Secretary stated on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show.

“ . . those who were successful to go through the NIA registration have not been able to receive their cards. In the Upper East, those who have received their cards are about 6 per cent and so 94 per cent of those who registered have not yet received their cards. In Upper West, those who have received their cards are 5 per cent and 95 per cent do not have their cards. In Northern Region, it is 33 per cent, Bono East is 11 per cent, Bono Region is 10 per cent; in Ahafo Region, 8 per cent people have received their cards and if you come to Ashanti Region, over 50 per cent of the people have received their cards,” he asserted.

Supporting the claim of Major Boakye Gyan of impending danger in the country, General Mosquito as popularly called insisted that the obstinate posture of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the NIA's shoddy work are a recipe for civil unrest.

“How can you claim to be practising democracy when in fact you are disenfranchising some people . . . and if someone comes to warn you that what you are doing is a recipe for coup d’état, you rather say that the person is inciting the public . . . why arrest someone who is simply warning you against civil war which might happen due to your activities? Why are we turning Ghana’s democracy upside down?” he bemoaned.

He, however, warned against the use of intimidation by the Akufo-Addo government to suppress the will of Ghanaians for demanding their democratic rights to take part in the upcoming general elections.

“Nana Addo, you know that we were all part of the People’s Movement For Freedom and Justice; we fought against Acheampong’s regime and other regimes and we thought that once you have become President, you will demonstrate something good that we fought for but your actions as a President are worse than that of a military regime . . . you are bargaining for what you yourself have preached against before,” he chastised the President.