President John Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will soon be hit with a demonstration over the high electricity tariffs being charged poor consumers in the country, making life unbearable for majority of the citizenry.
The demonstration, which is set to attract a large number of aggrieved power users to the streets, would take place in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital. Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Wontumi, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stated that the party would organize the demonstration against the government in the coming days, though he stopped short of a precise date.
According to him, the NDC administration had unjustifiably increased electricity tariffs in recent times, which had collapsed small-scale businesses.
Wontumi said many workers had also been laid off by their employers due to the excessive electricity tariffs being charged by the power producers, noting that it was time consumers demonstrated against the government.
Addressing a huge number of NPP faithful during the campaign launch of the Ashanti Regional NPP at Afigya Kwabre North on Sunday, Wontumi stated that the NDC government is insensitive to the plight of the people.
He said Ghanaians had continually pleaded with President Mahama and his administration to reduce the high electricity tariffs to lessen their burden but their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
Speaking at a programme dubbed, ‘People’s Forum,’ which was transmitted live on Ashh FM in Kumasi, the NPP regional chairman stated that the NDC administration only acts when the people demonstrate against its harsh decisions.
Vote Buying
He alleged that the NPP had sighted a national security document which indicates that the NDC would soon allocate a whopping US$100,000 to each constituency in the country to buy votes during the December elections.
Wontumi sternly warned the electorate not to yield to the NDC’s monetary inducements to sell their conscience, noting that the government would definitely increase petroleum prices and electricity tariffs to recoup the money that would be used to buy votes, if the government was retained.
Independent Candidates
He urged NPP members to vote against people who would contest for parliamentary positions as independent candidates, stressing that the people should only vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP parliamentary candidates.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi