Fifi Kwetey
A Zongo development grouping, the Zongo Movement for Development (ZOMOD), has described as archaic the tactics being employed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Zongo communities in the run-up to the December elections.
The group, in a press release jointly signed by its President Alhaji Habib Cissey and General Secretary, Isiaku Isah, stated that, “We have noticed a disrespectful mode of campaigning by the leadership of the NDC, with regards to the Zongo community.
“Rather than showing the people of Zongo respect and telling us the record of former President Mahama, if any, in the Zongos, when he was Vice President and President between 2009 and 2017 respectively, the NDC has rather chosen the brutish path of launching insulting attacks on the person of Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, anytime it meets a Zongo audience.”
First, NDC General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, without provocation, rained unprintable insults on the person of Dr. Bawumia at no other place than in the north, ZOMOD pointed out, adding “then Alhaji Said Sinare, once a diplomat, who ought to have known better due to his stature within Muslim circles in Ghana, desecrated his own reputation, by launching unIslamic attacks on the person of Dr. Bawumia. After this, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who is supposed to be an example for young people and young politicians, considering his age and experience in politics, sat on national television, and without any provocation, called Dr. Bawumia an idiot.”
Having been inspired by these campaign of calumny by their leaders, some members of the NDC Zongo campaign, the release went on, “have also taken a cue from it, and have also resorted to campaign of insults, lies and propaganda anytime they engage Zongo audience.
“As watchers of politics in the Zongos in the 4th Republic, we are not surprised by the posture of the NDC, especially in dealing with the good people of Zongo, as it has been the stock in trade of the NDC to take the people of Zongo for granted.”
As development advocates for Zongo, the group stated “we are rather appalled by the NDC’s new height of disrespect, which its leadership is showing to the people of Zongo, at this stage of our democracy, where political campaign should be based on issues.”
ZOMOD was quick to add that “we can understand why the NDC and its national leadership are so bent on targeting the person of Dr. Bawumia in the Zongos, instead of selling the record of its candidate, former President Mahama in the Zongos.”
First, former President Mahama and the NDC, have no proud record of tangible development in the Zongos, during his time as Vice President and President. Second, the NDC is shaken by how the Zongo community, across the country, is warmly embracing the Presidential bid of Dr. Bawumia, the group added.
The NDC’s tribal campaign in the Zongos, which used to accuse the NPP of anti-Zongo party, has now been rendered ineffective, following the historic election of Dr. Bawumia as the NPP’s flagbearer, after being an impactful Vice President for the past seven and half years, ZOMOD stressed.
Through his effort as Vice President, the Zongo Development Fund (ZDF) was set up to bridge the development gap between Zongo communities and other parts of the country.
“Today, the Zongo Development Fund has not only made significant impact in infrastructure in many Zongos, it has become a reliable vehicle providing educational and vocational opportunities for young people in the Zongos.
“Today, we can count up to 70 classroom blocks, ICT centres and educational grants through the Zongo Development Fund among others,” it added.
“Have the NDC forgotten so soon the over one thousand Ghanaian Muslims, who had fully paid their Hajj fees were stranded at the Hajj Village and could not send them to Hajj in 2016, requiring the then President Mahama to apologise during the 2016 Eid ul Adha prayers at the Independence Square, we can, perhaps, understand why the likes of Asiedu Nketia and the NDC Zongo leadership, would run away from issue-based campaign?” ZOMOD pointed out.
By A.R. Gomda