President Nana Akufo-Addo
PRESIDENT NANA Akufo-Addo has stated that the peace being enjoyed in the country will remain intact before, during and after the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
According to him, he inherited a peaceful country from his predecessor on January 7, 2017, and he (Akufo-Addo) will also hand over a peaceful country to his successor who would emerge victorious in the upcoming elections.
President Akufo-Addo said the country has successfully organised eight peaceful elections since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992, so the ninth election would also be very peaceful.
The President, who is nearing the end of his tenure after being in political office for close to eight years, encouraged Ghanaians not to be afraid, stressing that the December 7 elections will not disturb the peace being enjoyed in the country.
“I inherited a peaceful Ghana from my predecessor on January 7, 2017, so I will also hand over a peaceful country to who will come after me. My major objective now is to leave behind a peaceful country on January 7, 2025.
“This is the ninth general election since the 1992 Constitution was birthed. All the previous eight successive elections were very peaceful, the country didn’t burn, and so will the upcoming polls be,” he said on Hello FM.
According to the President, all the major stakeholders in the elections, including the Electoral Commission (EC), the security agencies and others, are ready and determined to carry out their essential duties to make the polls peaceful.
For instance, President Akufo-Addo said the EC, which is mandated by the state to organise the polls, would carry out their important duties without fear or favour, so that in the end, the choice of the people would prevail.
The President, who is the commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, also stated categorically that the security agencies are battle ready to drastically deal with anyone or group that would try to cause mayhem in the country.
He, therefore, entreated the electorates to go out and vote in their large numbers on Saturday, December 7, stressing that troublemakers would not have any room to operate before, during and after the general election.
The President admonished vigilante groups and people who would try to snatch ballot boxes with the aim of destroying the beauty of the elections to change their minds, reiterating that the security agencies would not spare any troublemaker.
Reacting to the likely winner of the elections, he instantly mentioned the name of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, saying that the party deserved to remain in political office.
“Dr. Bawumia is the best man for the job, as he can work and add to the gains that my administration has already secured in eight years, so he will definitely win the elections and succeed me as the next president,” he predicted.
According to President Akufo-Addo, former President John Mahama, who is the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), cannot be trusted with the proper management of the country.
“John Mahama could not provide an uninterrupted power supply for even 12 hours when he was the president, interestingly, this same man is now promising a 24-hour economy. Where will he get the power supply from?” he questioned.
President Akufo-Addo, without mincing words, stated that ex-President Mahama is only coming out with juicy promises that are not attainable just to confuse the electorates and win undeserved votes, saying, “Reject him.”
He warned that all the laudable programmes such as the Free Senior High School (SHS), the Agenda 111 hospitals and others brought by the NPP to make life better for the people, would collapse if the NDC wins political power.
For the continuity of the better governance that has been served the citizenry in the last eight years, President Akufo-Addo appealed to the electorates to cast their ballots for Dr. Bawumia and all NPP parliamentary candidates.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi