It is disturbing that even at this stage certain personalities, especially the NDC Minority and their allies in the media, academia and civil society still hold the view that the government has not done enough to alleviate the plight of the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
This group of people think the President has turned his back and the back of his government because the people in the Volta Region, mostly affected by the disaster, do not align with the NPP when it comes to elections.
The government spokespersons have explained severally why as a people we should avoid the blame game and collectively put our shoulders to the wheel to address the Mepe area disaster.
The attempt by President Akufo-Addo to explain to the people that he is father for all, and when it comes to their needs, it does not matter whether they voted for his party or not, we should be moving towards building consensus on some issues such as the crisis in the Lower Volta Basin.
We at this stage want to invite Ghanaians to evaluate certain aspects of the speech by President Akufo-Addo at Mepe last week and whether it offended the sensibility of the people.
Now let us interrogate what the President said at Mepe last Monday and “crucify” him for politically incorrect remarks from the Father of the Nation. Take and listen carefully. “I want to assure you that the government is going to do everything in its power to assist (and) to make sure that things are alright. I think everybody here, and I hope you take the message all across North Tongu, South Tongu, Central Tongu – that when these things happen and government acts, politics does not come into the matter at all.
“When I took the oath of office as President, I took the oath of office as President for every single individual in Ghana, for all the people in Ghana, all districts, whether they voted for me or not. Once I have taken the oath of office, I am the President for all the people.
“Togbe, I want the people here, beginning with you, and the elders to understand when something like this happens and government acts, government is acting for Ghanaians, for all Ghanaians. I came here because Ghanaians are having difficulties, and it is my responsibility to try and help. Because, if it is a question of counting who votes for me and who don’t vote for me, then I shouldn’t be here, because you don’t vote for me. But that is not my concern. And, in any event, one day you will vote for me and my party.”
Fellow Ghanaians, we invite you to evaluate the President’s speech without a political lens on and truthfully tell us where the President erred unlike the opaque lenses with which people like Prof Gyampo, Martin Kpebu, Dzifa Gomashie and the NDC have misrepresented the President as having hatred for the people of the Volta Region.
We admonish those talking ill of the President to take a cue from the Scriptures in Ephesians 4: 29 thus, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”