National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Asiedu Nketia, has strongly criticized the government’s decision to deploy military forces to border towns across Ghana to enforce a ban on the export of grain from Ghana in the wake of the drought-induced crop failures in the northern and middle belts.
He claims the move is part of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s strategy of ethnic profiling aimed at suppressing votes in NDC strongholds, particularly in the Volta Region.
Addressing voters in Afram Plains, Asiedu Nketia likened the current attempted military deployment to actions taken during the 2020 elections, when soldiers were stationed at the Volta Region’s borders under the pretext of enforcing COVID-19 restrictions.
He alleged that the NPP government has consistently targeted the Volta Region since coming to power.
“Whenever there is an election they deploy military to the Volta region. They go to the extent that they lie that Ewes want a Succession from Ghana then they create Western Togoland to use that to deploy military to Volta region to shoot indiscriminately. You remember what Hopeson Adoye has been saying. Now that the election is approaching, they have announced a ban on the export of grain so they are deploying the military to the border again. It is another ploy to use the military to harass voters in the Volta region to suppress votes. In 2020 they did the same under the pretext that they deploying military to borders to enforce COVID-19 restrictions. The military fire gunshots and harass voters”.
Asiedu Nketia urged supporters of the NDC to stand firm to continue supporting the NDC, asserting that the party is committed to the development of the Afram Plains area.
He mentioned the NDC’s plan to establish an Agriculture Satellite Campus of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Donkokrom, which was relocated to Akyem Abuakwa by the NPP, as an example of the current government’s disregard for the development in the Afram Plains.
He also pledged that an NDC government would address the area’s deplorable road conditions to boost agricultural productivity.
Addressing internal party issues, Asiedu Nketia condemned the decision of Kpeli Worlas, an aggrieved parliamentary aspirant, to contest as an independent candidate in Afram Plains North.
He justified the party’s decision to dismiss Worlas and urged supporters not to engage in “skirt and blouse” voting, where some voters intend to vote for NDC flag bearer John Mahama but vote for the independent candidate in the parliamentary election.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
