The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of abandoning critical development projects in Akwatia, leaving the constituency in what he described as a state of neglect and deception.
Mr Gbande, who doubles as the Director of Operations at the Office of the President, made these remarks during the ongoing by-election in Akwatia, where tensions between the two major political parties have heightened.
Speaking to journalists, Mr Gbande noted that the NPP government failed to fulfill promises made to the people of Akwatia, particularly in infrastructure and mining regulation, despite years of assurances.
He highlighted the poor state of the road network in the area, which he said had become a threat to human life due to the level of deterioration.
“If you find out that even coming here to supervise the election, there’s a road network that former President Akufo-Addo has abandoned so badly that even when you use it, you are likely to get an accident, it’s a national security matter. That area should be fixed so that by the time we finish the election, we don’t lose lives”.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande
Mustapha Gbande criticized the NPP for prioritizing what he described as the “stealing of money” over genuine development, insisting that the government’s lack of attention to critical needs reflected its poor governance.
“When you talk of the deficit of development, we should hold NPP to their balls, because they abandoned development and prioritized stealing of money. This thing that is ongoing there, we have just passed there. Your vehicles cannot go there. We, the politicians and the NPP executive, are using Land Cruisers, but you are not using a Land Cruiser. When you pass there, you will have an accident.”
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande
Projects Not for Political Gains
The NDC Deputy General Secretary argued that if any work was being done on the roads in Akwatia during the election period, it was only because of the imminent threat of accidents and fatalities.
He was, however, quick to emphasize that, unlike the NPP, the NDC under President John Mahama did not undertake projects solely for political gain.
“If they are fixing it, it is to prevent fatalities and casualties. That is why we don’t do projects for votes. But I can assure you that President Mahama is not somebody who discriminates. He is somebody who develops every place.
“And so after the election, you will see physical development and growth in the lives of the people. That is why we are pleading with the people to give us lawyer Bernard Bediako Baidoo, and we will give them development”.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande
NPP’s Mining Regulations Failures
On the issue of mining, Mustapha Gbande accused the erstwhile Akufo-Addo-led government of failing to deliver on its pledge to regulate small-scale and community mining.
According to him, instead of creating opportunities for local miners, government officials diverted resources and engaged in mining activities for their own benefit.
“They are talking about mining and all sorts of things. When former President Akufo-Addo promised to regulate mining, his ministers shared the proceeds, and they were the ones mining. Did you see evidence of community mining in this village when you came? There is nothing like that.
“If you present a miner who is in opposition, it will only take the government to agree or disagree with the person engaged in mining. And we are in power. The miners don’t have land. It is the government that will issue that land. So why don’t you partner with somebody who can help you mine responsibly, other than a miner who doesn’t have land?” he quizzed.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande
NPP’s Internal Divisions
Mustapha Gbande also criticised what he describes as the seeming internal divisions in the opposition New Patriotic Party, pointing out that the party had sidelined experienced candidates such as Ama Sey and even their constituency chairman from contesting in the by-election.
He contrasted this with the NDC’s democratic internal processes, which he said had produced a strong candidate in Lawyer Bernard Bediako Baidoo.
“Unlike them, we went to an internal contest and selected a competent person. That is why we are convinced that beyond all doubt, even if they do juju, it won’t work because we are here. We are going to win”.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande
Touching on concerns about police presence at polling stations, Mustapha Gbande dismissed allegations by the NPP that heavy security deployment was meant to intimidate their supporters.
Instead, he praised the professionalism of the police, stressing that only those with ill intent had reason to fear their presence.
“You can see professionalism in the police. They are complaining that there is too much deployment of police to intimidate them. The police are here. They are not intimidating anyone.
“If you don’t have any wrong intention, why are you afraid of the police? They talked about masked police. Do you see anybody in masks here? So the NPP is full of excuses when they are losing. But excuses will not change the story”.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande
Confident of victory for the NDC, Mustapha Gbande asserted that the outcome of the by-election was already clear and that Akwatia would soon have a representative capable of delivering on the people’s aspirations.
“The story is that by 5 pm, we will declare Lawyer Bernard Bediako Baidoo as the ultimate winner,” he said with conviction. Mustapha Gbande’s remarks highlighted the deep political contest between the NPP and NDC, with both parties eager to prove their influence in Akwatia.
For the NDC, the stakes remain high as they seek to consolidate their parliamentary strength, while the NPP faces the challenge of overcoming accusations of neglect and unfulfilled promises.
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