Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has lauded the Minority in parliament for being the immediate hope to Ghanaians who labour under irresponsible governance and abuse of office.
According to him, by deploying some “unorthodox methods on some occasions”, the minority has held a “marauding government”, that has viewed itself as invincible and that treats Ghanaians with contempt, at bay. He indicated that the minority has equally prevented government from ramming very unpopular policies down the throats of Ghanaians.
“You have become the immediate hope of a people who labour under irresponsible governance and abuse of office. There is the need therefore to meet this expectation by injecting further impetus into your work by keeping an even keener eye on the activities of the Executive.”
John Dramani Mahama
Elaborating on his justifications, Mr Mahama revealed that due to the persistence of the Minority, the Akufo-Addo administration has intensified its efforts to whittle down its numbers. He noted that the President has not shied away from using “bizarre judicial processes” to achieve this objective.
“A case in point is how our MP for Assin South remains an MP yet is barred from performing his functions in Parliament. This has unjustifiably and inexplicably denied the people of Assin South, representation in Parliament at a time when other constituencies where legal disputes have arisen over the Parliamentary elections of 2020 have their MPs discharging their duties until the determination of the substantive maters brought against them.”
John Dramani Mahama
The former President highlighted that the incumbent government has also sought to use “malicious prosecutions” against some of the opposition members as a way of intimidating them into silence and docility. These tactics, he emphasized, have not diminished their resolve as they continue to remain resolute.
“That said, a lot is still expected from you as a Minority group in Parliament. Given the way state agencies including some arms of government pander to the will of the Akufo-Addo administration and are prepared to undermine the rules and long-established principles to do their bidding, you remain perhaps the last true bulwark between the longsuffering people of this country and total misrule.”
John Dramani Mahama
Ensuring good governance in the country
Addressing the minority group at a workshop, he indicated that the scrutiny that is required of them to exact on behalf of the people who elected them also extends to all state institutions. The framers of the 1992 constitution, he stated, intended that a number of these institutions complement the efforts of the Legislature at ensuring good governance.
Mr Mahama expressed that the style of government has been to “subjugate and dominate these institutions for parochial and partisan” gain. Thus, he opined that they have become pliant tools for the furtherance of the political ends of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo.
“One such institution is the Electoral Commission, which instead of making it easy for our citizens to take part in elections, rather takes delight in making it difficult. They appear determined to ensure the disenfranchisement of sections of our population at all costs through a misguided insistence on the use of the Ghana card as the only source of identification for a voter card. How do you do this, knowing that the Ghana Card is not available to everyone who should have one?”
John Dramani Mahama
Citing another instance, Mr Mahama revealed that the Ghana Card which is a relatively new feature of the national life has its merits in the scheme of things. At the moment, he noted that it is being “brandished more as a political tool” around which all manner of schemes is being fashioned towards elections.
“There is the need to allow sufficient time for its full integration into our way of life before this kind of unhelpful exclusion of all other legitimately acquired, credible and time-tested forms of identification is implemented.”
John Dramani Mahama
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