NPP and Akufu Addo’s popularity dwindling massively in Ashanti region – NDC

The Ashanti Regional branch of the opposition NDC has criticized President Akufo Addo’s just-ended tour of the Region describing it as full of tantrums and empty promises adding that ta cold reception that turned into booing and jeering when the president visited the Ashanti region on his four-day working tour.

It argued that the Ashanti Region is no more a stronghold for the New Patriotic Party, but has now turned into what it described as a strangling hold for the governing party.

Addressing the media, the Regional Communications Director of the NDC, Nurudeen Abass contended the president had nothing substantial to show to the Ashanti region for all the revenues and votes the Nana Addo administration enjoyed from the region.

Suame interchange

According to Ashanti Regional NDC, the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the four-tier Suame Interchange in the Ashanti Region as a knee-jerk approach to the recent anger that was vented on the Majority leader of Parliament and the MP of the area Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu.

The NDC was responding to the just ended four day tour of the Ashanti Region by President Akufo-Addo in a press conference at their regional headquarters on Thursday October 20, 2022.

The Ashanti Regional Communications Director for the NDC Nurudeen Abass who addressed the media described the four-day tour as empty one full palpable lies artificial project.

He accused the governing NPP of doing very little for the Ashanti Region looking at the massive votes they (NPP) had here in the region.

“After claiming to have constructed thirteen Interchanges accross the country, without a single one in the strong hold of the ruling party, this sod cutting to us is nothing more than a face saving gimmick “. he said.

Incident of Hooting

Mr Abass further noted that, the alleged incident of some individuals hooting at President Akuffo Addo during his visit to the Kumasi Central Market capture on social media is an obvious development of the palpable show of disapproval of the performance of the NPP government by people in the region.

“For president Akuffo Addo and his entourage to receive boos and jeers from onlookers notably in the Central Business District of Kumasi is a clear indication that people are not happy with President Akuffo Addo’s economic performance”

Demeaning Comments

Among the concerns raised by the NDC was the response president Akuffo Addo gave when he had an exclusive interview on OTEC 102.9 Fm.

Responding to no roads no vote question from the host, Captain Koda, the president said he is not threatened by such comments, adding he can force people to vote for him.

The NDC however sees the comment as another low point of President Akuffo Addo’s tour claiming that, the President was cold in his response.

He called on the president to render an unqualified apology to the good people of Kwabre and Manso for demeaning them.

“Distinguished friends from the media, it goes without saying that President AkufoAddo’s latest tour of his favourite political backyard was nothing short of underwhelming. With nothing by way of any worthy accomplishments, President AkufoAddo went about inspecting and commissioning mediocre and mundane projects which ordinarily should be the work of DCE’s and other government officials. To imagine that the President was driven in a convoy of nearly 70 V8’s to commission a magistrate court building at Toase, sums up what miserable spectacle of a tour it was.

“It is important to remind ourselves that when President Mahama and the NDC constructed a brand new High Court building at Obuasi in 2016, the then Regional Minister and MCE for Obuasi at the time did the honour of commissioning same. This is for us, the difference between the Nation-Builder, President John Dramani Mahama and the Family Builder, His Excellency William Akufo-Addo. Whereas one of them – President Mahama, built legacy projects in the Ashanti Region, such as the $234 million Kejetia Central Market project, the largest investment in the history of the Ashanti Region, the Kumasi Airport Phase II, Rattray Park, Konongo-Kumawu-Kwahu Water Project, the 500-bed Military Hospital at Afari, the 250-bed Regional Hospital at Sewua, the other – President Akufo-Addo, has very little to show for all his unprecedented borrowing and the huge votes he enjoys from the people of the region.

“Indeed, the popularity of the New Patriotic Party and President Akufo-Addo for that matter is so low in their own stronghold that they have resorted to emulating the NDC’s hugely successful membership drive in the Ashanti Region in order to try and revive their sinking fortunes. For a party that garnered as much as 1.8 million votes out of a total of 2.5 million valid votes cast in the 2020 elections to be conducting a membership registration drive in their supposed comfort zone two years down, is clear indication of
their waning popularity in the region.”

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Jacob Agyenim Boateng