PNC Accuses Media

THE FLAGBEARER of the People's National Convention, Dr. Edward Nasigri Mahama, has suggested the formation of a coalition by Nkrumahist parties as the only way of ensuring that the latent tension and rivalry between the NDC and NPP do not explode prior to or after election 2008. 

According to him, there have been some discussions towards a coalition between the CPP and PNC, but implementation of the agreements reached so far has been faced with challenges.

Dr. Mahama was briefing the media at Peligu, in the Upper East region, after he had announced some new PNC programmes for the youth in the area.

He said the NDC has had eight years to run the affairs of the nation, while the NPP under the leadership of President John Agyekum Kufuor, is also about to end its eight year mandate, therefore election 2008 will be a do or die encounter for the two parties.

For this reason, the PNC flagbearer suggested the need for a third force that would capture power from both the NDC and NPP, to avoid possible chaos that a defeat for any one of these parties could cause in the country.

Dr. Mahama stressed that the outcome of the NPP congress was an indication that money does not win election, but experience, coupled with a good achievable campaign message and hard work geared towards the right people at the right time.

Dr. Mahama said he was hopeful of winning this year's general election, since he was the most experienced as far as the presidential race was concerned, stressing that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was no match for him.

He attacked past and current governments for abandoning most rural roads to deteriorate, thereby contributing to the inability of farmers to cart their farm produce to market.

Though government in the 2008 Budget Statement announced the construction of 15 kilometres of tarred roads in districts throughout the country, Dr. Mahama was of the view that, much more needed to be done to ensure that farmers benefitted from their sweat.

Dr. Mahama said top on the PNC's campaign agenda was the empowerment of farmers, women and youth, and that a PNC government would fund the programme from the resources that would be raised by cutting down the number of ministers and their deputies from the current over 80 to 40.

“Monies to be spent on the salaries, allowances and vehicles of the extra ministers and their deputies, most of who play duplicating roles, could be channeled into Agricultural Research and Youth Development Funds to the benefit of all Ghanaians.”

“If government was committed to the maintenance and construction of good roads, some of my campaign vehicles will not have broken down. They broke down because of the bad nature of the roads,” he bemoaned.

He charged the media to inform the populace about these problems, and to prevent government officials from presenting false information about the nation's development.

Dr. Mahama reiterated his claim over discrimination in coverage by the media, saying the media has the responsibility to ensure equal coverage of the messages of all political parties, to enable Ghanaians make right decisions come December 7, 2008.

He was not happy about the absence of Ghana Television (GTV) camera at the function, and when a correspondent from Ghana Broadcasting Corporation said the camera had been sent for routine maintenance and repairs, Dr. Mahama asked if the camera wouldn't have been around had Nana Akufo-Addo visited the region the same day.

From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Peligu