Northern Region NPP Group Demands Apology From John Mahama

The Northern regional Communication Directorate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), have asked the former President John Dramani Mahama to as a matter of urgency render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians, especially the Northerners for peddling lies about the development of the North.

According to the Northern Regional Communication Director of the party Mohammed Issah, former prez Mahama who is not only former statesman but also a Northerner, during his five days visit to the region made comments on some of the policies being implemented by the New Patriotic Party which looks as if the people of the region were in support of his take

The Former prez Mahama during his five days campaign tour of the Northern Region accused the NPP of incompetent and abandoning projects of the previous government. He also lamented on the challenges faced by the FSHS and hinted of reviewing the Free SHS policy introduced and implemented by the the Nana Addo NPP led government when elected as President in 2020.

Mr. Mohammed Issah who addressed a press conference on Monday October 8, called on the former President John Mahama to stop provoking the people of the Northern Region.

According to him, Mr. Mahama and his team came to the region full of lies and had really manifested it.

The statement said " Ladies and gentlemen, the former president arrived in the region together with some of his incompetent former appointees on Tuesday, the 2nd of this month, with a truck full of lies and propaganda"

"In view of all these, we have invited you all here to serve as a vehicle that will convey our concerns and reservations to the former President and all well-meaning northerners that, John Mahama must apologize unconditionally to us for his recklessness by selecting wrong gears that reversed the economic progress of our region in his days as leader of the nation and largely, the consistent lies he peddled throughout his tour" it added

He revealed that most of the roads the former president claim to have completed in his regime is factually incurrent, stressing that the former president only squandered the allocated resources of the roads.

“The Larabanga-Sawla stretch of the Fufuls-Sawla road has develop “manholes” after several maintenance some few years after completion, this is replicated in so many parts of the said roads. H.E John Mahama must stop provoking us”

“The Salaga road was one of the so called abandoned roads according to the former president. The Tamale-Salaga-Mankango road was started under the Npp, the road was done and tarred from the Tamale Metropolis to Kpalbe in the East Gonja District. This road never saw any face-lift until 2016 when the Gonjaland Youth Association scheduled their 40th anniversary celebration for Salaga. For reckless partisan political gains, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, yet one of the numerous family members of John Mahama, moved to the site with all the pump and pageantry without any viable contract. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama failed to tar even one foot length of the said road”

This according to him is insulting to northerners for the former president to claim he awarded the said contract. “If indeed he claimed to have awarded the road on contract he should provide us with the contract documents and the sources of funding as well as the level of completion at the time he left office”

Mr. Issah expressed worried that, the roads former president Mahama claimed has been abandoned by the Akuffo Addo government during the campaign tour existed under his watch, but fail to fix them.

“The roads you plied during your campaign tour were never imported from Dubai or the North. They existed under your miserable watch Mr. former president. You probably never saw them because you never knew you had people you belong to. You lied to us through your loudest 'green book' that these same roads were done”.

“Several pages of the green book indicated that the eastern corridor roads of which these specific routes are a subsets were done. A statesman of your stature and for that matter a responsible Northerner should not be doing this to us. We deserve better”.

According to him it is shameful for the former president to accuse the Akuffo Addo led administration of stalling projects in the north.

“It is so painful and shameful, that a supposed statesman get so disingenuous in the name of petty partisan politics in the manner you did Mr. former president? Were you not the same John Mahama who on Wednesday, 3rd of October 'inspected' the construction of the Salaga hospital that was abandoned under your watch”.

Mr Issah revealed that through the efforts of President Akuffo Addo, the contractor is currently busy on site, and working towards completion.

“The Buipe Accident and emergency Centre and Tolon District Hospital that were ratified in parliament have seen some commitment and work is ongoing. Indeed, the Mpaha and Sang community day schools that were abandoned under your NDC is currently admitting students for the free SHS you are planning to abolish in the very unlikely event you win the 2020 elections”.

He enumerated that many projects are ongoing including the final face of the Tamale teaching hospital, “the Akufo Addo-Bawumia government did not only continue with the projects the NDC left behind as a responsible government, but also secured funds to continue with some of the projects that were abandoned without fund allocation”.

He noted that, the current administration has constructed a Dam for the people of Kpegu in the Kumbungu District, and several other Dams being under construction in Kupoto in the North Gonja district, Sandu in the Savulugu municipality and several others at the various stages of completion across the northern region.

He advised the former president to concentrate on his campaign, and avoid contemplating a review of the free senior high school policy.

Mr. Issah therefore call on the former president to apologize to the people of the north for peddling lies and whoopla against the Akuffo Addo government.