Samira Bawumia, wife of New Patriotic Party (NPP) vice-presidential candidate has urged voters in the Eastern Region not to be swayed by the vote-buying antics of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
She encouraged, they should accept the gifts but still vote against the party and President John Mahama.
‘When the NDC bring money and the goodies, collect it and vote against them because they stole from you,’ she told supporters at a mini-rally in some Zongo communities Wednesday.
Samira is campaigning in the same region at the same time as President John Mahama whose party, the NDC has vowed to split the popular votes in the Eastern region – a second stronghold of the opposition NPP
The wife of the NPP Vice-Presidential candidate was relentless in her criticism of the NDC’s record in government after it won the 2009.
She noted while President John Mahama claims to have built good roads, he chose to fly in a helicopter when he arrived in the region for a campaign tour.
She also accused government of selectivity in the allocation of soft loans under the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) programme. According to her, NPP supporters have been sidelined in the provision of capital for medium and small-scale businesses.
She also repeated her husband’s argument that with little resources, the NPP government did much yet with much the NDC has done little.
‘All the money NPP got in eight years in government was GHC20 billion but we still introduced social interventions like National Health Insurance Scheme,’ she said.
She touched a nerve with her audience when she criticised the NDC for increasing utility bills.
Samira Bawumia said the NDC criticised the NPP for the high cost of fuel although petroleum was being sold at $100, yet with petrol at less than $40, the NDC has not been able to reduce fuel prices as it promised to drastically do.
The politician’s wife told residents in the pro-NDC Zongo communities that despite their loyalty towards the governing party, they are yet to be rewarded with developments.
It is time for them to switch their allegiance to the NPP, she said.
Presenting Akufo-Addo as an alternative, Samira Bawumia said Ghana needs a selfless leader who will not mismanage the country’s resources.
She said Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has proven that he has Ghana at heart. According to her, the former Foreign Minister declined the offer to live in a government bungalow neither did he collected travelling allowance during his eight years in the Kufuor-led NPP government.
This is the kind of person Ghana needs as a president, she endorsed.