General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, seems unimpressed with President Mills� surprise visit to some three markets in Accra considering his �if President Mills has gone to buy kenkey and so what?� sarcastic remark.
President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday, February 28 paid an unannounced visit to the Nima, Maamobi and Mallam Atta markets all in Accra and bought kenkey to ascertain the real cost since it has become an issue.
The Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea, had earlier claimed based on a report by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Ghanaians can no longer cope with the tough economic situation in the country to the extent that a ball of kenkey now cost GH�1 and the ordinary person was finding it difficult to buy a ball of the commonest staple, kenkey.
Eager to establish the veracity of recent media reports that the price of a ball of kenkey, a local food, had shot up, the President purchased four balls of kenkey at 50Gp each.
He used the occasion to appeal against the politics of untruths, saying, �What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong.�
But speaking in an interview on Okay FM�s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Sir John as he is popularly called, rubbished the President�s visit, describing it as a �cheap publicity stunt�.
To him, it is no big deal if President Mills visits some markets to purchase kenkey, but stressed that �if he wants to be going to town to ascertain the truth about the concerns raised; then he should as well visits parents to find out if they are able to pay their fees.�
�He should have also sought to find out the prices of cement and other goods to really know how Ghanaians are suffering under his administration,� he added.
The NPP Chief Scribe also scoffed at claims that President Mills� unannounced one-hour visit brought the already busy markets to their knees, as enthusiastic market women and a large crowd thronged the markets to catch a glimpse of him, amid drumming, singing and dancing, and sought to find out when the NDC attached importance to the presence of a massive gathering at any occasion.
According to him, a couple of days ago, the NDC rubbished the �gargantuan� crowd that attended the NPP�s recent Greater Accra rally, saying election is not about pulling crowds, yet �they are making noise about the number of people who came out to meet President Mills during his visit to the markets".
He accused the government�s communications team of not being sincere with the president by only telling him (Mills) what they want him to hear and hiding the reality from him.
Source: Beatrice Adepa Frempong/Peacefmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |