Akufo-Addo embarking on 'sakawa' sod-cutting for votes – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has accused President Akufo-Addo of embarking on fake sod-cutting across the country for political expediency.

According to the NDC flagbearer, the President is cutting sod for projects without budgetory allocation.

Speaking at a Townhall meeting at Kumasi in the Ashanti region, the former President urged chiefs to ask the President if there are funds set aside for the projects he cuts sod for in their communities.

“I learnt from a hospital project in Upper East when I was Vice President. Since that project, I told myself I will never cut sod until I have seen a contractor at site. These days you see the president and Vice President cutting sod everywhere without any contractor there.

“Nananom, when they come to cut sod in your area, ask them if the projects they are cutting sod for is in the 2020 budget, ask them if the projects are in any approved loan agreement before parliament, if they are not there then those projects are are 419, they are sakawa, they are cutting sod because of the elections, it is 419,” he said.

Mr. Mahama also taunted government for “implementing” the NDC’s manifesto even though the party is in opposition.

“We are not yet in power but the NPP has started working with our manifesto….but we don’t mind, we did the manifesto for the country. However, we are confident that we will come back to power come December 7,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, General Secretary of the party Johnson Asiedu Nketia accused the government of implementing the opposition party’s programs and policies.

“They have always claimed NDC members are dumb, they always say that. Now the dumb people have put together their small manifesto, but they the learned ones are now implementing our manifesto, why is that?

“But it won’t amount to anything. We gave them four years, you have just a little over three months to finish. What you couldn’t achieve in three years you can’t finish in three months,” he stated at the party’s Townhall Meeting at Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

The claim is coming on the back of several accusations by the opposition party against government of implementing their policies which were outdoored last week in their manifesto for the 2020 elections.

They cite government’s stands on Okada legalisation as proof of their claim.

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry has announced that stakeholder discussions on the legalisation of Okada in the country will resume in October.

It comes on the back of the raging debate on the legalisation of the motorcycle transport business sparked by opposition leader John Dramani Mahama.

The ministry in a statement said the discussion is entering its second phase after it was halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.