Government's Micro finance support is political gimmick; NDC MP

Issa (UW/R), April 16, GNA - The NPP government's policies and programmes have succeeded to perpetuate inequality among Ghanaians, making a few richer and the majority poor, an NDC Member of Parliament has said. Mr Mathias Puozaa, MP for Nadowli East held that the government's micro finance interventions were political propaganda and "face saving attempts" to win the sympathy of the electorate in the 2008 elections. He was addressing Constituency delegates after they re-elected him to contest the seat in the 2008 general election. He asked the people to form groups in order to qualify for credit facilities from the banks to improve their incomes, rather than relying on government's "inadequate grants that could not feed them and their children for a day".

"We told you so but you said you needed a change. You have experienced NDC and NPP rules and you can now judge things for yourselves, so do the right thing on voting day to get the NPP out of power and bring in the NDC to make things better for you all," Mr. Puozaa said. Mr. Puozaa briefed the constituents on the work of a Member of Parliament and how he spent his share of the Common Fund. He said he had invested much of his share of the Fund into Education facilities, as well as health and roads infrastructure for the development of the constituency. He called for unity among the rank and file of the NDC in the constituency and encouraged them to work hard to get all persons of 18 years and above to register when the voters' register is reopened.

Mr. Soditey Dari Donald, NDC Member of Parliament for Sawla/Tuna/Kalba, urged the electorate to remain steadfast and not allow any person or group of persons to intimidate them on voting day. He called on NDC supporters who would be manning the polling stations to make sure that no electoral malpractice occurs during voting and counting of ballot papers. Mr. Donald said the NPP had made living conditions harsher for the people in the past seven years through inhuman policies and programmes and was now dishing out money to buy power from them again. He asked the electorate to take whatever monies being given to them but vote the NPP out "for a prosperous future".