I pay my electricity bills as a form of sacrifice to the state- Ayariga

Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga, has touted his ability to pay his utility bills as a form of sacrifice to a country wobbling under economic hardships.

The minister was answering a pointed question about how he and other government officials were sacrificing to help the country rise from its current doldrums.

Nana Kofi Acquah, a professional photographer, who was one of the guests on Ghana Connect, a Joy FM Friday news analysis programme was unimpressed with the persistent appeals from government officials to the citizens to sacrifice.

He asked the minister what kind of sacrifices he was making to help the country. "I have been paying electricity bills for my residence since I was a deputy minister and moved into government bungalow," the minister answered.

When pressed further if he considered paying his bills as a form of sacrifice, the minister stated: "The point is this, if government has to continue subsiding then it means government will have to be spending on our individual electricity bills. That is what happens when government subsidizes.

"If government has to withdraw, it means we will now have to pay more and therefore we are losing that support and that is the sacrifice that i am talking about," the minister explained.

Mahama Ayariga had called into the show to contribute to the ongoing discussion on utility price hikes and its attendant labour agitations.