'It will be an insult to Ghanaians if Mahama contest in 2016'

“It is will be a painful insult if President Mahama presents himself again as a candidate in 2016. It will also be an indictment on the intelligence of the average Ghanaian if Mahama presents himself as a candidate and he is voted for…”

Kwamena Duncan, who made the above statement, opined that looking at the prevailing economic challenges imposed on Ghanaians by President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC administration, Ghanaians should not vote for him again should he have the audacity to contest again in 2016; otherwise the difficulties will worsen.

The Central Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, however conceded that there is no government that does not face challenges but “the kind of hardship this government has plunged the country into is mind boggling”.

He also added that “if we want something good for the nation, we don’t have to be docile…we must be out there and pour out our anger. We must make them aware that we are not happy with what is happening in the country. It is true that we are practising democracy but democracy also allows us to express our mind and talk. We must not be docile.” TUC

Organized Labour, following increment in petroleum products and transportation fares asked government to bring back the subsidies on petroleum products. According to them, the removal of subsidies has worsened the already difficult conditions of ordinary Ghanaian.

In a press statement jointly signed by Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of TUC, ICU’s Morgan Ayawine, GNAT’s B.K. Osei, CLOSSAG’s J. N. O Ankrah and GMA’s Kwabena Opoku Adusei, organized labour emphasized that: “These astronomical price hikes have become the hallmark of government and governance” and added that a subsidy regime on petroleum products was necessary looking at the current economic challenges.

It said there was "a limit to what workers and their families could tolerate" and pledged that in the coming days, it will, "in collaboration with other stakeholders, use all legitimate means to express its disapproval of not only the current pricing regime for fuel and other utilities, but equally and importantly on the prevailing economic and social conditions".

However, Kwamena Duncan does not believe anything good can come out of their posturing.

According to him, “I take their comment sometimes with a pinch of salt. We have a TUC who will raise people’s hope and do nothing…while they have shown this red card, they ought to insist on it until government does something.”