Mahama Warns Troublemakers

PRESIDENT JOHN Dramani Mahama has cautioned those intending to use the impending national polls to cause chaos in the country to change their mind, as they will be dealt with according to the law when caught.

He stated that the security agencies would “deal firmly and humanly” with those that would breach the laws of the land during the December polls.

President Mahama sounded the strong caution when he made his maiden visit as president to the National House of Chiefs during its sitting at Manhyia in Kumasi yesterday.

As the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, he said, he and the security agencies were ever ready to make sure that the country organized the impending elections with the peace of the country intact.

President Mahama therefore urged eligible voters not to feel intimidated when they cast their ballots, assuring them that adequate security would be provided for them as they went through the process.

He admonished his competitors for the highest seat of the land to be circumspect in their utterances when they mounted the platform to campaign, warning that politics of insults was not the best for the country.

“Conduct your campaign devoid of character assassination and mudslinging,” the president admonished the flagbearers of the other political parties.

Ghanaians, the NDC flagbearer pointed out, were one people with a common destiny; therefore it was not right for them to allow politics to divide them and throw the country into chaos.

As president of Ghana, he said, his wish was to see total integration of all the populace without any discrimination, adding that his desire was also to see a peaceful Ghana filled with equal opportunities for all.

President Mahama also stated: “I will be the president for all, devoid of ethnicity, social, religious or political backgrounds of the people”, adding that his presidency would shun all acts that had the potential of dividing the country.

Ghana, he observed, since 1992, had managed to organize five free, fair and peaceful elections, stating that this year’s election would not be an exception, urging the traditional leaders to play key roles to make the polls successful.

President Mahama said government had purchased 12 brand 4×4 vehicles to be distributed to the national and 10 regional houses of chiefs’ presidents to help the traditional leaders in their key duties for the state.

Prof. Naa Nabila, president of the National House of Chiefs, in his statement urged, “President Mahama to listen to the grievances of workers in the country who have concerns about their welfare to avert frequent strikes in the country.”

He however applauded the government for introducing the Single Spine Salary Structure, tasking the government to do whatever it could to help make the elections incident-free.

He called for government’s support for traditional leaders so that they could be properly equipped to play their leading roles for the country.

Prof Nabila called for the need for the country’s culture to be well harnessed, stating, “It could be a good vehicle for the country to attain its developmental goals as the Asian Tigers have done.”

President Mahama later called on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace, where the King, in a speech read on his behalf, called for peaceful polls.

The NDC leader then moved to the central mosque in Kumasi where he told teeming party followers that he would win the impending polls, urging them to commit themselves to peace.

President Mahama and his entourage including P.V. Obeng, Asiedu Nketia and Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, then moved through the principal streets of Kumasi where he acknowledged cheers from party supporters.