Mahama cannot hoodwink Ghanaians - Ofoe Teye

Former President John Dramani Mahama’s reported promise to end the fishing off-season in Ghana if elected as president again in 2024 continues to draw condemnation and scorn from all corners of the country.

The latest is coming from Nene Ofoe Teye-Chu Agbadiagba lV, the Chairman of the Tema East Constituency branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), who has described the promise as untrue.

“We have heard of how he has claimed that he was not being paid his benefits as a former president only for it to emerge that he has been enjoying every bit of it; we have heard of how he claims he will end the payment of ex-gratia even though he was at the presidency from 2012 to 2016 and did nothing about it.

“This promise to put an end to the fishing off-season is just the latest of propaganda that Mr. John Mahama is trying to sell to Ghanaians for votes, but he ought to know by now that this assertion will not sell,” Nene said in an interview with journalists in Tema on Thursday.

The dismissal comes in the wake of a promise by Mr. John Mahama to abolish the fishing off-season policy instituted by government to help ensure that the country’s marine resources, especially its fish stock, is not wiped out through over-exploitation.

Through the month-long mandatory cessation of fishing for small scale fishers and two-months long moratorium on industrial, trawler fishing, the fish stock is allowed room to replenish.

This is especially so because it is around this time of the year that the fish also reproduce.

However, during a conversation with fishers in Tema as part of his ongoing tour of the Greater Accra Region, Mr. John Mahama is reported to have vowed to scrap the off-season moratorium against fishing when elected president again in 2024.

“The promise is obviously political talk because the off-season moratorium on fishing is based on a law that the sovereign parliament of the republic of Ghana passed, and so it is not possible that Mr. Mahama can just get up and cancel it if he becomes president again,” Nene Ofoe Teye-Chu Agbadiagba lV said.

According to him, the promise is just another desperate one in Mr. Mahama’s attempt to lure Ghanaians into voting for him.

“But Mr. John Mahama ought to know by now that he cannot hoodwink Ghanaians to vote him into office again.”

Nene Ofoe Teye-Chu Agbadiagba lV pointed out that so far, in all meetings that Fisheries Minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson has had with fishers, the fishers have expressed support for the moratorium on fishing because they know that it is ultimately in the long-term interest of the fishing communities themselves.

“Fishers are aware that it is import to take breaks so that fishes can reproduce and replenish. They know that if we continue to overfish, we will drive our marine species to extinction and in the end they will suffer the most. So, they won’t mind John Mahama.”

Nene Ofoe Teye-Chu Agbadiagba lV said to thunderous applause from journalists at the Green Cool Corner in the Harbour City.