Mahama’s claim about food sharing an insult to faith-based organisations – Gabby Otchere-Darko

Ex-President John Dramani Mahama’s assertion that the food sharing during the three-week lockdown in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi was a complete disaster is an insult to all faith-based organisations who worked with the government to distribute food to the vulnerable, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has said.

The Akufo-led government, during the lockdown, fed some 400,000 individuals and homes in vulnerable communities in Accra, Kasoa, Tema and Kumasi on a daily basis through the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP).

But Mr Mahama says the programme could have been better implemented.

In a Facebook Live session on Thursday, 23 April 2020 on Ghana’s COVID-19 situation, Mr Mahama said: “It is important to note that government’s humanitarian intervention to alleviate the unintended but predictable consequences of the lockdown have been an abysmal failure.”

According to the flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), “The distribution of food was chaotic and disorderly and in some cases partisan. It flouted all protocols of social distancing and prevention of the spread of the virus. Definitely, no careful planning went into the implementation of this initiative as its characteristics of this current administration.”

Responding to Mr Mahama, Mr Otchere-Darko, cousin to President Akufo-Addo in a Facebook post said: “I heard John Mahama say that the food sharing during lockdown was a complete disaster. This is an insult to all the faith-based organisations who worked efficiently with Govt to distribute dry food packs to 470,000 families — as against the target of 400,000.

“I also hope he is not saying that the additional 2.5 million cooked food packs distributed to the poor and vulnerable was all a disaster to those who benefited.

“Lastly, I do hope he wasn’t comparing the above to the little he managed to share for PR reasons. He must at least show more sensitivity now as opposition leader to the plight of the poor, since he is not expected to do much more these days beyond his expressions.”