Mahama’s promises not for electoral gains – Spio-Garbrah

The National Democratic Congress says the promises being made by its flag-bearer, President John Mahama, at his 2016 campaign tours of the country are not for electoral gains.

Trade and Industry Minister, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, who said this justified that the numerous campaign promises of President Mahama are about democracy and governance.

“It’s [campaign promises] not election related specifically, but it’s about democracy and governance; that government responds to the needs of the people,” he exclusively told Onua FM’s Kwame Krakraba at the end of President Mahama’s Central Region tour Friday night at Kasoa.

The President during his five-day tour of the region made numerous promises including provision of landing beaches for small fishing communities, cold storage facilities, a modern market, roads and bridges among others.

He grabbed headlines when he promised the people of Abura in Cape Coast that he would ensure the provision of electricity meter for every home in the area in what has come to be known as ‘one-house, one-metre’.

Ahead of this year’s December 7 elections, the NDC and the New Patriotic Party embarked on issuing promises to woo the electorates but policy think-tank Imani Ghana has described most of the promises as non-quantifiable.

When asked whether it’s because of the upcoming elections that President Mahama is going round making promises, the one-time NDC presidential hopeful responded negatively, saying, “No it’s because of elections”. He argued that the objective of government is to satisfy the needs of the people hence its creation, and that any elected group of people come to power on the basis will fulfil the wishes of the people.

Mr Spio-Garbrah told our correspondent that as a government, whichever community they go, they listen to the needs of the people, which he explained vary. “So your job is to listen to them and say well, if you vote for me, I hope to be able to fulfil their need,” he told Kakraba.

Promised projects are budgeted According to him, wherever President Mahama gone and made promises, he explained to the people that government budget is not unlimited and therefore projects are executed at different times.

“He’s also explained wherever he’s gone that the government budget is not unlimited; it’s limited and therefore projects have to come on a little at a time in different communities. “So if you get yours and somebody doesn’t get his, you’ll have to wait and if somebody get theirs and you also don’t get yours, you’d also have to wait,” he explained.

He added “he’s made sure that people understand that its not everything that you wish that will come to pass but for those particular projects that he feels strongly about and where he has reason to know that money has been identified for it and budget will be made available he’s told them very point blunt.