NDC to embark on a "March for Survival"

Accra, March 19, GNA - Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Flag bearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Thursday said the party intends to embark on a "March for Survival".

"Ordinary Ghanaians are going to exercise our constitutional and democratic right to show in no uncertain terms our disapproval of the intolerable and worsening economic conditions into which we have been forced by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government," he told a packed press conference in Accra.

Flanked by former ministers of state and Members of Parliament, Prof. Mills without indicating when to embark on the demonstration said, "As flagbearer of the NDC, I can no longer ignore the persistent calls from Ghanaians from all walks of life to lead them in a peaceful demonstration."

According to the NDC, the press conference was to assure Ghanaians that the party was aware of the choking pressure of growing economic hardship that was being piled on them by the government.

Prof. Mills accused the government of numerous acts of omission and commission thereby, aggravating the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian stressing that the government spent most part of last year "chasing the mirage" of the one billion IFC loan.

He said other acts as the Sahara Energy Company deal to lift crude oil for the country, the Castle and ministers bungalow rehabilitation, the purchase of bullet-proof vehicles for the President at a cost of 500,000 US dollars and the numerous presidential trips abroad as a drain on the economy.

The NDC flagbearer again accused the government of frivolously spending 90,000 US dollars on an S-Class Mercedes Benz car for the Speaker of Parliament who is the immediate past Chairman of the NPP. The importation of 3.2 billion cedis worth ! of mango seedlings by Professor Kassim Kasanga Minister of Land s and Forestry, which got perished because they arrived in the dry season and the huge sum of money spent on the countless number of Presidential Staffers and Special Assistants had all combined to run the economy to the ground, he said.

"Instead of working to keep the economy on an even keel, the NPP Government takes refuge in media and propaganda spins and on creating diversions from the economic plight of today's Ghanaian."

Prof. Mills said proceedings at the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) are part of the orchestrated diversionary tactics by the government.

"But we refuse to be diverted. I am therefore, using this opportunity to advise the NPP Government to ease the economic and financial pressure on our people," he said.

"The people just cannot and will not bear any more of the crushing yoke of the price and cost increase," the NDC flag bearer added.