Maurice Ampaw, a private legal practitioner, has charged Ghanaians to reject President John Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress [NDC] in the 2016 general elections, saying they have nothing to offer the nation.
“NDC should give way for another party to come,” he said. He reminded Ghanaians of the provision in the Constitution that mandates an elected president to rule for a maximum of eight years (two terms), and said in 2016 Mahama might have served his two terms – first as a vice president with Prof. Atta Mills – and then as the president. “Ghanaians must show the NDC the exit for a new political party to come,” he stressed.
Dr. Maurice Ampaw made the call when he was addressing a public forum organized by a group called Mass Action For Development (MAFOD), under the theme, “Ghana Must Work Again” at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, last Friday.
According to him, no political party must rule for more than eight years so as to avert the winnertakes- all and a likely one party system in Ghana.
Lawyer Ampaw stated, “Ghanaians must make sure that any political party - whether NPP or NDC – that rules for two years is voted out of power for another political party to take over…”
The lawyer noted that John Mahama presidency had not been ordained by God, but it’s just an opportunity he had and that’s why he and some of his ministers are performing poorly.
“Anybody who was born to become a leader is ordained by God, but John Mahama was not born to be president and that’s why he can’t handle the economy well and that had corrupted some of his ministers and appointees,” Dr Ampaw observed.
“I know a minister who hitherto couldn’t even afford to rent a hostel at GH¢100 but now as a minister, he stayed at the Ada Palace Resort for one month and paid over GH¢12,000.00. So where did he get that money from?” Lawyer Ampaw wondered.
He tasked Ghanaians to know that, God doesn’t chose a leader for a country nor votes for them, but they Ghanaians through their conscious determined the leader they chose by themselves through voting to lead the country.
“Ghanaians shouldn’t let anybody to deceive them. God is not interested in how you vote because in Ghana we know what happens during elections - how politicians rig the polls – and so if a leader emerges after elections, don’t say God has given you a leader,” Dr Ampaw stated.
“What I am saying is that if you are a president and you don’t have the favour of God, things will not go well with you. Any leaders ordained by God, will have goodness and mercy to follow them for the rest of their lives,” Maurice Ampaw underscored.
Independent Candidate The controversial lawyer posited, “If President Mahama wants to go for another term, he should go as an independent candidate; and if Ghanaians wish they can vote for him.
But if he goes on the ticket of the NDC, Ghanaians should reject the NDC.”
He said the leadership style of Mahama/Amissah Arthur is collapsing the country gradually.
Dr Maurice Ampaw noted that most of President Mahama’s ministers and appointees are not qualified to hold the positions they are holding because “they don’t know what to do to help the country to grow.
Dr. Maurice Ampaw further called on President John Mahama to sack the Youth and Sports Minister, Mahama Ayariga, “for showing arrogance and disrespect to the media” when he was asked to explain the budget on Ghana Black Stars’ participation in AFCON 2015.
“I think Mahama Ayariga showed by his comments that he doesn’t fit to be a minister therefore President Mahama should sack him immediately,” he entreated.
