Send cash to our pockets through mobile money – Sydney to Mahama

Financial analyst Sydney Casely-Hayford has suggested to President John Mahama to use mobile money transfers to uphold his February promise of filling the pockets of Ghanaians with money in his second term, should he win the November presidential election.

Through mobile money transfers, Mr Casely-Hayford believes Mr Mahama can fill the pockets of Ghana’s 26 million people with money, without having to suffer the pain of travelling the length and breadth of the entire nation to physically and personally do so.

“If he intended putting money in pockets, we will take mobile money. We can do it from a central point from Tigo Cash, MTN Mobile Money, Vodafone Cash, Glo Money, and all that,” he told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi FM’s news analysis programme ‘The Big Issue’ on Saturday April 23.

Mr Casely-Hayford’s mobile money suggestion comes after President John Mahama told his critics, who say they cannot feel the positive effect of the growing economy “in their pockets” that he, as the leader of the nation, cannot personally go round the whole country putting money into people’s pockets, adding that such critics can fill their pockets with money by taking advantage of the opportunities that abound in the economy.

“…The thing is, if you say ‘feeling it in your pocket’, it doesn’t mean that the president is going to come from place to place and count money and give it to everybody to put it in his pocket. The economy will provide the opportunities, but it’s for the people to take advantage of it,” he indicated in an interview on Volta Star Radio in the Volta region on Thursday April 21, 2016.

But Mr Mahama’s Volta Star comment contracted his Thursday, February 4 promise, which he made to Ghanaians in an interview in the Eastern region at the inauguration of a Community Day Senior High School at Kwaobaah Nyanoa. Mr Mahama promised thus: “We have spent these last four years investing in bringing the social infrastructure back to scratch and when I win the second term, then we will start putting money in your pocket. And I wish to pledge that we will continue working in the interest of the people of Ghana.”

In Mr Casely-Hayford’s view, the recent comment by the president smacks of double standards, adding the president could have communicated what he meant to say in a better way.

“If the president wanted to say that he would create the environment, so that people can create wealth through good infrastructure and a good economy, so, you will be worth more in 2017, I am sure he could have said that clearly the first time.”

By Mr Casely-Hayford’s deductions, “the president either intended it, but did not take his time to say it properly, or what he wanted to do was to persuade the voting public that he will put money directly into pockets”.

To him, the president’s comment was very “denigrating” and uncalled for.