Tariff hike is criminal – Wontumi

THE ASHANTI Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly called Wontumi, has urged Ghanaians to kick against the recent electricity and water tariff increases.

Without mincing words, the outspoken politician described the increases as a “criminal act” on the part of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to torment Ghanaians, unjustifiably.

He has consequently tasked the citizenry to hit the streets in colossal numbers in all the ten regional capitals of the country and protest against the sharp increases, since the measure, he noted, is in bad taste.

The NPP capo argued that the President Mahama-led administration has no moral right to for instance, increase electricity tariffs at a time that the country is confronted with energy crisis.

“We are now in power crisis, also known as dumsor, which is collapsing businesses and making life unbearable for the populace, so why the need to increase power tariffs now?” Wontumi asked.

Brimming with rage, the NPP regional chairman chastised the NDC government for being insensitive to the numerous mountainous challenges currently facing Ghanaians hence, the increase in electricity tariff.

He said the economy is currently in tatters, which has worsened the plight of the people and that workers’ salaries had not been increased for a very long time therefore the timing of the tariff increases by the government, hiding behind the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), is wrong.

Wontumi observed that Ghanaians were being taken for a ride by the NDC administration, which had continually introduced ‘killer’ programmes and policies to punish them.

He said the tariff increases clearly show that the government doesn’t have the concerns and interest of the people at heart.

The NPP kingpin said it was about time Ghanaians proved to the government that “We are not fools so they cannot mismanage the country’s economy and destroy our lives and the future of our children.”

Mr Bernard Boasiako had in the past led thousands of people to demonstrate on the streets of Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, against the NDC administration for mismanaging the affairs of the state.

He stated that the recent sharp increases in electricity and water tariffs affect every Ghanaian, irrespective of their political affiliation, therefore he was expecting everybody to take part in the regional demonstrations.