Will NDC's coronavirus team assist govt to rig 2020 elections? - Kwamena quizzes Mahama

Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has accused former President John Dramani Mahama of deliberate selectivity on national discourse.

To him, it is the height of hypocrisy for the ex-president to keep mute on the Airbus saga while loudly sharing his thoughts on other issues.

The Central Regional Minister thus believed the COVID-19 response team formed by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is an indictment on other groups fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

He also sought to know if by the setting up of a COVID-19 team, the NDC flagbearer sides with assertions by the party's General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Mketiah, that the current administration intends to rig the 2020 elections by using the pandemic as a ruse.

Speaking at a church service to end a three-day prayer and fasting organised by the NDC, former President John Mahama announced the formation of a technical team to assist the government in the fight against the pandemic.

“I have also already announced that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is committed to assisting government in this fight by availing all technical and logistical resources at our disposal. As evidence of our seriousness in that respect, we have assembled a technical team to guide our efforts and to lead the NDC’s response to the evolving situation. The team is an assembly of experts from the many fields that will be required to implement a national action plan on COVID-19,” Mahama reportedly said.

But contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' Wednesday, Kwamena Duncan wondered why the former President till date, has not commented on the Airbus scandal but has ‘found his voice’ on other issues in the country.



“You did not find your voice on the airbus scandal but he’s heard all over making remarks on other issues; so with your flagbearership position, you choose and pick? (issues). The response team is an indictment on the Ghana Health Service and other groups . . . it is pathetic. What is sad is that the General Secretary of the NDC claims the ban on public gatherings is intended to rig the 2020 elections. So, you ask yourself is this response team going to support government or to help government rig the 2020 elections,” he stated.

b>Press conference

The COVID-19 response team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was outdoored on Tuesday.

Speaking on the conference, Kwamena Duncan said apart from Zanetor Rawlings who highlighted some important issues, the rest meddled in propaganda.

Team members

A statement signed by the Communications Officer of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, gave the names of members of the team as Mr Alex Segbefia, former Minister for Health; Professor Margaret Kweku, Public Health Expert & former Dean of School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences; Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Specialist in Disaster Management and Infectious Disease Control and Humanitarian Assistance & Professor of Global Surgery, Ensign School of Public Health; Dr Vida Yarkong, Interdisciplinary Medicine Expert and Dr Jehu Appiah, Senior, Medical Consultant and former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association.

The rest are Mr Prosper Bani, former Minister for the Interior and former Head of UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery Team for Africa; Mr Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member, Parliamentary Committee on Finance and MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam; Mr Kwabena Mintah Akando, Ranking Member, Parliamentary Committee on Health and MP for Juaboso; Dr Ezanetor Rawlings, Medical Doctor and Member of Parliament for Klottey-Korle; Mrs Mawuena Trebarh, Communications Specialist; Dr Jonas Asamoah; Public Health Expert, Hawa Memorial Hospital, Osiem; Dr Prosper Akanbong, Physician Consultant and former CEO, Tamale Teaching Hospital and Nana Kofi Quakyi, Specialist in Health Economics and Assistant Professor in Public Health.