On Eid-Ul-Adha Platform,”Akuffo Addo Floors Mahama”.

By: Stephen A.Quaye.

Last week Friday was a great day for our beloved brothers and sisters in the Muslim faith as they used the day to mark the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha throughout Ghana and the world.

On such occasion you should expect the president and other politicians to grace the occasion in any part of the country as they decide to make their solidarity messages to our Muslim people.

Particularly this year being an election year, it was expected that the various presidential candidates would show up at various durbar grounds to send their messages across.

Lo and behold the president addressed the national one at Accra whiles the NPP candidate addressed the one which was held in the Bia West Constituency in the Western Region.

The fact is that both NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama and that of the opposition NPP presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, graced the occasion to add colour to the event.

But both of them attended the occasion having a message under their sleeves for the Muslim brothers and sisters which we have to look at this present moment that we are heading towards a general election.

First with president John Mahama who is also contesting the presidential seat on the ticket of the NDC and what did he say to the Muslims when addressing the grand occasion at the Independent Square in Accra?

The Joy News with a screaming headline” DON’T FORCE MUSLIM STUDENTS INTO CHRISTIAN WORSHIP” reported the president as expressing his worry that some heads of institutions have been compelling and forcing Muslim students to attend church service against their Muslim faith.

He went on to say that,” such practice is against the freedom rights of the students as well as the constitution and has directed the ministry of education to send circulars to all institutions charging those heads who are doing that to put a stop to it”.

At the same time the 2012 presidential candidate for the NPP Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, was addressing Muslims in Aduafua where the Daily Guide reported that the NPP presidential candidate urged Muslims and other religious bodies to remain united as one people stressing that the country’s ethnic and religious differences should bind all even stronger and not divide them.

As the occasion created the platform for these presidential candidates to make their adopted policies known it was expected to hear promises from both sides as why they should be elected.

President John Dramani Mahama failed to tell all what his adopted policies were leaving the NPP candidate Nana Akuffo Addo to make good use of the day as he spread his message wide across the world via the media.

He intimated the NPP’ s commitment to ensuring that the people living in the Zongos were given necessary support to enhance their standard of living through a Zongo community development fund which he will include in the national budget.

Nana Addo also assured the Muslims that he will reintroduce the allowance for Muslim instructors which was scraped by the NDC and also ensure that all policies were implemented to the fullest in the Zongo communities to make life comfortable for them as the Daily Guide reported.

Now it is the turn of readers and for that matter the electorates to digest the statement from two sides and make an inform choice.

President John Mahama alleged that some heads of institutions are wrongly compelling and forcing Muslim students into Christian worship as against their Muslim faith which the constitution frowns on.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo urging Ghanaians to remain united stressing on the country’s ethnic and religious differences which should bind them together and even stronger and not divide them as well as outlining policies which when implemented would seek the welfare of all.

Over to you voters to decide

End.