Akufo Addo’s attempt to buy votes of security services will fail – Mahama

The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has accused President Akufo Addo of attempting to buy votes of security personnel ahead of the special voting exercise on December 1, 2020.

Addressing supporters of the party last night at Nyanshagu in Tamale North Constituency, Mr. Mahama said President Akufo-Addo having destroyed the morale of Police officers over the years with infiltration of vigilantes better equipped and resourced than regular professional Police officers, is now adjusting their salaries and paying all kinds of monies to the police officers ostensibly to buy their votes.

“I just learnt from a group of Police officers that they’ve paid monies into their accounts-all of them all Police officers. Because they know that, they have destroyed the morale of Ghana Police Service. Today the Ghana Police Service don’t have the confidence and courage that they used to have before because he has infiltrated the police service with all kinds of thugs and hoodlums – invisible forces Delta forces who have no sense of discipline”

Mr. Mahama continued “now promotion in the service is based on your political colour instead of your merit and he thinks that he can buy our Police officers with Ghc1000 or Ghc2000 just because an election is coming they will take that money and vote against him”.

The former President said the future NDC government will restore high morale in Police service by ensuring they are resourced and well motivated. He reiterated NDC’s commitment to maintaining security services on CAP 30 pensions scheme as captured in its manifesto.

“This government wanted to move our security forces from CAP 30 to social security. And the security services were not happy about it and so he suspended it waiting for after the election. NDC in our manifesto we said clearly that we are going to maintain our security forces on CAP 30 he should have said the same thing in their Manifesto so that we know it black and white that it is not because of elections, he wants the elections to pass and after it passes he shift them to SSNIT pension scheme. The police and other security services are not happy about it and so Ghc2000, or Ghc1000 or Ghc3000 will not buy their conscience”

The NDC Flagbearer raised concerns about how National Security has become operational wing of security instead of a coordinating body simply because government has infiltrated it with its vigilantes to commit all manner of atrocities under the guise of being national security operatives.

“We have all kinds of people we call National Security. I was President of this country before. The national security agencies is not operational wing of the security services. It is a Coordinating wing of the security services. National Security officers don’t go out carrying out AK 47 and pistol. If there is a situation they ask the Police or the army to go in. They coordinate but because they going to bring their invisible forces and Delta Forces into the national security, they’ve given them weapons ”

Mr. Mahama cited that “I was very sad during the registration exercise when I saw somebody ostensibly from national security – one of these Delta forces in plain cloth holding a pistol and threatening a Policeman in uniform and instead of the other security officers- soldiers and Police officers instead of slapping the living daylight out of him they were following him and begging him”

“That is how low our security services have fallen and that is why they can’t even protect us against armed robbers. our security services are not being motivated to fight this menace instead giving bullet proof verse and helmets and all kinds of uniforms and weapons to Delta forces and vigilantes to terrorize civilians. When NDC comes back, we will change all that we will raise the morale of our security services again. We have one of the best security services in West Africa .we will raise their morale again so that they make Ghana safe and secured for all of us,” He said

Mr Mahama stated that “Akufo Addo has failed, he raised a lot of expectations. In 2016 he made all kinds of promises to the people of Ghana, he even promised he will transform Ghana within 18 months of becoming President. How many of you remember that? He said within 18 months Ghana will be transformed and yet Ghana has gotten worst, our economy is at the worst level possible. We have debt holding us to our neck and people are suffering, everything is going bad and so all he has now is try and buy the election, and so they are spending money as if there is no tomorrow”.

Ghana will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7 to elect a president and 275 legislators.

In all, 12 candidates including an independent Candidate have been approved by the EC to contest in the presidential election.

The presidential contest is mainly between the incumbent President and New Patriotic Party candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and former President and National Democratic Congress’ John Dramani Mahama.

This is the third time the two political opponents will be contesting the presidential election.

Mahama won in 2012, while Akufo-Addo defeated him in the 2016 polls.