Electorate call for continuity in governance

Some eligible voters in the Cape Coast municipality in the Central Region have described the lack of continuity in governance as a canker undermining good governance in the country.

They, therefore, insisted on continuity in governance no matter which political party was elected by the people, so that scarce national resources would not be wasted but prudently utilised.

The voters, aged between 26 and 79, were of the view that continuity in government would help accelerate national development and improve living conditions.

“We must look at the general good of the nation, shun politics of deceit and vote for the party that is committed to realistic promises and pledges,” they maintained.

They were speaking to the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a town hall meeting between political party representatives and stakeholders at the Cape Coast Town Hall meeting last week Wednesday.

The meeting was organised by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) as part of efforts to deepen interaction between the political parties and the electorate, as well as engender peace towards the December 7, 2016 polls.

What electorate say

Born in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, a 36-year-old Assistant Superintendent of Prisons, Mr Richard Baffoe-Bonnie, said it was time to do away with religious, tribal and ethnic politics in the country and rather focus on “one Ghana” so that the right people would be elected to run and manage the affairs of the country.

He also encouraged the various political parties to step up issue-based campaigns to help the citizenry to make informed decisions and choices as to who would get their nod.

Retired educationist

A 79-year-old retired educationist born in Cape Coast, Mr Atta Anaman, said it was time to stop the uncontrolled importation of goods (food items and drinks in particular) and services and place a premium on local production/manufacturing with enhanced agriculture as the pivot.

In his view, after the overthrow of Ghana’s First President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the nation has been struggling, and that a visionary leader is needed to move the country to the next level of economic prosperity.

Twenty-eight-year-old Ms Matilda Ansah of the Information Services Department, Cape Coast, who was born at Twifo-Praso, also underscored the need for the country to encourage vocational and technical education to help overcome the challenges of job creation and unemployment.

“Our educational system is too theoretical, which is a major cause of graduate unemployment in the country; we learn a lot of theories and we are unable to practise it when we are out of school,” she argued.

Muslim Mission

Sharing their views, 50-year-old Mr Suleiman Adam Sakyi, Abura Circuit President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, 66-year-old Mr Issah Yankson Mensah Abura Circuit Secretary of the Mission, and 75-year-old Adam Saed Nyarko, also an elder of the mission, were of the strong opinion that “for the sake of the good of Ghana, every political party should be held accountable to their manifesto promises.

In line with that, they also advised politicians to refrain from “wild promises’’ and be realistic and truthful in their promises to Ghanaians. 

They also indicated that voting was an inalienable right for national progress, development and peaceful co-existence and, therefore, charged the media to focus on issues instead of personalities.

Expectation

An Assistant Division Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Mohammad Osmanu (31 years), and Mr Carl Lanyir (43 years), who is a security officer, said they were expecting free, fair, transparent and credible elections whose outcome would be acceptable to all stakeholders.

“This is what we need to sustain to guarantee us the relative peace and stability we are currently enjoying,” they stated.

On which political party they would vote for, they said issues on benefits regarding service and security personnel were so dear to them and that would inform their choices.

Other electorate the Graphic spoke with were not impressed with campaign promises because it did not state how the promises would be realised.

They, however, singled out the ruling National Democratic Congress, the opposition New Patriotic Party and the Progressive People’s Party as making an effort on issue-based campaigns and called on other political parties to step up their game.