The clarion call by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Akufo-Addo government to include free electricity in the social intervention program in the advent of the novel coronavirus in the country has been debunked by former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Koku Anyidoho.
Touching on the measures announced by President Akufo-Addo in the wake of the partial lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19, especially absorbing three months water bills of Ghanaians, which received plaudits from several quarters, and the NDC MP for Juaboso Constituency, Hon. Akandoh described it as the “cheapest” social intervention.
According to him, even though the free water supply forms part of many suggestions made by former President John Mahama and the Minority in Parliament, the current administration deliberately ignored other social interventions such as the free electricity supply, and the talk tax.
But commenting on the free water, the CEO of Atta Mills Institute argued that Ghanaians can survive for many years without electricity in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak and so providing free water for three months will go a long way to sustain the citizens as water is life.
“...that is why the government is saying that at least when it comes to water it should be free, because water is life. As for that one, at least we can make water available as much as we can; so we are making water available because our forefathers, as at the time that there was no electricity, didn’t they survive? They survived because water was available; there was water before electricity”, he defended the government.
He stressed that even though electricity provides convenience, water is for life and it is about survival as people can live for a century without electricity but a week without will be disastrous and can lead to death.
“Electricity is just for convenience and water is for life and for survival. I can live without electricity for 100 years but if there is no water for one week, I am a goner. So, it is in terms of prioritising. In this crisis moment, the government is prioritising the availability of water because water is life. I am speaking as a nationalist, as a Ghanaian on this matter of COVID-19 and I am not speaking as a politician”, he argued.
He, however, cleared the air that he is still in active politics except that as a politician he knows where to cut the line of politics and address issues of national interest as no political party will be in existence if the country dies of COVID-19.
“It is not that I have stopped being a politician; I have not stopped and I won’t stop but it comes to a point where you cut the line of politics, deal with the nation because if Ghana dies, there will be no political parties in existence”, he opined.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Koku what's your problem ? President has said it through his communication officer Sammy Gyamfi , and the clueless curent president whom seek advice and support from mahama has taken that advice and therefore announce it ! So who are you Koku to change it ? Don't be arrogant wai !
Massa youbare not making sense. Do you use electricity at home at all. What ***barred word***
KOKU IS TAKING COVID-I9 PANDEMIC AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH HIS NEW POLITICAL LIFE. THIS IS NOT NEW IN HISTORY AND IT SHOULD NOT SURPRISE ANYBODY IF KOKU BECOME A FRONT RUNNER IN NPP. ONE THING I ADMIRE ABOUT HIM IS HIS UNQUESTIONABLE LOYALTY TO FORMER PRESIDENT ATTA MILLS. HE SEEMS TO BE PUNISHED BY THAT CLOSENESS, SINCE THE LATE PROF. INITIATED SOME STEPS TO WEED UP CORRUPTION WHICH INVOLVED SOME TOP OFFICIALS IN HIS GOVERNMENT. HE MUST TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIMSELF BECAUSE HIS NEW POLITICAL ENEMIES MIGHT FIND HIM A THREAT SINCE HE KNOWS MUCH ABOUT THAT CORRUPT OFFICIALS IN MILLS GOVERNMENT AND THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE TIME. HIS NEW POLITICAL FRIENDS SHOULD DO WELL TO OFFER HIM THE NEEDED SECURITY FOR HIS PROTECTION.
This guy is so bitter that he was voted out so he is just behaving like Nana Konadu.He is at liberty to also go form his party.When you so believe yourself in politics and the electors reject you ,that's what happens.Learn from Sir John.
Mr. Koku if you made this argument centuries back I will totally agree with you but note that the entire world has transition and depending heavily on electricity for her survival. Even the production of water itself to a large extent depend on electricity. In this COVID-19 fight in absence of electricity how do the hospitals function? In my opinion both are necessities and must be treated equally as the government has done so far.