Prez Mahama Is Buying The Conscience Of Our Chiefs With Cars

A leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP], Fred Kwaku Amankwah-Sarfo has described as corruptible and shameful, President Mahama�s gift of luxurious cars to the National House of Chiefs. According to him, the president�s gesture is to �buy the conscience of our distinguished Members of the National House of Chiefs� adding that, �this is a very subtle yet effective way to mute the voice of our traditional rulers in matters of utmost importance to the citizenry�. President John Mahama in fulfillment of his promise to the Chiefs on Wednesday presented 13 four-wheel drive pick-up vehicles, one to each regional house, one for the National House of Chiefs and two for the Chieftaincy Secretariat in Accra. But Fred Amankwah-Sarfo expressed worry that, despite the countries cry for basic infrastructure and resource allocation in critical areas like education and health, the president is at his lowest ebb dolling out 13 luxury 4x4 vehicles. He recalled that, prior to the 2012 elections; President Mahama made a similar donation of 4x4 vehicles to all the paramount chiefs in the country. �This was part of the grand scheme the National Democratic Congress adopted to shut up our chiefs to compromise on the election malpractices,� he alleged. In an interview with Peacefmonline.com the NPP man called on the distinguished members of the National House of Chiefs to collectively reject the President�s �corruptible gift� on principle as the country is currently reeling under deprivation of basic statutory developmental issues. �As custodians of our traditional values that hinges on integrity, honesty, humility and respect for the development of our country, our traditional rulers must not be seen to be in bed with a government whose principle is based on �yen tie obiaaa�,� he said. He believes that President John Mahama is resorting to subtle policies aimed primarily at removing the moral authority of the National House of Chiefs and their ability to critique his poor performance as Head of State. He advised that, �the membership of the National House of Chiefs must tread cautiously when dealing with governments. Let us remember that as a group of people we virtually sold our birth rights to the British under Maclean's administration when several coastal tribes submitted voluntarily to British protection�. ��Our distinguished chiefs must read between the lines�public disclosure of these �gifts� is to woodwind them into obeisance. Vehicles given to Ministers of State, and other state officials are not paraded in the full glare of the public,� he told King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo.