Having come to the realization that President Akufo-Addo will be unable to fulfill most of his lofty campaign promises, First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo and some kingpins of the of the ruling New Patriotic Party have resorted to begging Ghanaians on the president’s behalf.
The first lady and some NPP apparatchiks, The aL-hAJJ has gathered, are overly worried about the high expectations of Ghanaians and the conspicuous signals indicating the President and the NPP government won’t be able to fulfill the mouthwatering promises they made during the 2016 electioneering campaign.
Party insiders have told this paper that the general feeling among leading members of the NPP and close associates of the President is that, the problems facing the country are most likely to impede President Akufo-Addo’s resolve to fulfill his campaign promises.
To assuage the feelings of disappointed Ghanaians who are impatiently waiting for the President to deliver “the Heaven on earth” he promised, First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and leading lights of the governing party have taking to begging Ghanaians on his behalf.
Mrs Akufo-Addo and Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has so far been frank with Ghanaians, revealing the inability of President Akufo-Addo to meet their high expectations.
Speaking to a gathering of Ashanti Regional Queen mother’s Association, the First Lady said President Akufo-Addo can only fulfill his election promises after clearing the “mess” caused by the Mahama government”.
Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo said “Nana Addo has competent Ministers to help him fulfill his campaign promises but they have to fix a lot of problems caused by the John Mahama-led government.’’
Pleading for time for her hubby, Mrs Akufo-Addo said “When you go home tell your husband’s to exercise patience because I know my husband will deliver and transform the lives of Ghanaians.
There are some potholes and problems caused by NDC government which needs to be fixed first before implementing of campaign promises”.
Showing clear signs of frustration, Hon Simon Osei Mensah on his part, was blunt, when he told the gathering “the president is not a magician” to deliver all his 2016 campaign promises at once.
Explaining further, Ashanti Regional Minister said the president would require some time to implement his campaign policies “one after the other.”
According Simon Osei Mensah, “Majority of Ghanaians knows that NPP government has been in office for barely six months and therefore they try to put pressure on government to fulfill its promises.”
It would be recalled that in the heat of the 2016 election, Mrs Akufo-Addo implored Ghanaians to trust her husband Nana Akufo-Addo by voting for him in the upcoming elections because he will fulfill all his promises.
“We all know we are in an election period and I would like to say there has to be a change this year, a change for a better governance of this country. I can promise you that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be a good leader.”
“He is a man with vision and I am convinced that he will be the next president of Ghana. You can trust a man, I am the one next to him and I tell you all the promises he is making, he will be able to deliver. Put your trust in him, give him your vote on December 7 and he will not let you down,” she added.
The President himself, only recently, assured Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the entire country that he will not renege on all election promises he made.
“I have, therefore, come here this afternoon after the NPP’s victory to once again seek your blessing as I lead the country.
I have also come to assure you that I will fulfill all the promises I made to Ghanaians prior to the elections,” the President noted.
This is despite the fact that he [President Akufo-Addo] and the NPP have started backtracking on most of the major campaign promises they made with just six months after taking over the leadership of the country.
After promising to refund monies of victims of Ponzi schemes when elected into office, the then Finance Minister-designate, Ken Ofori-Atta during his vetting denied the NPP made such promise, insisting it was not captured in the NPP manifesto.
He said: “It’s not in our manifesto to pay God is Love and DKM. I know that there are certain processes going on which I’m privy to…and then I think we are also introducing some protection of deposits which will go structurally to change that problem.”
The Akufo-Addo government has also drastically altered its flagship policy, Free SHS, by limiting it to only first year SHS students and those who pass their exams.
Contrary to Nana Akufo-Addo’s promise during the election to reduce electricity when elected, Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo only recently stated that government will not reduce electricity tariffs.
He urged Ghanaians to brace themselves to pay the right prices for the energy they consume if the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other power-producing and distribution companies are to function effectively.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on his part has also shifted from NPP’s pledge to pay arrears of contractors within the first 100 days in office, insisting that then Candidate Akufo-Addo did not make that promise.
Sensing Ghanaians may soon vent their spleen on the President and the NPP for deceiving them into electing them ahead of John Mahama and the NDC, the first lady and party heavyweights have started preparing the minds of Ghanaians.
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