Election 2024 Ato Forson Blows Alarm Over Govt Plan To Influence Voters

Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has alleged that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government intends to dole out some GHS3,000 per head to 800,000 people ahead of the crucial December polls.

He made this revelation in his opening remarks at the commencement of the fifth meeting of the fourth session of the 8th Parliament on Tuesday, 15th October 2024.

The government had given earlier indication that it intends to utilise some GHS500 million of the Contingency Fund to provide some relief support for farmers affected by drought, particularly in the northern part of the country.

This exercise has however been flagged as a vote-buying move intended to influence voters and not borne out of a genuine effort to support these farmers.

Dr. Forson expressed concern that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has not learned useful lessons for how it has mismanaged public funds in the name of similar interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This, he said coupled with the utilisation of borrowed funds for consumption-related expenditure are the reasons for Ghana’s current economic woes.

Other members of Parliament who spoke questioned the government's intentions regarding the procurement and distribution of these hand-outs in an election year.

They cited fertilisers meant for distribution to farmers which have been hijacked by NPP parliamentary candidates across the country.

The declaration of a 'drought' was equally challenged by several MPs from the affected areas who insist there was barely a dry spell that does not warrant the designation of a drought.

Some further raised questions about the absence of data that was relied upon to arrive at the 800,000 beneficiary farmers and how government intends to distribute these freebies.King Edward Ambrose Washman/