Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has expressed worry about what he says is the normalisation of corruption scandals under the government, pointing out that such issues have become so common that they no longer receive media attention.
He used as an example, the current sorry state of the pitches at the country’s stadia, which are supposed to have undergone costly rehabilitation in recent times but have attracted a ban by the Confederation of African Football for their horrible nature.
Mr Mahama was speaking during his interaction with traditional authorities at the start of his tour of the Ahafo Region.
According to former President Mahama, the ban imposed on Ghana is unprecedented and will require that Ghana will have to play its international matches in a foreign country.
He wondered how it is that huge sums were doled out to contractors to renovate the facilities yet the nation ends up with a ban, insisting that everyone is tired of the corruption scandals. He said barely a week passes without news of some corruption scandal.
Mr Mahama accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of creating new regions without providing the necessary infrastructure and said the six new regions have lagged in development projects.
He pledged that if elected as president in the upcoming December 7 general elections, his administration would prioritise infrastructural development in all newly established regions.
“We need new regional hospitals in the six new regions to ensure that health facilities are equipped with the necessary tools for proper medical care, so people don’t have to travel to Kumasi for treatment.
“Ahafo will get its own regional hospital, and the same applies to Bono East. This will ease pressure on other hospitals,” he said.
Mr Mahama further noted, “Since the creation of the new regions, there has been no significant infrastructural development. Goaso, for example, remains the same. The NDC prioritises development, and we promised in 2020 that, if elected, we would provide these six new regions with infrastructure that reflects their status.”
Source: myjoyonline.com
