With 16 days to Ghana’s
2016 general elections, the news media was dominated by a mixed bag of story
headlines ranging from campaign promises by the various presidential candidates
and the assurance by the Security agencies to ensure violence free elections.
The
Ghanaian Times with the headline “CDS, IGP warn… we’ll deal
ruthlessly with trouble makers”. According to the story the Chief of Defense
Staff (CDS), Air Marshall Michael Samson-Oje, has warned that the security
agencies will deal ruthlessly with any person or group of people who will
attempt to foment trouble before the general elections. He warned that ‘’the
security agencies would not sit down for the country to be destroyed for the
sake of people seeking political power’’. ‘’As security personnel, we have seen
a number of countries that have been devastated as a result of people seeking
political power’’, he said, and stated that they would not allow that to happen
in Ghana.
Daily
Graphic also has its headline “Peace Council calls for harmony
among political parties, expresses worry over clashes between NDC and NPP”.
The paper reports that the chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC), the
Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, has underscored the need for peace and
harmony among supporters of political parties ahead of the December 7 general election.
The Most Rev. Prof Asante, a former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church
Ghana, said the emerging clashes between the two leading parties, the NDC and
NPP, did not auger well for a democratic country such as Ghana.
“Akufo-Addo condemns Mahama’s
tribal politics” is a headline in the New Statesman. According to the story the presidential candidate of
the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has bemoaned the
politics of tribalism and ethnicity being waged by President John Mahama in his
campaign in the north, with 16 days to the conduct of the December 7 elections.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, for want of campaign message to the people of the
north, and his inability to defend his 8-year record in office, evidenced in
the scandals that had rocked the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority
(SADA), president Mahama is embarking on a divisive and tribal-based campaign.
The New Crusading Guide with the caption “NDC World Bank goes bankrupt as
Nana Ado wins hearts of Voltarians” States that the Volta region which
has been the electoral World Bank for the governing National Democratic
Congress (NDC) since 1992, has now become a more fertile ground for the
opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Nana Akufo-Addo to make significant
impact in the coming elections. Nana Akufo-Addo, flag bearer of the NPP has
made significant appeal to the people of the Volta Region who are poised to
vote against the NDC in the coming elections since according to them, they have
been taken for granted by the Mahama-led administration.
Daily
Guide with the headline “Police, EC in secret deal over
special voting”. The paper reports that there appears to be some
behind-the-scene moves between the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Ghana
Police Service to introduce more names into the already compiled special voters’
list, raising questions about the commission’s sincerity. The move is likely to
cause outrage and further raise doubts about the EC’s neutrality ahead of the
December 7 crucial general elections since the political parties are said not
to be aware of the situation.
We conclude today’s
newspaper review with the headline in Today
“I
pity northerners calling for change’’. According to the story President John Dramani Mahama says
he feels sad for Northerners
who are calling for a
change of government in the upcoming
polls. This is because; he said the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has no
regard for Northern. ‘’sometimes I
feel sad when I see
some of our Northern brothers
running around and also
doing this ( the change sign), they
will use you and dump
you,’’ Mr. Mahama told a rally in Lawra in the Upper West
region, where he is currently campaigning ahead of the December 7, polls.
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