The National Communications Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahyagba, has weighed in on the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its stand on support for the victims of the Akosombo and Kpong dam spill.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, on Monday, October 16, courted controversy when he subtly reminded some victims of the Akosombo dam spill at Mepe in the Volta Region that he had visited them to commiserate with them, regardless of the fact that the residents there make him not vote for his party.
Many criticized the President characterizing his comment as unpresidential and insensitive. The NDC especially did not take it lightly and reprimanded him for such comments at such a critical time.
Some demanded an apology from the president, despite his assurance of government support to the thousands affected in many communities in the North, South and Central Tonga regions of the Volta Region.
But speaking of Ekosiisen of Asempa FM On Tuesday, Mr. Richard Ahiagbah said the NDC is clearly playing politics with the situation as it has always tried to do whenever the government has to intervene in any situation in the Volta Region.
“I think the language used is not appropriate. I think we need to put the issues in perspective. The NDC for a long time, at least in this 4th Republic, issues about Volta Region are always politicized. Even if someone wins an award in the Volta Region and the NPP presents that award, they will politicize it.
If someone from Volta Region does not also get the award, they will say it is because of politics. So, since it is Volta Region under this 4th Republic, the NDC will politicize it, and that is the most unfortunate thing.”
According to Mr. Ahiagbah, he sees no reason to politicize a disaster when the people urgently need help and the government together with other relevant agencies are already responding to that call.
He said there is no need for the President to visit the disaster areas in the first place as government structures and systems are already working to deal with the issue at hand.
I don’t even understand why this issue has been politicized. In these kinds of disasters, when the President goes there, he usually gets in the way. and governance also is structured, and so if the President has not been there, it does not mean that the structure is not working and it does not mean that the government is not working, but the NDC will politicize it”.
In his view, the presence of the President there at a time when relief efforts were being coordinated, among other things, was a distraction in itself.
“For the period of time that the president went and they had to sit down, they lost daylight that could have been used to organize some things, but that didn’t happen.”
And so for them [The NDC], the job of helping people is not their concern. optics is what NDC specializes in. What is the value of the optics if the person does not get help? If the person is not cared for, what is the value of the President’s visit? The president visited, it has become an issue, when he had not visited, it was also an issue.”
The president doesn’t need to be there to prove that he likes or dislikes Voltarians. And I think as someone from the area, I always find it offensive that the NDC will always politicize this issue as if it is the only way development will come to the Volta Region. When he’s in government what happens there?” asked.
He explained that the President’s comment was in response to some propaganda that had been done prior to his arrival in the region, hence his decision to clarify why he was there, only to have his comment misinterpreted for political gains.
The NDC Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams, who was a guest on the show said Mr. Ahiagbah was only seeking to defend the indefensible to make his party look good.
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