Ghana must continue to stay united - Smith
The Eastern Regional Minister, Ambassador Victor Smith, has stressed the need for Ghana to continue to stay united irrespective of the outcome of the presidential election which did not favour the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
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He said since the Electoral Commission (EC) which is legally mandated to pronounce the winner of the presidential election had declared the National Democratic Congress’s John Dramani Mahama as President, to be inaugurated on January 7, next year, Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliation, must support him to continue with the “Better Ghana Agenda.”
That, according to Ambassador Victor Smith, would go a long way to improve the living standard of the people as captured in the NDC manifesto.
Ambassador Victor Smith made the statement when he addressed a rally to mark NDC’s victory in last week’s general election at the Jackson Park in Koforidua on Saturday.
The well-attended gathering of NDC supporters and sympathisers from all the 33 constituencies in the Eastern Region was also addressed by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, some of the party’s regional executives, MP-elects, municipal and district chief executives as well as Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, one-time Minister of Health.
According to Ambassador Victor Smith, the election of President John Dramani Mahama was a demonstration of the people’s choice for him and the NDC to continue to steer the affairs of the country in line with the “Better Ghana Agenda” to make life worth living for all Ghanaians.
He said the NPP which lost the presidential election must accept the results in good faith and abandon its intended court action since it had no grounds to seek legal redress to overturn the EC’s declaration of President Mahama as the victor.
“The people of Ghana have spoken and the EC has affirmed it so why should the NPP go to court, knowing very well that it has no grounds for legal action to reverse EC’s declaration?” Ambassador Victor Smith asked.
He called on all Ghanaians to support President Mahama to continue with the mandate to administer the country.
For his part, Mr Ofosu Ampofo said the NDC would continue to chart the course of peace which was very crucial for the acceleration of the country’s development.
He expressed his appreciation to the people in the region for their support for the NDC which enabled it to obtain 43 per cent of the popular votes in the area in last week’s election.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo also commended the regional and constituency executives of the NDC for the role they played in increasing the fortunes of the party in the region.
The Eastern Regional Organiser of the NDC, Mr Bismark Tawiah Boateng, said although the NDC had now become a formidable force to be reckoned with, the rank and file of the party must start planning to convincingly win the 2016 general election.
Some of those who addressed the gathering were the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister and MP-elect for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Ebenezer Okletey Teye-Labi; Messrs Julius Debrah and Anthony Gyampoh, regional chairman and secretary, respectively, of the NDC, the MP-elect for Upper Manya Krobo, Jeff Kavianu and some of the municipal and district chief executives in the region.
Story by A. Kofoya-Tetteh