STC Chief Executive Officer, Nana Akomea, has sent a caustic reply to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for descending on the former presiding Methodist Bishop of the Obuasi Diocese, the Very Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu over his recent comments about former President John Dramani Mahama.
The former President, delivering a speech to Ghanaians, had lambasted the Akufo-Addo administration for implementing the E-Levy policy.
He described the E-Levy as a “regressive tax” and pledged to cancel it when elected the next President of Ghana.
A new National Democratic Congress government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana – in 2025 – will repeal the E-Levy Act. Even as this government remains fixated with taxing their way out of economic mismanagement, the Akufo-Addo government has been wasteful. They have failed to demonstrate prudence in public financial management. The people of Ghana cannot be called upon to pay more taxes only for the accruing money belonging to the people of Ghana, to be dubiously and wastefully shared among family and friends through various fraudulent procurement practices,” Mahama said at a public lecture at Kempinski Hotel on Monday, May 2, under the theme “Ghana at a crossroads”.
Responding to the former President’s criticisms of President Nana Akufo-Addo and his government, the former Methodist Bishop called the bluff of John Mahama to repeal the E-Levy.
He stated that Mr. Mahama won’t win power for him to cancel the policy.
“A leading opposition party says this government has been borrowing to fund projects. But it [the government] has been strategic this time to introduce this homegrown policy to build our nation. So if someone says he will repeal this law when he wins power, then such a person will not even win power to abort it.
“If the E-levy is a good policy why will you abolish it? Such people can’t even do it because history keeps guiding us. Such comments usually end up as a political talk and deceit,” he said.
But the NDC finds the Bishop’s riposte contemptuous against their 2020 Presidential candidate and in registering their displeasure described him as an “NPP propagandist”.
“He is a vile, unintelligent NPP propagandist parading in cassock…no rational man of God will do this…The NDC as a responsible opposition has every right to state our position if we feel certain policies of the government will unnecessarily burden Ghanaians and also provide alternative solution to that. If you think or feel otherwise, you can equally comment without attacking or making disparaging comments about the person of the former president HE John Dramani Mahama,” the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, fumed.
Touching on the issue during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Nana Akomea blasted the NDC for what he believes is an abuse of the Bishop’s character.
Speaking to host Nana Yaw Kesseh, the STC Boss stated that the Bishop has every right to express his thoughts on a subject and if any person disagrees with him, the right response is for the dissenter to also speak his mind without going ad hominem abusive.
“He has expressed his mind. As he’s expressed his thoughts, not everybody will agree with him but you have to tell that you don’t agree with this elderly person on this or that grounds. You shouldn’t insult him. When you look at a lot of the commentaries from the NDC, it’s all pure insults. If someone is sharing his thoughts, why call him NPP propagandist?”
