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Barely two weeks to the December 7, 2020 general elections, two appointees of President Akufo-Addo, have resorted to vote-buying as their campaigns appear not to be going well.
The ministers, have been caught desperately throwing money and other items, including rice and wax print at electorates in their respective constituencies, to get them to vote for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the presidential and parliamentary polls.
The two, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Krowo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region and Minister for Special Development Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who doubles as the MP for Awutu Senya East in the Central Region.
From all indications, the two have thrown caution to the wind and engaged in what many say is an archaic way of swaying voters.
In Ghana, electoral malpractices, include influencing voters with money and other items to vote for one party or the other or an individual.
Pictures making the rounds on social media sites, WhatSapp, Twitter and Facebook, show beneficiaries of the items displaying cash, wax prints, rice, canned fish and others for the cameras.
It is unclear, what criteria were used and how many people were given these goodies, considering the fact that the total numbers of voters in each of the constituencies are in thousands.
The Herald, gathered each person was given at least a cash amount between 100 to 500 Ghana cedis.
In the case of the Minister of Fisheries, Afoley Quaye, the first time lawmaker distributed GHc500, rice, canned fish and others, per person.
The food and cash package was accompanied with a mini poster with portrait pictures of President Akufo-Addo and the MP, indicating who the beneficiaries are to vote for in next month’s general elections.
Afoley Quaye, is facing stiff competition from another female candidate from the side of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, who has promised her, a showdown.
The Minister of Presidential Special Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson, on the other hand is not new to parliamentary elections. She has been MP for the Awutu Senya East Constituency for a number of years, giving the NDC no room to unseat her.
After fielding men in past elections, the opposition party, has this time chosen a female candidate, Naa Koryoo, who appears to be giving her a run for her money.
Mavis has distributed wax prints, and a cash amount of GHc100 to each voter.
The items were put in a branded paper bag with her portrait, embossed on it with the inscription “Hawa Toaso”. A few party fanatics have jumped to the defense of the MP claiming the MP just organized a programme for the physically challenged in her constituency and distributed the items and cash.
But the claim has been rejected with many questioning why the MP waited till a few days to a major election before holding the programme. They argued that if what her defenders are claiming is even true, why the “Hawa Toaso” embossed on the bags containing the wax prints.
The MP was in the news a few months ago after she was caught shooting live ammunition during the Electoral Commission (EC) voter registration exercise.
Though the Minister, admitted the shooting incident, she is yet to be questioned or prosecuted by the Police. Calls by many Ghanaians to fire her as Minister also fell on deaf ears.
Now, while some have condemned their attempt to buy their way through, others have urged the constituents not to reject the money and the other items, as it is money from their taxes, but advised that after collecting them, they must ensure they voted against the NPP.zvbd
