The Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) John Mahama has advised Ghanaians not to be hoodwinked by the deceptive sod-cutting spree by President Akufo Addo.
According to him, the President is going around the country cutting sod for various projects with a little over two months to elections just to win votes when in actual fact there are no monies budgeted to fund many of those projects.
Speaking at a Town Hall Meeting in Kumasi Tuesday evening to explain policies contained in the NDC’s 2020 Manifesto, ex-President Mahama asked Chiefs of any town President Akufo Addo visits to cut sod to demand to see evidence of funds allocated to push that particular project.
“In my time as President whenever I cut sod for a project it meant that there was a contractor at the site working. But in recent times, you see both the President and his Vice going round cutting sod left, right and centre when there’s no contractor. The machines are brought to the project site to cut the sod and right after the President leaves, the machines are put back on a low-bed truck and moved away from the site.
“My respected Chief, I beg of you, when the President or his Vice comes to your town to cut a sod please ask them two questions. Has the 2020 budget catered for the said project? if it’s not in there, then asked if there’s been any loan agreement approved by Parliament from which the project will be funded. If there are no answers to these two questions, then the sod-cutting is 419 (fraudulent). They are just cutting sod to win votes in the upcoming elections,” ex-President Mahama stated.