Politics
E-levy Isn’t The Problem, Akufo-Addo Must Drop The ‘Dictatorial, Majority Rule Mindset’ – Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has told President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that the people of Ghana are tired of the tyrannical, dictatorial majority rule that they are witnessing.
Mr Mahama said this in a meeting with the clergy on the E-levy policy proposal in the 2022 budget statement.
The 2020 presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) indicated that the E-levy proposal is not the problem. Rather, the government’s attitude and conduct in always trying to bulldoze its way out without factoring the concerns of the people.
He asked the government to stop the arrogant and unyielding posture it has adopted.
“If you get the details of our concerns you will understand the view from where we are coming from. I do think this meeting is timely, it is good to hear from all sides.
“By the time you have hear what we have to say you will realize that the problem is much deeper than what you think. That is why I have brought some of the MPs . That fight was a fight for democracy , there is no way a speaker can sit in the chair, relinquish the chair, let somebody else come and sit and take a vote in something that he has presided over.
“The constitution is clear, you take a voice vote, Is have it, somebody challenges it, it means we don’t agree with your choice so you must sit in the chair and do a division.”
“It was felt that our MPs should sit timidly and let them pass this unconstitutionality, it wont happen. I am happy that that rowdy scene has woken your consciences that you must intervene because there is a lot that is happening in this country that if we don’t intervene it will affect our democracy,” Mr Mahama further indicated.
He added “Dialogue comes from the ruling party , we are in opposition we have nothing. If the ruling party says come and dialogue of course we will come and sit and dialogue. If you are bringing something like E-levy, why was there no dialogue before you introduce it in parliament? It is only after introducing it and there is a pushback then you say come and let us dialogue. When you go and set your 1.75 per cent and then you bring and you say because there is a pushback, the country is pushing back, the Minority is pushing back then you come and say let us dialogue, then you say, I have reduced it to 1.5, It is like we are negotiating in Makola [Market].
“E-levy is not the problem. E-levy is the symptom of what has gone on for the last four years, government feels that it can ride over anybody and take decision and bring anything into parliament, do whatever it like, pass its decisions it wants without dialoguing because we have 169 seats. So the current 137-137 seats is a withdrawal symptom. So the government has to climb down from its high horse and realize that the people of Ghana have been tired of that tyrannical, dictatorial majority rule that they have.”
