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What Kumasi residents want to know from flag bearers ahead of Dec 7
The #IWantToKnow Campaign is aimed at getting questions from the average Ghanaian on the street on what they would want to ask the presidential candidates if they had the chance to meet them.
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Many of the residents argue that they are yet to experience an improvement in their living conditions in spite of earlier promises made by presidential candidates to do so.
Thousands of residents, mainly traders and artisans made this known during the Institute of Economic Affairs #IWantToKnow Campaign.
The campaign was rolled out live in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi on Friday, September 9, 2016, where the team was at the main Kumasi market to solicit from the people what they would want to ask their various presidential candidates.
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Several of them who interacted with the team said they were unsure of promises being made by the flag bearers ahead of the elections.
Madam Akos, a trader at the Kumasi market said: “My business is collapsing, people cannot buy. We are in a serious situation.”
A driver at the Bantama market who appeared to have lost all hope wondered if the various flagbearers were truly concerned about the welfare of Ghanaians, or is only interested in making vague promises ahead of the elections.
A nursing graduate also demanded to know what plans and policies the presidential candidates have for nurses who are yet to be posted after graduating several years from training institutions.
The campaign team made stop overs at strategic trading centres at Kumasi, where T-shirts and other paraphernalia were distributed to the teeming crowd who were excited to receive the team.
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Ahead of the December polls, several of the presidential candidates have already begun making campaign promises, with many becoming the subject of controversy.
The New Patriotic Party flagbearer had recently promised a ‘1-village-1-dam’ policy to boost agriculture, but opposition groups have argued that it is not feasible.
The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also promised to implement what it calls a progressive free tertiary education policy, with many arguing that it is a replica of the NPP’s much hyped free SHS policy in the 2012 elections.
With the access to education, healthcare, and employment being major challenges in Ghana, politicians have managed to couch the best campaign promise regarding those issues.
But residents in Kumasi believe such promises will mean nothing if they do not reflect meaningfully in their living conditions.
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Meanwhile, the #IWantToKnow Campaign will also be live in Accra and Ho, Karen Hendrickson, Director of Advocacy and Programmes at the IEA has said.
She added that the IEA is hoping to reach and interact with a wider audience as the campaign will be using the various social media platforms to propagate its message.
Pulse Ghana will be bringing you a live Facebook broadcast of the subsequent events in the various regional capitals.
Five people who ask the most compelling questions will have the chance to be in the audience during the debate which will be held in Accra.
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Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
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