Don't Sell Your Votes

by Charles Takyi-Boadu Jun 11, 2008 (Ghanaian Chronicle/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
The Presidential Aspirant of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills has ended the second phase of his campaign tour of the Western region with a clarion call on the electorate to desist from selling their votes.
"If you collect GHc5, GHc10 or GHc20 and sell your vote to any group of politicians, what you will be doing is telling the politicians that they can take your vote for granted after securing the mandate to govern, and come back to you during election time and buy you for a pittance", he said.
He continued "When God created us, he did not put any price tag on us and so do not sell your dignity to anybody who comes with money to buy your votes. When you sell your votes, you don't only sell your human dignity, but you sell your destiny as well."
"And for those of you who have young children, if you sell your votes, it is the future of your children that you are selling and posterity will not forgive you for doing that", he cautioned.
The tour took the NDC Presidential Aspirant to areas like Amenfi Central, Amenfi East, Prestea Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuaem constituencies.
He spent the entire week spreading his message of a 'Better Ghana', along the lines of investing in people, job creation, building a strong economy and infrastructure expansion. The former vice President also promised to run a government that will be open, transparent and honest to the people.
Prof. Mills rolled out his agenda for the nation as a whole and the Western region in particular. According to him, it would be a grossly dehumanising act if the people allow their votes to be bought.
If given the opportunity to steer the affairs of this country, he pledged to be President of Ghana and not President of the NDC.
According to Prof. Mills, having suffered some form of discrimination for belonging to the NDC, just as other members of his party, there was no way he will lead a government that will marginalise a section of the populace because of their political leanings.
"I know that even in the area of cocoa spraying, some of you have suffered because you belong to NDC. Atta Mills shall not make any cocoa farmer suffer any discrimination just because he or she belongs to the NPP or another political party" Mills assured the people.
Prof. Mills said he would rule the country more united than ever when elected as President, stressing that "God will not forgive me if I continue to divide this country." Among the towns Professor Mills visited were Agona amd Manso in the Amenfi Central constituency.
In the Amenfi East constituency he visited Nananko, Afransie, Awodua, Bodua and Wassa Akropong. He also toured Hemang, Prestea, Aboso, Opon Valley, Huni Valley and Bogoso- all in the Prestea Huni Valley constituency. Prof, Mills and his team also visited Tarkwa, Benso and Nsuaem in the Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency.
After a very successful Phase 1 and Phase 2 of his campaign in the Sefwi and Wassa areas of the Western Region, Professor Mills is expected back in the Region next week and will anchor Phase 3 in the coastal belt covering the Ellembele, Evalue Gwira and Jomoro constituencies.