Be Realistic With Your Campaign Promises – Politicians Urged

Mr. Clement Boateng

Presidential and Parliamentary aspirants of the various political parties going into Ghana’s December 7, 2016 election, have been urged to be realistic with their campaign promises in order to manage the expectations of the electorate.

“Wild campaign promises by politicians is increasingly causing voter apathy among the electorate. Also, unfulfilled campaign promises eventually result into disappointment thereby making voters have a feeling that they are being taken for granted by politicians and their political parties”.

Coordinator of Youth Speak Up (YSU) project, Clement Boateng, who told Savannahnews in an interview at a civic forum organized at Wapuli in the Saboba District of the Northern Region of Ghana, said promises by Ghanaian politicians remained one of the major key issues the electorate used to decide who to vote for during elections.

 “The Ghanaian electorate are now very discerning and can easily read between realistic and unattainable goals. Thus, there is no need promising them heaven on earth because they know it’s impossible to achieve”, he indicated.

The forum was organized by a group of community journalists trained under the YSU project with the support of the project implementing team. The project seeks to develop competences of youth reporters to support active citizenship and engagement of communities in Kumbungu, Karaga and Saboba Districts as well as the Savelugu-Nanton Municipality. 

The project is being implemented jointly by Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL), Rural Media Network (RUMNET) and HOPin Academy with funding support from the Danish Ingathering and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

All Four Candidates at Civic Forum

The forum brought together four parliamentary candidates contesting for the Saboba seat. They are former Minister for Local Government and Legislator, Mr. Charles B. Bintin of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Adam Abdullah of the Progressive Peoples’ Party (PPP), Mr. Nkikinah Jalulah and Mr. Nakoja K. Samuel, both independent candidates. The incumbent legislator of the area Mr. Joseph Bukari was however absent from the programme due to some important national assignment. 

All the four aspirants pledged their commitment to peace before, during and after the December 7 election, and urged their supporters and sympathisers to conduct themselves very well when they go around to campaign and canvass for votes. 

Meanwhile some residents of the Wapuli community took turns to subject the development plans and strategies of the parliamentary aspirants to scrutiny as they sought clarifications on how issues of deplorable road network and fallen standards of education in the area would be addressed. 

Others also expressed worry about the slow pace of work on a water project in the area which had compelled them to compete with their livestock for water from unwholesome sources.

The residents commended the organisers of the forum and described it as a very useful exercise, because it would help them to make informed choices during the December election.