Akufo-Addo is right: Nobody holds anyone’s hands to vote – Smart Sarpong

A Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Social Science Research, at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr Smart Sarpong has said the President is right when he said nobody holds anyone’s hand to decide for him where he or she should vote.

Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 on Tuesday, October 18, monitored by GhanaPlus.com he said  “Whenever a statement is put out there are three sides to which one can look, we can look at the golden interpretation. Golden interpretations take out all emotions, all potential mischief and all those things out and interpret a given statement with a very fair and unadulterated perspective”

“.. And if you want to do that interpretation, then perhaps, what the President said, he was right, I mean no body holds anybody’s hand to put where the person doesn’t or want to vote. Its the person’s personal decision that they do on the election day, ” Dr Sarpong said.

“I thought perhaps, it was a very good opportunity the journalist gave to the President to assure  and inspire hope into these two constituencies but he chose to lay the bare fact as it is and it is the truth, nobody actually, holds the hands of anybody to decide for him or her where he should vote,” Dr Sarpong reiterated.

He made the comment when reacting to the threat of no roads, no vote made by the people of Kwabre and Manso in the Ashanti Region, a strong hold of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) and the President’s comment subsequently.

Akufo-Addo on no Kwabre/Manso roads no vote

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while responding to threat by residents of Kwabre and Manso in the Ashanti Region to vote against the New Patriotic Party led government if they do not fix deplorable roads in the area said he is not troubled by the threat.

According to him, the responsibility to vote for or against any party lies solely with the individual hence he couldn’t be bothered about it adding “Nobody holds your hands to cast your vote, it is your own job”

“No problem, no problem, Am saying people make those kind of threats, me, they don’t frighten me because yes somebody votes for you, somebody  support you is because they want you to do things for them so I understand that,” Akufo-Addo said.

“There is no need for people to say if I don’t do it this and that, that one is your own problem….. If it comes that in the election if you decide to vote for the NDC that is your own choice that is not mine business. Nobody holds your hands to cast your vote, it is your own job,” the President said in a viral video sighted by GhanaPlus.com.

Akufo-Addo had a great opportunity to inspire hope – Sarpong

But reacting to the comment, Dr Sarpong said although, the President is right, his comment could have been one that inspires hope and assurance instead.

“I thought it was a very good opportunity to inspire hope bring back assurance to the people and to assure that we have the facility because as we are speaking now, am told there is a facility meant for those two district specifically, kwabre East and Manso where some major road networks are going to see development even before the ends of the year so I thought perhaps it was a very good opportunity the journalist gave to the President to assure inspire hope into these two constituencies.

Source: GhanaPlus.com