We are into the political season and this is where some people will come out and lie big time to Ghanaians to spread fear.
A video on social media has a man sitting in front of a coal pot that was specially manufactured to conserve heat energy and enhance fuel efficiency.
One would think he was going to advertise this brand of coal pot, so everyone should own at least one.
This man, who indicated that he was in Ho Central, in the Volta region, spoke about something else. He said some New Patriotic Party (NPP) members were going round distributing this brand of coal pot, and when they encounter a non-NPP member, they would collect that person’s Ghana Card, pick all the information on it and make the person take a snapshot with the coal pot and another with the Ghana Card before given back the ID card.
This, however, is not the case when the team meets an NPP executive member. The executive officer is given the coal pot and walks away freely.
He then wanted to know the reason behind this and quickly answered his own question with threats. He suggested that the NPP wants to suppress Voltarians and deny them from using the Ghana Card to vote in 2024. Strangely his only evidence is the coal pot. There was not a single picture or video of what he was saying.
Now, one may ask, is this man in multi-coloured shirt, wine trousers and black shoes, for real? Is he aware that Ghana Card will not be used for voting? Or is he one of those Togolese who cross over to vote and cannot remember which ID is used? And, assuming what he was saying is true, would it not be respectful to Ghanaians to show evidence from a video when such transaction was going on?
This man is obviously a National Democratic Congress (NDC) man, but unfortunately what he is trying to do, has backfired in his face. In the 2 minutes 25 seconds video, he expressly stated that NPP cannot “enter” the Volta Region to intimidate people – as if to emphatically say that NPP is not for Voltarians.
Here is someone who may be very hungry and had entered into someone’s kitchen and begged for food. The only way he could express gratitude for the free meal is to make a video recording of the place and speak English like a beginner; speaking the untruth, because in Ghana, we do not use Ghana Card to vote.
This is a decorated ignoramus who chooses to celebrate his ignorance with such pomp and pageantry. There are many of these all over the country, who, once their petty brains get hooked on something they only imagined, then it must be the Gospel truth.
Now, let us assume that, indeed, these brands of coal pots are being distributed. And let us accept what this ignoramus is saying: to receive a coal pot for free, one has to produce one’s Ghana Card, details on the card are to be taken and a snapshot of the card owner first with the coal pot and later with his Ghana Card are taken.
After that, he goes away with the coal pot in hand and his card safely in his pocket. Yes, let us assume that this is only what took place, because our hungry man did not provide any evidence to show the coal pot being given someone, with the involvement of the Ghana Card.
If this was what took place, then I want to educate this man and all who think like him and everyone he had confused by raising false alarm, that such procedures take place every day. And they are legal.
You go to register your sim, you go to cash foreign transferred money from the bank or you go to cash a cheque above a certain limit in the bank, in all these the Ghana Card is mandatory and its details are taken in whatever way i.e., photocopying and snapshots.
Is this ignoramus saying that in the banks and telcos where Ghana Cards are mandated forms of ID, people are denied their right to vote?
I can only suggest here that if what our man is saying did take place, then it is obvious the distributors did the right thing. One coal pot, one person was what was decided upon and to be sure that no one comes for a coal pot more than once, the beneficiary will have to produce his or her Ghana Card, with details taken from it and a snapshot of the card and owner before given the coal pot.
What is alarming about this? Why should Ghanaians be rudely awoken from sleep over such triviality as if to say the country is going to war?
This actor who starred in this video clip must be ashamed of himself. He has exposed his lack of knowledge of things that are legal. How on earth can picking information from one’s ID, lead to the person being disenfranchised, when the Ghana Card is not to used to vote? Is he aware that when the Voters’ ID was among forms of acceptable IDs, this procedure takes place? In that case what will he say about that?
Such a person should be arrested and taken to court for spreading falsehood with the aim of spreading panic and fear in the society.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
