The founder of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Reverend Christian Kwabena Andrews,better known as Osofo Kyiri Abosom, has threatened to cause physical harm to his appointees who attempt to lootfrom state coffers, if voted to power. He has also pledged to retrieve and return to the nation all state lands and other properties stolen by political actors.
“I will cause physical harm to those who steal from the state, even if you have to lose your arm”,Osofo Kyiri Abosom threatened and added that: “Those who have taken state lands and other properties belonging to the state would be taken back.”
He issued the threat during an interaction with the media in Kumasi at the newly refurbished Prempeh Assembly Hall yesterday.
The event was attended by supporters of GUM, who came from Kintampo,Wenchi, Oti, Kwame Danso and Kumasi among other places.
Complementing the attendance were organisations such as Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), and GARAGES among others.
OsofoKyiriAbosom further described the 24-hour economy mantra of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as concert.
KyiriAbosom argues that the 24-hour economy campaign of the NDC is not formidable, but rather a rhetoric, which cannot put food on the table.
“24-hour is a mere statement and it cannot be accomplished until companies are available”, he said.
The Prelate cum Politician,who is an Nkrumah-ist, expressed worry about the competence of the NDC and NPP.
He was particular about their inability to revive factories established by the first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, citing the Akomadan Tomato factory, Kumasi Jute factory, Bolgatanga Meat factory and Aboso Glass factory among others, as prime example.
According to him, GUM believes state-owned enterprise have to be revamped, else Ghanaians will suffer.
He has, therefore, called on Ghanaians to do away with the NDC and NPP and vote for GUM. “Our leaders speak English, but they cannot put anything on the table. They are not helping us.
We need to change our mindsets…. Ghanaians have to refrain from the NPP and NDC….they are causing more harm than good,” he said.
In an address which was interlaced with Twi and English language, the flagbearer for GUM was of the view that the above mentioned two political parties come to power only to saddle Ghanaians with debt, which put Ghanaians in uneasy economic mess.
Launching a scathing attack on the candidature of Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, ahead of the 2024 General Elections, KyiriAbosom described the Veep as a ‘liar’ who has not been able to do what he promised Ghanaians.
Kyiri Abosom expressed worry about mounting taxes on Ghanaians by the government of the day,assuring that when GUM is voted to power, they would operate a duty-free port in Ghana, where government would not tax imported items.
He said “The taxes are too much. We will do away with all these taxes. We cannot continue in this situation… How can you tax us on electricity?”
Kyiri Abosom, who spoke on a wide range of issues, such as education, agriculture, employment and governance among others, where he critiqued and proffered solutions, described the Parliament of Ghana as unimportant, which is a liability to the good people of Ghana.
According to the flagbearer of GUM, when they come to power, each region would have one parliamentarian, a policy he believes would save state money.
He added that organisations such as teachers and farmers among others shall have a representative in Parliament.
The GUM leader further noted that his party would develop Ghana with indigenous resources, giving credence to barter trade where Ghana would use her resources to transact trade with other nations.
Touching on education, he accused government of poorly running the Ghanaian education system.
“If you take a look at the way and manner that we are educating our kids, nothing better is coming out from there.
“Our interest is to teach the children how to produce items. We want to teach them how to rear animals and other practices,” he claimed.
On social benefits for the aged, GUM, which appears to be a socialist inclined political party, told the media that when given power, they will introduce Old Age Benefits, a policy which would cater for anyone who attains the age of 60 years, whether the person is a government worker or not, he or she would be taken care of by the state.
“Anyone who attains the age of 60 years under the tenure of GUM would be given a social protection,” he assured.
