Former President John Dramani Mahama has incurred the wrath of the Volta Caucus in Parliament over the barrage of vilifications heaped on the founder of the National Democratic Congress, Jerry John Rawlings specifically and the people of Volta Region in general.
The NDC MPs have expressed dismay at the apparent lack of respect the former president has for the people of Volta Region and the party’s founder who also hails from the region. The MPs are aghast at the description former President Mahama gave to the founder of the NDC in an apparent response to him over comments the founder made against him at the June 4 uprising anniversary commemoration.
As part of their regional unity walks which have seen former President Mahama headlining all of them as the main speaker and beneficiary, the ex-President did not only belligerently rejoin what former President Rawlings had said about him but also used the event to subtly denigrate the people of the Volta Region. He said this;
“We have worshipped the Volta god for so long. It is time to build the party beyond individuals. No sacrifice would please him. “ Former President John Mahama said at the party’s unity walk staged in the Volta regional capital of Ho.
These comments have incensed key figures of the Minority in Parliament who come from the Volta Region. Richard Quarshigah, the Member of Parliament for the Keta Constituency, in an interview on Hope FM expressed their indignation over this rather caustic vitriol from the former President.
“First of all, we the Volta Caucus of the Minority are not happy with the virulent words President Mahama used in responding to former President Rawlings. It was unnecessary responding to him. But for former President Rawlings, where would all of us be? This party came into being on his ideologies. We can never and should never forget that”
Continuing, the MP for Keta also disagreed with former President Mahama’s reference to the founder of the NDC as a Volta god.
“Describing him as Volta god was unfortunate much as it was derogatory. The people have been angered by this description, I can tell you for a fact. They feel insulted by the former President, and it would have been good if he had not employed those expressions”, the MP said.
Apart from the people seething with rage over Mahama’s acerbic description of them including the founder of the party, there is an overwhelming belief and desire among the people it is about time the party elected someone from the region to lead the party.
A leading Member of Parliament from the region who wants to remain anonymous has waded into this matter. According to him, the Volta Region remains the backbone and cash cow of the party, but there is little to show for the love they have shown to the party over the years. They feel neglected despite their continuous support for the party.
“It is time we had someone from the region leading us into the next elections. The mantle of leadership was given to President Mills of the Central Region. It was unfortunate that he died before he could finish his tenure of office. We gave President Mahama of the Northern Region the chance to lead us and we lost humiliatingly to the NPP. It must come back home! It is our time to lead the party to restore hope and confidence to the people of the Volta Region who have unflinchingly supported this tradition for ages”
The National Democratic Congress lost the 2016 elections with a margin that shocked many political analysts and pundits. The party’s world bank, over the years, has been the Volta Region, and since the era of Jerry John Rawlings came to an end, flagbearers and presidents have gone to the Central and Northern regions. As the party prepares to go for the polls to elect its presidential candidate, thousands of party fanatics in the region hold the view that President Mahama should give way for a Voltarian, Mr. Sylvester Mensah to lead the party into elections 2020.
Former President Mahama’s attacks on Jerry John Rawlings and the people from the Volta Region have given the people the enzyme to demand that their own son is given the mantle of leadership of the party as elections 2020 loom large.
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