FULL STATEMENT: NALAG PRESS BRIEFING HELD ON 14TH DECEMBER, 2020

NALAG CONGRATULATES GHANAIANS ON A SUCCESSFUL ELECTION

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF NALAG

THE GENERAL SECRETARY AND STAFF OF NALAG

FELLOW GHANAIANS

FRIENDS FROM THE MEDIA

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

On 7^th December, 2020, the People of Ghana went to the polls to elect a president and parliamentarians to run the affairs of governance for the next four years. The people of Ghana through the polls have successfully elected the incumbent President, Nana Addo Dankwaa Akufo-Addo to run the affairs of the country for a second term.

The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) officially congratulates the President-Elect, Nana Addo Dankwaa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for securing the mandate of the people of Ghana to form and run the government of the Republic of Ghana for another 4-year term. This mandate is a testimony of the goodwill of the people of Ghana towards policies and programs the President and his government has implemented over the last four (4) years. His call on Ghanaians to give him four more years to do more has been granted. It is therefore incumbent on the President-Elect to justify the confidence reposed in him by implementing more policies and programs that will inure to the benefit and general welfare of Ghanaians. Let the dreams and hopes of our people be achieved, we encourage you to advance the course of Industrialization which is the surest way to processing our raw materials (Natural resources) to maximize our National wealth and stabilize the economy. The youth of the country are looking forward to opportunities through education and employment in order to start and raise decent independent families, Our farmers are looking up to you for mechanized Agriculture to increase productivity, Public service and local government workers are hoping to achieve a higher living standards through fair and equitable wages, the security services are looking up to you for supply of personnel and modern equipment to prevent and combat crime, our retirees are looking up to you for a better pension scheme, our traders are looking up to you for favorable business environment that provide capital at less cost. Ghana beyond Aid is plausible with the achievement of these. We have no doubt in our minds, that given the first term achievements, you would steer the affairs to glory.  We at NALAG say, “Ayekoo!”

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE EC, SECURITY & MEDIA ORGANIZATION

We equally congratulate the Electoral Commission (EC) for the professional and safe manner it has conducted this year’s election even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. We wondered how the COVID-19 plague would allow a smooth process. Your strategies worked to perfection. We did not experience the usual long queues at our polling stations, COVID-19 protocols were duly observed. The various International observers have collaborated a clean bill for election 2020. It is our hope that pertinent, minor errors would be completely avoided in subsequent elections.

To our security agencies, this peace could not have been achieved without your professional and timely presence in our polling stations, particularly in most flash points across the country. We are grateful for putting the interest of Ghanaians at fore.

You, the media have indeed conducted yourself in a professional manner throughout your reportage of the election process. We admonish you to keep up the spirit of the fourth realm and continue being professional in the discharge of your duties.

We also congratulate Ghanaians for the peaceful manner we have conducted ourselves before and during this year’s general election. We have proven that election is an expression of ideas and not weapons. We further thank the youth and indeed all Ghanaians who did not allow themselves to be used by politicians to promote violence before and during the elections. We encourage all and sundry to consolidate the gains we have made after the election.

NALAG exists as an Association that promotes good governance at the local level through institutional strengthening, inclusiveness, empowerment of members and lobbying and advocacy for implementation of the right policies and provision of conducive environment for enhanced performance of Local Government Authorities in Ghana. We can boast of contributing immensely to the growing number of parliamentarians who have been at the core of Decentralization. We take this opportunity to congratulate all former members and executives of the Association who contested and won to represent their constituents in Parliament. We however call on them to use the opportunity to advance the course of local government and decentralization to make local government truly independent. We urge you to use your office as legislators to build consensus to get our MMMDCEs elected.

To all the candidates who offered to be elected into the high office of President and Parliament, we congratulate you for the peaceful contest you had. You have taken our multi-party democracy to a higher level which continuous to be a shining example in Africa. NALAG is fully aware of the position adopted by the former President not to accept the outcome of the Presidential elections as announced by the Chairperson of the Electoral commission. We therefore wish to call on the former President & Candidate, H.E John Dramani Mahama to go through our legal system, the only and reliable path to seek redress if there are evidence of electoral fraud. We have no doubt that given his democratic credentials, he would not depart from constitutional arrangements.

It is our call on all political parties to do well to use their various platforms to encourage and promote the participation of Ghanaians in our Local level election owing to the turnout of electorates in the just ended general election. We believe that while promoting our democracy, local democracy and accountability is essential to our national success.

Ayekoo to all Ghanaians who by their actions have made this year’s election successful. While we are celebrating the victory, let us be guided by the rights of others. Our celebrations should be done in peace and not break us as a people into pieces. Permit me to say, “Ghana Won” and now we have a country to develop.

May God Bless Us and make Our Nation Great and Strong.

Thank you.

SIGNED

HON. BISMARK BAISIE NKUM

(PRESIDENT, NALAG)