Don’t blame electorates for asking for money from politicians – PPP’s Brigitte Dzogbenuku

Presidential candidate for the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Ms Brigitte Dzogbenuku, believes that electorates will stop asking for money from political actors during electioneering periods when they begin to see a positive change in their life.

She says that voters will start to think differently when they realize that the politician they voted for brings development to their communities and not just there to rule over them.

Ms. Dzogbenuku made these statements in an interview with (Alhaji) Dr. Abubakari Sidick Ahmed on the Road to Jubilee House programme on Radio Univers 105.7FM.

“The people vote and when they voted, the ballot boxes found a way to get there and they vote. After that, they don’t see the people again after four years. So you can’t blame them for thinking, ‘this is my time to get money,” she intimated.

She went on to make a case for the decentralization of power to local assemblies, saying that it will lead to more development in communities.

“For those who said it’s not in their philosophy to decentralize power, for some of us, we would want to decentralize power and therefore, they would see the development in their communities and when you have seen the developments by a certain party which is not there to just to have power, but is actually giving you also power to have a say in your own governance, people will start to think differently”

She stressed that the PPP, when it wins in the December 2020 polls, will ensure that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are elected, rather than appointed by the President.

“Another thing we want to do is voting for our DCEs and MMDCEs, that is decentralizing power and putting power in the hands of the people. People can vote for their own DCEs and MMDCEs. Currently, they are appointees of the President so they not beholding to the people, they are beholding to the President. If we don’t what the people want, the people can’t really have any control over them. If the people sense any malfeasance in the office of their DCEs or MMDCEs, it’s up to the president to either remove him or not. The people can’t do anything about it. If there is no development in their district or Municipality, they really don’t have a say,” he said.