Former NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, in an interview with Ghananewsmedia.com, has declared that the NDC has no interest in lifting Ghanaians out of poverty because “it is to the benefit of the NDC to keep people poor.” As long as there is rampant poverty in Ghana, it makes it easier for the NDC to prey on poor Ghanaians with cash and other tokens in return for their votes during elections.

Also Suggesting that educated and discerning Ghanaians are more likely to understand the issues facing the country, and are therefore less likely to be convinced by lies and propaganda by the NDC, Jake indicated that the less educated people are, the more likely they are to be influenced by lies and propaganda. Thus, the NDC has no interest in educating Ghanaians.

“If I am reasonably well off, or I have ambition, and you come and say to me that you want to buy my votes with GHC50, then I would tell you that my vote is worth a heck of a lot more than GHC50. But if I have nothing at all; I cannot get food that day, and you come and say to me that you want my vote for GHC50, I would gladly give it to you because GHC50 would help me out for that day,” he added.

On the other hand, Jake indicated that while it is in the interest of the NDC to keep Ghanaians poor, “it is in the interest of the NPP to get Ghanaians wealthy.” He said the last NPP government laid the foundations to build a society where every Ghanaian is empowered to pursue wealth. Programs such as free school feeding, free maternal care, NHIS, capitation Grant, and many others were designed to lend a helping hand to Ghanaians as they tried to lift themselves out of poverty.

Unfortunately, Jake lamented, the NDC has destroyed all those social intervention programs in pursuit of their goal of keeping Ghanaians poor and destitute so as to create an environment conducive for vote buying come election time. In addition to keeping Ghanaians poor, Jake pointed out that the NDC goal of minimizing education, as demonstrated by their opposition to NPP’s Free SHS, is to make it easy for Ghanaians to believe their lies and propaganda.