I must admit, I was extremely livid and could not keep my emotional intelligence in check when a close relative of mine confided in me that he, and, other family members in the Ashanti Region were going to vote for President Mahama and his NDC Party despite the economic hardships.

In fact, I went more berserk and could not courteously yield to my relatives ridiculous rationale for taking such decision.

Ironically, my relatives somewhat unconscionable stance to vote for non-performing Mahama and his NDC Party is predicated on their share of the NDC Party’s GH50 million vote buying allocated budget in the Ashanti Region.

Interestingly, my relatives are among the one million unsuspecting Ashanti Region voters who are being doled with GH50 and other freebies in exchange of votes.

Somehow, my relatives exposition explains why the NDC apparatchiks are vociferously insisting on getting over one million votes in the Ashanti Region, the stronghold of their political opponents, the NPP Party.

For if that was not the case, how could a government who has failed abysmally to improve upon the earlier booming economy, has brought about stiff utility bills and high fuel prices (water, electricity, gas, petrol and diesel), has failed to end the dumsor which has been crippling businesses, has collapsed the NHIS in the Ashanti Region as a result of the introduction of Capitation, maintain that they will receive one million votes in the Ashanti Region?

Well, my advice to my relatives and their ilk is: the NDC’s allocated GH50 million comes from your taxes and loans, so you may accept or decline the freebies, either way, cast your vote according to your socio-economic standards of living over the last eight years of the NDC’s maladministration.

Yes, take the GH50 and any other freebies without fear or favour, for no curses from the villainous NDC apparatchiks will have effect on you.

In any case, desist from electing ‘a semicircle’ of corrupt and incompetent representatives who will only continue to sink the nation deeper and deeper into the mire.

My question to my relatives and their likes is: how would you survive on a mere GH50 over a period of four years?

We should not lose sight of the fact that we choose to exercise our voting rights in expectation that our lives would be transformed positively by the elected government.

All the same, the crucial question my unsuspecting family members and their ilk should mull over is: have your lives been transformed positively under the NDC administration over the last eight years?

In my view, it is demeaning to accept freebies and then vote for a government who has failed to improve upon the socio-economic standards of living over the last eight years.

For such an action will not be the way forward, but voters like my family members should rather look beyond the goodies being doled out by the manipulating NDC politicians and assess the bigger picture.

That is by ruminating over how we can advance meaningfully as a nation; which political party can take us forward as a nation and more so the right political party that would not squander our resources.

Tell me, if President Mahama believes that he has really improved the socio-economic standards of living of the people of Ashanti Region, why the votes buying gimmick?

Wasn’t the same President Mahama who went to Kumasi and labelled the entire people of Ashanti region as ungrateful lots? Didn’t he refer to Ashantis as ungrateful lots who would never even be content with gold plated roads? Yes, he did.

So after showing gross disrespect to the good people of Ashanti Region, President Mahama and his NDC apparatchiks are now shamefully seeking to placate the unsuspecting voters in the Region?

How could a whole President opine that all Ashantis are unappreciative?

Besides, wasn’t the same President Mahama who opined that Ashantis are so useless to an extent that they cannot even handle words that contain letters ‘L and R?

Tell me, if that wasn’t condescending and tribal, what is it then?

The good people of Ashanti Region, put President Mahama’s earlier insults at the back of your head, take the goodies and show him the exit.

K. Badu, UK.