The Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, says Ghana can now be rightly described as an orphan who is being ripped off and milked drier by those assigned to protect her.

He, therefore, entreated Ghanaians to look at their present circumstances and vote according to their needs.

Togbe Afede made the remarks when the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, called on him at the Asogli Palace at Ho-Bankoe last Tuesday as part of the former President’s campaign tour of the Volta Region.

The Agbogbomefia said an overwhelming number of Ghanaians were making desperate efforts to leave the country to seek greener pastures  because of the untold hardships they were going through.

That, he said, was very sad because Ghana had rich natural and human resources to generate wealth.

In spite of those resources, the country’s indebtedness stood at GH¢800 billion, and the country still lacked basic amenities while the Ghana Cedi kept losing value, Togbe Afede added.

He said the country was witnessing unmitigated greed and corruption among public officials, and that was a serious threat to democracy.

“A few people are exploiting the masses to enrich themselves, and corruption has become an enterprise,” the Agbogbomefia observed.

He commended Mr Mahama for his planned 24-hour economy policy, saying that would help to lift the country out of the present economic doldrums, adding that it would encourage hard work among the citizenry.

The Agbogbomefia reminded the NDC flag bearer of his promise to review the payment of ex gratia as enjoyed by state officials of Article 71 category, saying there was no point filling the pockets of a few individuals with colossal sums of money when the meagre allowance of national service persons was on hold.

Earlier, Mr Mahama urged Ghanaians to put an end to years of corruption by voting for the NDC to send the New Patriotic Party (NPP) out of power.

He said the NPP had demonstrated its true colours by subjecting the people to eight years of poverty, corruption and dishonesty.

“Clearly, the NPP has nothing new to offer Ghanaians,” he said.

Mr Mahama, who drew thunderous applause from the crowd as he interspersed his presentation in English with Ewe, gave an assurance that apart from finishing work on the Eastern Corridor Road project, the NDC would not abandon ongoing infrastructural development projects in the country.

“We will focus on job creation while putting up infrastructure,” he said.

Volta Region needs

The former President said tourism and agriculture in the Volta Region were areas of great importance to the NDC because the prospects in those areas were bright with massive employment opportunities.

Mr Mahama mentioned irrigated farming, the revamping of the Afife rice project, oil palm production, cassava processing and ginger production as areas which the NDC would commit great effort and resources to when given the nod.

“We will not hide the true state of the economy from the people,” the NDC flag bearer affirmed.

He urged the electorate to take a firm stand to reject attempts by the NPP to offer them paltry amounts of money to secure their votes. Mr Mahama earlier addressed similar gatherings in Juapong in the North Tongu District and Dededo in the Ho West District.