Due to the deteriorating state of the nation’s economy and the growing rate of coup in Africa, Ghanaian Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has averred that he is scared to drive his Land Cruiser vehicle in town.
In an interview with GhanaWeb, the politician noted that the poor state of the economy has really infuriated citizens in such a way that he does not feel comfortable driving in his Land Cruiser because they might do anything to hurt him since they think they (Ministers) are the main cause of the problem of the state.
He said “They are angry because they can’t even get public transport to move in comfort from one location to the other then I the one elected by them to go and fix the problem I buy myself the latest Land Cruiser and im driving in comfort and they are standing by the roadside waiting for Trotro. Because I’m superintending over a dysfunctional public system and I insulate myself from it by buying luxury Land Cruiser for myself is reason to be angry”.
Ayariga, however, stated that, although people do not like coups, but looking at the recent coups in nebouring countries, the people are really okay with it because it addresses their anger.
“People are very angry and that is why a soldier takes up arms even though they may not like military rule momentarily it addressed their anger”.
“These days, everybody finishes school and the first thing they want to do is to go into politics because they feel we in the political class get it easy while they are suffering.
“I think it has become the case just look at the young politicians and how they are flaunting their wealth in the face of the suffering masses of the people who have elected us to come and represent them and I see that across the sub-region and I see that democracy is not necessarily producing leaders who are problem solvers producing people who are in league with capitalism to even further exploit the ordinary people and amass wealth that they share between the political elite and business aristocrat this is a development you see across the sub-region,” he said.
The worried politician advised the country to pay needed attention to the anger of the citizens or else ‘they will laugh at the wrong side of their mouth’.
It is important to note that Mahama Ayariga, who is a lawyer and politician in Ghana, belongs to the National Democratic Congress. He was the Minister of Information and Media Relations and the Minister of Youth and Sports under the John Dramani Mahama administration.
Ayariga was the member of Ghana’s parliament for the Bawku Central constituency from 2005 but lost his seat in the 2008 Elections to Adamu Dramani Sakande of the NPP. The seat became vacant when Adamu was convicted and jailed by a court for having stood for the election while being the citizen of another country which is against the Ghana constitution. Ayariga recaptured the seat in the 2012 General Elections. He has been elected as the member of parliament for this constituency in the fourth, sixth and seventh parliament of the fourth Republic of Ghana.
