Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the vice-presidential candidate of the governing  New Patriotic Party(NPP) has questioned the former President and National  Democratic Congress Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, on whether he is now a magician to be promising jobs. 

Dr. Prempeh recalled that during the reign of Mr John Mahama at the Presidency when the youth of Ghana were clamouring for jobs, the then President [John Mahama] told them that he was not a magician to create jobs for them. 

However, in a surprising turn of events, the former President, who is again contesting for the presidency on the ticket of the NDC, is now promising the nation’s youth that he will create jobs for them if they vote for him in the December polls. 

Indeed, the 2024 manifesto of the NDC is supposedly hinged on job creation among other things. 

This is what has compelled the NPP running mate to ask whether the NDC flagbearer has now become a magician since he had claimed that only magicians could create jobs out of the blue to absolve the nation’s youth. 

Dr. Prempeh was speaking at a mini rally in Drobonso, the capital of the Sekyere Afram Plains Constituency during his Constituency-focused campaign tour on Wednesday in the Ashanti Region, August 28, 2024. 

NAPO, as he is popularly called, described the flip-flop position of John Mahama, as a mark of desperation, which should not be countenanced by the Ghanaian people.

 According to him, the former president has demonstrated time without number that he lacks credibility, and therefore, his promise of creating jobs for the youth is only a deception.  

NAPO appealed to the Chiefs and people of Drobonso to repose their confidence in the NPP, and for that matter in his boss, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the party’s parliamentary candidate, George Ackon.

 He also paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Drobonso, at his palace. 

In welcoming the NPP running mate, the Chief commended the NPP government for giving them Agenda 111 hospital, electricity and a district court among other projects.

 This is in spite of the fact the NPP has never won the parliamentary elections in the constituency. 

From the Sekyere Afram Plains Constituency, the NPP running mate and his team proceeded to the Juaben Constituency, where he paid a courtesy call on the paramount Chief of the Juaben Traditional Council, Dasebre Nana Siriboe II, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Council of State. 

A durbar of Chiefs, religious leaders and the people of Juaben was held at the forecourt of the palace to welcome the Vice-Presidential candidate. 

Dasebre recounted the achievements of the NPP in Juaben including the creation of the Juaben Municipal Assembly, asphalting of all the major roads leading to Juaben as well as the town’s inner roads, construction of Model STEM JHS and other educational infrastructure particularly at the Juaben SHS, streetlights, Astroturfs and many others. 

He also commended the party’s parliamentary candidate, Francis Owusu Akyaw for undertaking some landmark projects even though he is not yet an MP. 

The paramount Chief advised the NPP not to campaign in Juaben because the people had already accepted the party. 

NAPO, on his part, thanked Nana Siriboe II and pleaded with him that while he counsels the President of the Republic and the State in general, he [Napo] only requires the chief’s continuous guidance and instructions to make him succeed. 

He reiterated Dr. Bawumia’s firm commitment to working closely with traditional leaders in governing the country