In a statement, it said, “The NPP shares the disgust of many Ghanaians at the show of opulence, profligacy, disregard for public order and time that attended the occasion of President Mills picking up nomination forms last Thursday, May 5, 2011.”
It claimed that thousands of NDC supporters were mobilised to take over the streets of Accra for hours and that over 60 mass transport buses were mobilised for the purpose.
The statement signed by the Director of Communications, Nana Akomea, said that the public broadcaster, Ghana Television, was hijacked for hours at a reported cost of GH¢18,000 (¢180 million).
It claimed further that Senior Public Officers, including scores of Ministers of State were, seen singing, dancing and pouring adulations on the President for hours.
Furthermore, it said that thousands of innocent residents of Accra were prevented from going about their normal business and social activities as they had to sit in their vehicles, trotros and buses for hours in the scorching sun.
“All of this opulence and resultant suffering visited on Accra was endured so that President Mills could pick up nomination forms. This is not the first time Professor Mills had picked nomination forms. He picked forms for the 2000, 2004 & 2008 elections. We have all been witnesses to Presidents picking forms, President Rawlings and President Kufour in 1996 and 2004.
“On none of these occasions was the country subjected to the opulent display and horrible inconvenience in Accra as witnessed last Thursday, May 5, 2011, when the so-called ‘humble’ President J. E. A. Mills picked forms to contest his party’s flagbearer race,” it stated.
It asked, “What does this do for the admonition that political leaders have to be moderate in keeping our status as a poor developing country?”
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