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A self-styled social commentator and political watcher has expressed surprise that despite claims by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the NDCs bad governance has plunged Ghanaians into the doldrums of poverty, they are demanding GH�1 from them. Owula Mangotey argues that if Ghanaians can afford doling out GH� 1 as a form of contribution to a political party, then an increment in petroleum price is in order. The leading opposition party has introduced an ambitious electronic payment system (EPS) in Accra, for all of its members and sympathizers to be able to financially contribute towards the running of the party, through the platform of text messaging. No specific amount was earmarked for contributors, but, per the dictates of the technology, the minimum payment is pegged at GH�1.00. Contributing to Alhaji and Alhaji, a current affairs programme on Radio Gold, an Accra-based Radio Station, Owula Mangotey said if Ghanaians are able to pay GH� 1 to a political party, then they can use that same amount as a contribution to National Development and spare government the task of subsiding petroleum products. �I have been hearing the jingles of the NPP, asking people to text just one cedi, just one cedi; so if people can afford just one cedi to text to a political party, why wouldn�t such people afford an increment of just one cedi on petroleum products like Super. The catch phrase should be something that is applicable to the whole country in terms of asking them to contribute their quota towards National Development. Ghana cannot continue to subsidize the price of petroleum products, I mean it doesn�t happen anywhere�we get the product at a higher price and so we cannot continue to refine it and then continue to subsidize so I would propose that once it�s easy for Ghanaians to afford one cedi as a contribution to a political party, I think that Ghanaians can afford an increment of one cedi in petroleum prices�,� he stated.