Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has questioned both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress' positions on the proposal for a change of election date from December 7.
The Electoral Commission has been petitioned by Seventh Day Adventists to change the December 7 date to November and the election to fall on a Monday or Tuesday as they argue the current date conflicts with their religious faith.
They argue conducting the election on December 7 will disrupt their Sabbath Day which is sacred for them.
The Electoral Commission has accepted the proposal and pre-informed the political parties and Ghanaians about their resolve to change the date this year.
But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has objected to the petition asking the EC to start the process in 2028.
Analyzing the issues on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Kweku Baako chronicled the origin of the proposal for election date change in Ghana.
He alluded to the late Atta Mills government instituting a Constitutional Review Committee which recommended for the change and this was brought before Parliament, fully supported by the then NDC, but failed to come into effect because the ruling New Patriotic Party opposed it when they were in Minority.
"The Minority (NPP) then did not give them the numbers," he stated, adding "in actual fact, it's the conduct of the Minority then that did not make this thing materialize".
Whiles wondering why the same NDC which once supported the election date, is today against it coming into force this year and calling for it to be pushed to 2028, Mr Baako also slammed the NPP for its volte-face nature over the issue.
Mr. Baako called out both parties for their actions saying they are no strangers to the blueprint for the change of the election date.
"Based on this document I have here, by April 2015, all the parties had agreed to this...If there is the commitment, they would have carried forward this commitment they made in this document to Parliament...They all believed in this," he said.
He continued, "They know all the basics. There's nothing novel...They've had enough time. What are the outstanding issues? What new thing has been introduced that makes it so difficult, and because of that, we have to push it to 2028?"
"If one has to be brutally frank, this is politics without principles. It is lack of consistency in principles. Today, it's turn around; it's now the NDC that is opposed to this thing and giving all sorts of reasons," he stated and advised, saying, "amidst a lack of principles across the political divide, we must be honest and say some of these things direct to all of them".
On his stance on the proposal, Kweku Baako asserted, "This thing must be done. It can and must be done. We also have the experience to show that when the transition is so tight, so close, it creates problems. So, take religion out, but the principle is clear."
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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SEE 3 REASONS WHY A PATRIOTIC GHANANIAN WHO IS SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULTY TO VOTE ON SATURDAY WHICH FALLS ON DECEMBER 7. 1. SATURDAY IS THE ONLY DAY THAT GOD BLESSED AND MADE IT HOLY AMONG ALL THE 7 DAYS GOD CREATED - Genesis 2:2-3 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and made it holy to set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the LORD God made the universe, 2. GOD COMMANDED HUMAN BEINGS THAT HE CREATED TO ALSO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE TO REST ON SATURDAY TO REMIND EVERY EVERY HUMAN BEING THAT HE, GOD, IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.Exodus 20:8-11 8 Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9|You have six days in which to do your work, 10|but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work---neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11| In six days I, the LORD, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the LORD, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy. 3. THE THREE (3) STEPS BELOW WOULD HELP YOU TO KNOW THAT THE SEVENTH-DAY OF THE WEEK THAT GOD RESTED AFTER CREATION OF THE WORLD WAS SATURDAY ACCORDINGLY TO GOD'S WORD. STEP 1. JESSUS DIED ON GOOD FRIDAY, : Read Luke 23:54-55 , 54 It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee went with Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it. STEP 2: JESUS RESTED IN THE TOMB ON SATURDAY, THE SEVENTH-DAY OF THE WEEK. AT THE SAME TIME THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ALSO RESTED ON THAT SAME SATURDAY, THE SEVENTH-DAY OF THE WEEK ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD HAD COMMANDED: Read Luke 23:56 56 Then they went back home and prepared the spices and perfumes for the body. On the Sabbath they rested, as the God commanded. STEP 3: JESUS RESURRECTED ON SUNDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK: Read Mark 16:1-2,6 1|After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. 2|Very early on Sunday morning, the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 6 And the Angel saith unto them, Be not affriad: I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: look at the place where they laid him. CONLUSION ___It is clear from the above 3 steps in the word of God (Mark 16:1-2) that Sunday is the first day of the week and Saturday is the seventh day of the week that God rested after creating the universe and commanded human beings to follow his example. You are therefore invited to joyfully follow God's example to rest on Saturday. By so doing you are obeying the command of God to show that God is the creator of the universe and to also show that Jesus Christ has saved you from everlasting death so you would not willfully disobey God's command again through the help of the Holy Spirit. In case you mustakenly disobey God's command , Jesus Christ is ready to forgive you if you ask for forgiveness. That is why, we worship God because He is our creator. We also worship God because he is our redeemer (savior from everlasting death). Angels on the other hand also worship God because He is the creator. Read Rev 4:10-11 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast CREATED all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Amen. Share it to bless others. For further explanation contact Tuah @ Berean Community Sventh-Day Adventist Church @ SCGC on +233595856551
Hypocrite kwaku baako.
I WILL ONLY ABOLISH E LEVY , ELECTRICITY TAX AND EMISSIONS TAX IF U AGREED TO VOTE FOR ME. You silence on E levy was deep. After series of demonstration by NDC to oppose this obnoxious tax u now want to be beneficiary . NANIAAMAAA WHAT A PRINCIPLE VICE PRESIDENT WE HAVE. HE HAS SOON FORGOTTEN THAT HE IS STILL VICE PRESIDENT TODAY AND HEAD OF ECONOMIC MISMANAGEMENT TEAM. GOVERNANCE ÌS NOT ABOUT EXPERIMENTATION OF LIVES OF GHANAIANS LET VOTE FOR LEADERS WHO WILL NOT GAMBLE WITH LIVES . WHERE WAS THE IMPOTENT ECONOMIST WHEN E LEVY DEBATE RAGES IN 2021. CAN YOU TRUST THIS FLIP AND FLOP LIAR. MY GOODNESS.