Ghanaian actor, Prince David Osei has asked His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo and his government to find another way of recouping monies lost on freebies during the lockdown period.

Last year during the Covid-19 lockdown in April, President Nana Akufo-Addo stated in his sixth address to the nation that the government will fully cover the bills of low-income consumers of electricity and water in the country for April, May and June 2020. Many electric companies have welcomed the directive from the President.

“We have decided further measure of mitigation for Ghanaians for the next three months… Government will fully absorb electricity bills for the poorest of the poor, i.e: lifeline consumers. This will cover persons who consume 0 to 50-kilowatt hours per month for this period. This forms part of relief interventions by the state amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Other categories of consumers will enjoy a 50 percent discount within the same period. For all other consumers, residential and commercial, the government will absorb 50 percent of your electricity bill for this period using your March 2020 bill as the benchmark,” he noted.

In his 21st address to the nation,  Akufo-Addo announced an extension of the relief on electricity and water.

“With the continuing difficulties occasioned by the pandemic, I want to state that government intends to continue to support the most vulnerable in our society. Government will, thus, continue to pay the electricity bills for our nation’s one million active lifeline customers for the next three months, i.e. January, February and March.”

However, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has indicated that Ghanaians will have to pay for the free provision of water and electricity introduced by the government in 2020 as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Reacting to the news on his Instagram page, Prince David Osei who campaigned massively for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win the elections in 2020 stated that Akufo-Addo’s u-turn on the free electricity and water makes those who campaigned for him based on that to look “mindless.”

“If we campaigned for #4morefornana to do more on the premise of free water and electricity during the pandemic and we turn around to tax the people, then it makes some of us who championed the course look mindless,” he shared on instagram.

He also urged the President to find another way to recover the monies lost on the freebies.

“Pls, Mr President I believe in you! There can be another way of recuperating the money lost other then citizens paying for the free usage of water and electricity you affectionately offered to them.. Thank You @nakufoaddo ❤️,” he wrote.

See his post below:

 

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A post shared by H.E PRINCE DAVID OSEI (@princedavidosei)