Mahama is refusing to be cured of ‘dead goat syndrome’ – Atik Mohammed

daniel russell

August 6, 2015 1:24 PM

President Mahama indicated he will not authorise any expenditure on wages not provided for in the budget for both workers and Article 72 office holders.

Atik Mohammed

Policy Analyst of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed, has said that President John Mahama’s public posture over the ongoing strike action by public sector doctors is an indication of how confused and ignorant he is about the medical professionals' concerns.

The Ghana Medical Association declared a strike action last Thursday after their negotiations with government hit a deadlock and have threatened to resign en bloc if their demands are not met.

But President Mahama addressing members of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association at the launch of their 80th anniversary in Accra stated that, “any agreements that are reached in respect of allowances or conditions of services would have to be appropriately captured in the budget.And I want to say with emphasis, I will not authorize any expenditure on wages and compensation not provided for in the budget."

These comments by the president have taken centre stage in public discussions.

Atik Mohammed speaking on Peace FM’s morning show, stated that President Mahama exposed how confused he was about the doctors’ industrial action because the demands of the doctors are meant to be effective in 2016 and not this year.

“They are not saying you should pay them from now, or with retrospective effect. They want these conditions of service effective next year but the President clearly appears not to know this fact. You returned from Botswana claiming you had a dead goat syndrome, but I expected some of these same doctors you are speaking against to cure you of the disease, but you never wanted your condition cured and now it is having an effect on your governance,” he said.

According to Atik Mohammed, President Mahama should not have made such comments.

“For this to come from the president is so unfortunate. He is responsible for any life that is lost in this strike period by doctors,” he said.

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daniel russell