Deputy Communications Director for the opposition NPP, Sammy Awuku says the recent nationwide blackout is a test run by the NDC as part of the party’s plans to rig the 2012 elections. According to Sammy Awuku, the government will be embarking on this nationwide blackout throughout the year, and it will be more frequent during the election period so they can disrupt the voting process and manipulate figures submitted to the EC. Contributing to discussions on Dwaso Nsem on Wednesday, Sammy Awuku claimed that if the electorate have been used to a year of blackouts, it is not likely they would question a blackout during the election period. He has therefore called for a halt to the current nationwide lights off and served notice that the NPP will be vigilant in the December polls to avoid election malpractices. He noted that the ‘incompetence’ of the NDC government is visible to every Ghanaian because it has brought untold hardship to the ordinary Ghanaian. Sammy Awuku also wondered why the Chief Executive Officer of the country will go and a buy a ball of Kenkey with a whole presidential convoy. He said it seems the plight of parents who cannot pay their wards’ school fees are not important to the president, but going to the market to buy Kenkey in order to score political points appear to be his priority. But the Spokesperson for the Vice President, John Jinapor dismissed Samuel Awuku’s claims as mere propaganda by the NPP, adding his (Awuku’s) comments indicates how frustrated the opposition is and how desperate it is to come back to power. Responding to Sammy Awuku’s claims that President Mills only wanted to score cheap political points with his visit to the markets Tuesday, John Jinapor said the President did not go just to buy a ball of kenkey but he wanted to ascertain the prices of goods and services. In a related development, John Jinapor disclosed that he has officially ended the hunger strike he embarked on last weekend. The hunger strike was to protest the suspension of Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM last week. John Jinapor decided not to take food or water when the program was suspended temporarily following near clashes between supporters of both the NPP and NDC when NPP supporters stormed Asempa FM to protest against what they said were verbal abuses against their party’s flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo. He said he had rescinded his decision because the program was back on air. John Jinapor noted that in a democratic dispensation, various views should be tolerated irrespective of one’s political affiliation and said he was grateful to Multimedia Group Limited, owners of Asempa FM, for ensuring that the program has come back on air.