Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson Dafeamekpor  has rubbished a survey by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, referring to it as an armchair research.

The survey, conducted December 2017, in all 10 regions of the country with a sample size of 5000, chunked out 52.7% of the respondents saying they will retain the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in office if elections were conducted today.

Related: Majority of Ghanaians will retain NPP in gov't after 1-year in office- Survey

Only a marginal 33.1% of the respondents said they will bring back the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). 

But speaking to Joy News’ Roland Walker on the AM Show Thursday, Rockson Dafeamekpor who claimed to have been a research lecturer in time past, rubbished the findings of the survey, tagging it as an armchair research.

“…I am telling you that it can be done, I can sit in my room and churn out this easily…I am telling you that this is an armchair research,” he argued.

“Nobody should give credence to it because this government hasn’t done well," he added.

Mr. Dafeamekpor also argued that the ‘scatter diagram’ for the study should be made available for perusal by all and sundry.

“…where did you [the researchers] select them [respondents] from? Because if you select them from Eastern and Ashanti Region, you will get this response,” he said.

Methodology used for research

According to the Head of Political Science department of the University of Ghana, Dr. Bossman Asare, who led the research, the 5000 respondents were sampled in all ten regions.

Dr. Bossman Asare with AM Show's Mamavi Aboagye

The organisers selected 250 electoral areas with at least 18 constituencies believed to be NDC stronghold and 14 constituencies believed to be NPP stronghold. 

Dr. Asare said of the 5000 respondents, 56% of them said they voted for the NPP and 36% for the NDC in the 2016 elections. The outcome of the survey, therefore, points to some reduction of votes a year after the NPP reign and a similar reduction in votes as well for the NDC.

The respondents according to the report, found laudable policies such as the Free SHS programme and restoration of allowances for trainee teachers and nurses as well as the fight against galamsey, for which reason, they will retain the NPP.

Reaction

The NDC MP, however, took a jab at the Free SHS programme calling it a scholarship scheme for first years.

“All the funding for the Free SHS is going to the scholarship secretariat,” he said.

He also highlighted the fact that, second and final year students are not yet benefiting from the programme.