[ 2016-11-16 ]

Mahama so 'corrupt', JJ, Tsikata've ditched him: Ocquaye
President John Mahama is corrupt to the extent
that stalwarts of the governing National
Democratic Congress (NDC), including party founder
and former President Jerry John Rawlings, do not
find it wise to associate with him, former Second
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Prof Mike Ocquaye has
said in an article titled: “Mahama, Fix Your
‘Silently’ Divided Party, Leave Akufo-Addo
Alone.’

“The fractured face of the NDC, largely
emanating from Mahama’s corruption, has
separated him from ex-President Rawlings, Mrs
Rawlings, Captain Kojo Tsikata, Mr Martin Amidu,
and several others. Due to Mahama’s corruption
and penchant for transforming the lives of his
friends and families to the exclusion of the rest,
the NDC is divided today! Mahama heal thyself,”
the former Dome-Kwabenya MP said.

Prof Ocquaye has advised the president to focus
his energies in addressing the challenges facing
the country rather than attacking the NPP and its
flag bearer.

Below is his full article:

MAHAMA, FIX YOUR ‘SILENTLY’ DIVIDED PARTY,
LEAVE AKUFO-ADDO ALONE

An article BY PROF. MIKE OQUAYE

President John Dramani Mahama has nothing good for
Ghanaians. Under his watch, Ghana has slumped to
its lowest nemesis under democratic rule. While
corruption envelopes us, our economy is in the
doldrums, registering this year the lowest growth
rate in 22 years. President Rawlings took Ghana to
a higher level than he met it. President Kufuor
took Ghana to a much higher level than he
inherited. President Mahama has gotten the world
asking perplexingly: what happened to Ghana? Proud
Ghana under Kufuor is a pitiful plight under
Mahama.

All contracts have been inflated and as
individuals enriched themselves, Ghana suffered.
The loan agreement before Parliament last month
for the Eastern Region University that included
putting up three houses for three senior
administrators of the school at the cost of $2
million each on a land already acquired and paid
for epitomizes the naked stealing of state funds
that represents the Mahama leadership. I mean how
can building three houses for public servants cost
the state GH¢24 million?

But, so low has John Mahama brought the standards
of leadership that he invited the country Monday
night to celebrate the commissioning of the only
major interchange his government has been able to
start and complete in 8 years. One supposes that
if President Kufuor had exercised the kind of
vainglory Mahama enjoys and put disco lights on
the Mallam Interchange, Ghana would have been
‘Dubai’ a few years earlier than this week.

If governance was indeed all about tax, borrow,
spend to loot then any dullard without any blood
of patriotism, compassion and integrity running
through his veins can surely lead a nation. Sadly,
‘tax, borrow, spend to loot’ seems to be the
ideology called Mahamaism.

But, having failed woefully and facing the
electoral wrath of the Ghanaian people, Mahama is
desperate and sees maligning Akufo-Addo the only
flicker of hope to holding on to power. He merely
engages in baseless attacks on Nana Addo.
President Mahama alleges that there is division in
the NPP because of the suspension of 3 senior
officers; that Akufo-Addo is responsible for the
suspensions. Furthermore, Nana has been unable to
unite the party because he is dictatorial.
President Mahama asks: “If he cannot unite his
own party, how can he unite the Nation?”

From the day he launched his campaign in Cape
Coast in August 2016 till now, this has been
Mahama’s credo. It is as if, he was given a
specific tip for an exam paper and on the day of
the paper he finds out to his disappointment that
the question he banked all his hopes on is not
listed and he has not studied for any other
question so he proceeds to answer with the only
thing he knows and for which he has prepared. On
Monday, 7 November at Obuasi, followed by Anweaso
in Adansi Asokwa, the President went to great
length, asking the electorate to reject Nana
Akufo-Addo because of the so-called divisions. So
reckless was he that he said Akufo-Addo would
remove chiefs if elected when a president should
know the basic fact that nobody has the power to
do so under the 1992 Constitution. The President
either does not know the Constitution or he simply
does not care. No wonder he freed the Muntie 3.

First, it should be said in crystal clear terms:
NANA IS LEADING A UNITED PARTY. President John
Agyekum Kufuor, who is obviously in a lot of
discomfort can still be seen with his walking
stick mounting campaign platform to support Nana
Akufo-Addo’s bid. Where is President Jerry John
Rawlings, one may ask? The NPP is as united as any
truly united opposition party focused on winning
power must be. Nana Akufo-Addo became leader after
being elected by 94.34% of the nearly 135,000
delegates in a contested race of what was then the
largest electoral college in Africa’s democratic
history! Notably, all those who contested him,
Hon. Alan Kyeremateng, Hon. Addai Nimo, Hon. Joe
Ghartey, Hon. Dr. K.K. Apraku, Hon. Osei Ameyaw
and Hon. Asamoah Boateng are all with him
campaigning! How can a leader with such an
overwhelming delegates support and who embraces
all his opponents be said to be leading a divided
party? Akufo-Addo is a politician who has shown to
be a unifying team player, when he lost to Kufuor
in 2008, when he worked as a cabinet minister
under Kufuor and when he competed against 16
others in 2008. Again, every willing soul in the
NPP is involved in the battle to wrestle power
from the incompetent NDC. Elders, women, men,
youth, students et al. The NPP today is an
admirable whole, that has come out of very testing
moments to show to a suffering nation that it is
an alternative government ready and prepared for
power.

Now let us turn the focus on the National
democratic Congress a bit. The President who could
stand the thought of being challenged has the
temerity to accuse his opponent who has faced four
separate fields of contestants for the
presidential nomination of his party as rather
intolerant. NDC, led by John Mahama, refused the
nomination of Mr. George Boateng to challenge
President Mahama as NDC presidential candidate for
2016, declaring the potential challenger as
“mad” and sacking the accountant who dutifully
gave the aspirant nomination forms.

In 2012, President John Mahama contested
Akufo-Addo with his party’s Deputy General
Secretary, Kofi Adams, under suspension and Vice
Chairperson leaving to form her own party. Yet,
Nana Akufo-Addo did not see the need in using that
to accuse the President of leading a divided
party. The fractured face of the NDC largely
emanating from Mahama’s corruption, have
separated him from ex-President Rawlings, Mrs.
Rawlings, Captain Kojo Tsikata, Mr. Martin Amidu,
and several others. Due to Mahama’s corruption
and penchant for transforming the lives of his
friends and families to the exclusion of the rest,
the NDC is divided today! Mahama heal thyself.

Mahama has woefully alienated E.T. Mensah, Dr.
Kwabena Adjei (former National Chairman), Cletus
Avoka (former Majority Leader), Kwame Peprah and
several others who have all become indifferent to
President Mahama’s re-election campaign, and are
just waiting for “the Mahama plane” to crash!
The President’s divisive undermining of Hon.
Alban Bagbin and his presidential efforts to stop
Bagbin’s return to Parliament depicts a house
divided against itself. The Mahama “government
of family and friends” who have looted without
end will not survive Election 2016 and several
good people in the NDC are even afraid of a Mahama
re-election. To them, if his tenure can be this
corrupt in a term that ends with an opportunity
for re-election, then what will restrain him if
re-elected to do a final term?

Second, it is a misconception of the internal
mechanisms of the NPP to suggest in the least that
the Party is only doing the bidding of one man,
Nana. That is an insult to the intelligence,
honour, and self-esteem of the freedom-loving
members of the Party. Indeed, Nana was NOT even
part of the process that led to the suspension. On
the contrary, Nana had earlier participated in
several conciliatory meetings to appease everyone.
It worked but for those who mean well.

Third, the process leading to the suspension of
the three (3) National Officers was the collective
will of the NPP and came after very serious
deliberations, and in line with our Constitution
and due process. The National Disciplinary
Committee comprising eminent people investigated,
thoroughly, the charges against these officers,
gave them the opportunity to defend themselves,
and in the end unanimously recommended their
indefinite suspension to the National Executive
Committee (NEC). The NEC also unanimously upheld
the recommendations. The National Council approved
same overwhelmingly.

Fourthly, the NPP is a party whose democratic
credentials can never allow internal dictatorship.
This is the heroic tradition which fought British
imperialism and subsequently domestic
dictatorship. It is a party that has survived
adversity, including having its leaders thrown
into jail with some dying in detention and
enduring decades in opposition and hibernation.
Danquah, Obetsebi-Lamptey, Amponsah Dadzie,
Dzenkle Dzewu et al perished in the struggle for
freedom. Busia, Ashie Nikoi, Attoh Okine and
others landed in exile. Paa Willie Ofori-Atta,
S.D. Dombo, R.R. Amponsah, Modesto Apaloo, Victor
Owusu, Joe Appiah, S.G. Antor, B.K .Adama, Adam
Amandi, Henry Thompson, K.Y. Attoh, Attoh Quarshie
and several faithfuls exchanged the comfort of
their homes for prison. These men would not be
cowed even by President Nkrumah. It is this
tradition of patriotic endurance and commitment to
Project Ghana that drives our principled leader,
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Let us tell the world: Nana is popular in the NPP
because he subjects himself to discipline.
Recently, when Nana Akufo-Addo spearheaded
affirmative action in the parliamentary primaries,
urging the Party not to allow incumbent female MPs
to be challenged except by another female member,
he had to submit to the objections of the rank and
file. The proposal, which had been approved by the
National Executive Committee, was so unpopular
with the Party’s members that the National
Council had to be called to review it. The party
went against the wishes of its Flagbearer. He took
it as the democratic that he is.

A former National Chairman, Mr. Harona Esseku, was
suspended from office. He accepted his fault and
is today in very good active standing. This same
Harona Esseku one time proposed for President
Kufuor to be the ‘leader’ of the party, and
the party rejected it. NPP is a party that is so
conscious of dictatorship that the constitution is
silent on the word ‘leader’. The day to day
running of the party is placed in the hands of the
Steering Committee; not the Chairman; not the
General Secretary; not the Flagbearer.

The NPP has shown that no ONE, including the
Flagbearer, and irrespective of status, position
and age, is above the law! And that when voted
into power, corruption, lawlessness and thievery,
rampant in the Mahama government will be dealt
with at all levels. Mahama shields corrupt
ministers, Woyome and others.

Ours is a party that believes in the rule of law
and acts in accordance with same. The three men
who were suspended, two of them took the case to
court challenging the procedure and on both
occasions the court, different judges, ruled in
favour of the party. In one of the cases, the
judge, Justice Anthony Yeboah echoed: “… The
plaintiff’s action must fail; the procedure
resulting in the indefinite suspension of the
plaintiff is lawful, just and fair and it is
hereby adjudged accordingly”. We wish to advise
President Mahama to find time to study the
judgment and educate himself and his party that
justice was done and STOP his futile and ignorant
meddling.

The awkward attempt sponsored by Mahama to
interpret the NPP Constitution upside down, which
created undue problems has been HALTED by the
Court. Mahama should decently shut up.
Since the matter was dealt with lawfully, there
has been absolute peace in the NPP, and the
regular leakage of NPP materials and information
has also stopped entirely! The constant
“invasion” of our Party Headquarters by the
Police, so-called “National Security”
Operatives and thugs have also ceased! What is
President Mahama’s problem? Was he banking his
re-election on sponsoring a divided NPP?

Disunity within NDC

President Mahama and his NDC have accused Nana
Akufo-Addo of dictatorship and presiding over a
disunited party because of the suspension of Mr.
Afoko and others. Listen to the pot calling the
silverware dark! Mahama and his NDC should explain
the following:

• Mahama, as the leader of the NDC, has recently
arbitrarily dismissed three MPs from the Party
without a hearing. 20 other key members have been
dismissed without any hearing whatsoever. Mahama,
paddle your own canoe.

• The breakaway of the wife of NDC’s founder,
who was a serving Vice Chairman of the party, to
form the NDP. She has accused President Mahama of
stealing and corruption.

• The arbitrary, indefinite suspension of their
former General Secretary, Dr. Josiah Aryeh.

• The manhandling of their National Chairman Dr.
Obed Asamoah, who resigned to form the DFP.

• The assault and on-the-spot dismissal of
Frances Assiam as the National Women’s Organiser
who joined Dr. Obed Asamoah to form the DFP.

• The breakaway of Goosie Tanoh and Kyeretwie
Opoku, who formed the Reform Party.

• The resignation of Mr. Kwaku Baah as the
former National Vice Chairman of the NDC.
• The resignation of Mr. Bede Ziedeng as the
Deputy General Secretary of the NDC.

• The suspension of Mr. Kofi Adams as Deputy
General Secretary.

• The officer who issued the form was dismissed.
When is President Mahama going to pardon his
rival, instead of the Muntie 3?

• A District Chief Executive in the Volta Region
was brutally murdered after some disturbances
within the NDC in his district. No one has been
arrested for this murder.

• Fighting the Majority Leader for speaking
against Mahama’s corrupt “government of family
and friends”. Mahama is fighting Bagbin today to
push the latter out of Parliament. The NDC is
enduring but silent turmoil, which we expect would
explode after December, when Ghanaians finally bid
him and his party farewell.

Between Nana Akufo-Addo and President Mahama, who
is presiding over a “disunited” Party? At
least we know that no one has left or been forced
to leave the NPP to form a new political party,
whilst out of the NDC at least 3 political
parties, Reform, DFP and NDP have emerged out of
the arbitrary intimidation, suspensions, attacks
and dismissals in the NDC; as well as corruption
which many, including President Rawlings, have
complained vehemently about. President Mahama, if
disunity is the issue, then you are on your way
OUT.

Hugely disappointed with the failure of Mahama to
sabotage the NPP’s machinery for “Change in
2016”, Mahama and his “new” NDC have
resorted to vile propaganda to preach untruths
about Nana Akufo-Addo. As for the Vice-President,
he can only get any credibility by answering at
length, the concrete economic issues raised by Dr.
Bawumia and not by blindly following Mahama on the
so-called NPP division.

Conclusion

President Mahama owes us one main duty – give us
an account by way of the cost of every project and
all the monies borrowed which Ghanaians yet unborn
will pay. That is the real accountability pathway!
How can Ridge Hospital renovation coat $306
million when Dangote built a brand new 1,000 bed
hospital for $12.3 million! Only you will rent a
power barge for $530 million when outright
purchase globally of same specification is $220
million. How can you forbid the Attorney-General
to get the Woyome GH¢51 million back for Ghana?
Is it because your party directly benefited from
the loot?

Mr. Mahama, stop chasing straw and answer issues
on the following: SADA, GYEEDA, WOYOME, SUBAH,
WATERVILLE, ISOFOTON, C.P. DVLA, EMBRAER PLANE,
Bus Branding, Brazil World Cup Saga, serious
violation of the Procurement Act, etc. You have
conveniently shut your eyes and closed your ears
to wanton questionable acquisition of wealth and
properties by members of your family, government
and NDC party activists who have seen their lives
transformed into billionaires overnight. Ghanaians
are not unaware of all these, Mr. President. No
amount of diversionism can change that.

You say you want debate? Debate all Ghanaians by
explaining how you have destroyed Ghana with
unprecedented corruption and wrecked the hope of
the young people. While global oil prices have
fallen over 100% since 2009, why have petrol price
gone from GHc3.00 (2008) to GHc16.00 (2016). Is
this how to reduce petrol prices drastically?

Mr. President go to issues and stop the rigmarole!

Source - Classfmonline

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