[ 2017-02-02 ]

Thomas Kwesi Quartey, contested and won the position of Deputy Chairman of the AU Commission

How Akufo-Addo saved Mahama’s secretary
President Akufo-Addo has narrated how he helped to
secure victory for former Secretary to President
John Dramani Mahama in the recent election for
African Union (AU) top job during the just-ended
28th Summit of the AU.

Diplomat and former Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs under the erstwhile National Democratic
Congress (NDC) administration, Thomas Kwesi
Quartey, contested and won the position of Deputy
Chairman of the AU Commission (AUC).

But that did not come on a silver platter as he
himself has admitted and has since been thanking
President Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party
(NPP) government for the support offered him.

Quartey, who contested the election with five
others, was not certain of victory without the
backing of the new administration.

Revelations

At a meeting with the Ghanaian community in the
Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa Tuesday evening,
the president narrated how he defied even the
counsel of his own party faithful to throw his
weight behind Mr Kwesi Quartey.

Present at the meeting was Ghana’s Ambassador to
Ethiopia, Albert Yankey and members of the
mission; Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor
Botchwey; Secretary to the President, Nana Asante
Bediatuo; Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis
Asenso-Boakye; Minister-designate for Aviation,
Cecilia Dapaah and Minister-designate for
Information, Mustapha Hamid.

The rest included former Foreign Minister, James
Victor Gbeho; former National Security
Coordinator, Lt Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey and
former anti-corruption crusader whose subtle
defence of corruption under President Mahama
government made people to doubt his credibility,
Daniel Batidam.

Nana Akufo-Addo recalled that immediately after
the 2016 general election which saw him becoming
president, his predecessor, President Mahama,
informed him about the candidature of Mr Kwesi
Quartey, who was contesting as Deputy Chair of the
AU Commission.

Details

“I think he was a little bit hesitant; thinking
that his association with Quartey will put me
off,” Nana observed.

But when he [Mahama] told him and asked of his
view, President Akufo-Addo recalled telling then
President Mahama, “That’s a very good idea; I
know the man and I know his competence and I know
he is capable of the job and that he will fly the
flag of Ghana very high so I have no hesitation in
my mind the idea of supporting his
candidature.”

The president said when he told a few of his
colleagues [obviously referring to his party men],
“their responses were a little bit different;
the idea being that he has been deputy minister in
an NDC government; he has been Secretary to the
President.”

According to President Akufo-Addo, he could not
but stand his ground and supported the man,
claiming, “I said no; he is a Ghanaian and he
has the ability and we have to mobilise all the
talents; so I have no hesitation, I’m going to
tell the Foreign Minister-designate at that time
to make sure that our service here and around the
world is mobilized to support his candidature.”

Principle

That, he said, was due to the fact that “I’ve
never believed in uniformity of ideas…I don’t
believe that I’m president and everybody should
agree with me. No! I don’t think that’s
correct.”

Instead, he indicated, “I think we should have
our differences in opinion; what we need to do is
to as much as possible find a way of building
consensus so that the various opinions can
harmonise.”

He could not but thank Ambassador Victor Gbeho,
who went from country to country campaigning for
Kwesi Quartey, saying, “At least your work was
not in vain; it has been crowned with resounding
success. We are all grateful to you.”

Source - Dailyguideafrica.com

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