Charged, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has set the tone for Elections 2024, calling on Ghanaians not to “let the NPP walk away with their stolen money in 2024.” He made the statement during a tour in the Upper East Region to thank the people, especially the electorate, for the massive vote results in his support from the region.
“The NPP has no intention of fighting corruption, and so the only way they can be made to account to the people of Ghana is for them to leave office so that the new government will come and audit them, and show where they have gone wrong.
Otherwise, all the money they have stolen, they will just walk away with it,” said President John Dramani Mahama to the crowd in the region which came out to receive him. It appears, the NPP was stung by this posturing from HE Mahama, who has been described as Mr Nice by his critics.
On August 26, 2021, a few days after His Excellency Mahama made the statement, the NPP hurriedly cobbled together a press conference in a swift response. The press statement was read by NPP General Secretary, John Boadu. He used the first part of his statement to make arguments in favour of Elections 2020 and the ruling by Supreme Court in a petition challenging the results, calling the elections “successful” and the Supreme Court ruling, “emphatic.”
Subsequently, in the next paragraphs, the NPP scribe struggled to make excuses for the government, which has failed to appoint MMDCEs, an important leg of the decentralisation process of governance and a tenet for deepening democracy.
Also, he was quick in his statement, to use covid-19 pandemic as an excuse for the poor economic performance of the country under the Akufo-Addo government, falling short of an address on raised issues concerning several scandals surrounding covid-19 lockdown expenses, covid-19 vaccines and related procurements and covid-19 testing at KIA, which have rocked the government, since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
Available statistics, however disagree with the assertion by John Boadu on the use of covid-19 pandemic as a cover for the poor performance of the domestic economy by government; but not entirely ruling out its negative impact on the global economy. Countries with prudent management of the economy prior to the pandemic, have posted growth, says the statistics.
Corrupt governments, on the contrary, are quick to play victim and point the pandemic out as responsible for abysmal performance. Economists and international rating agencies, in published statements, also warned government about the dangers of borrowing for consumption, when covid-19 pandemic was nowhere near the radar.
Before the pandemic, Akufo-Addo was heavily criticised for the appointment of 125 Ministers of State and a humongous size of hangers-on as presidential staffers at the Office of the President. He was also reminded of the consequences of certain policy decisions such as the handling of free SHS, the financial sector cleanup and the clamp on Illegal mining.
The clumsy handling of all the above with no easy or definite end to such policy decisions on these key enumerated sectors of the domestic economy has increased deficits in unemployment, lowered incomes and locked up funds belonging to construction and supply contractors and other depositors and investors.
If indeed, government has cause to believe in the mounted spirited defence using covid-19 pandemic as cover, it will have been mindful and come up with certain austere measures to cut unnecessary government expenditures. In a repeated violation in overstepping the boundaries of privileges of his office, Akufo-Addo, once again, has leased the services of a private luxury jet in his recent visits abroad to the UK and Germany at the expense of hard-pressed taxpayers, whilst a procured presidential jet sat on the tarmac at the Ghana Airforce Base.
One statement in the press conference addressed by John Boadu, which kept repeating itself, is the assertion that, “He [referring to HE John Mahama] is still in a campaign mood, stopping at nothing at firing salvos and peddling lies at the current President and the NPP government. We are really not worried about his distractions because our President is focused on delivering the public good.”
Meanwhile, Akufo-Addo is on record to have called on the electorate to vote for his successor, a few months after taking office and failing to put the needed appointments in place to deliver his mandate to the people. Akufo-Addo criticised His Excellency Mahama heavily during his time in office, cautioning him to think of the next generation and not the next elections. In office today, Akufo-Addo is doing precisely the opposite of what he Akufo-Addo told HE Mahama not to do, whilst critical sectors have gone neglected, since assuming office on January 7, 2021.
The press conference statement tried vainly to talk about any significant development that has taken place in the newly created regions. John Boadu admits a few projects have been delivered, but by then goes on with a winding list of a lineup of earmarked projects which haven’t even begun. Instead of responding directly to accusations levelled by HE Mahama on corruption against the Akufo-Addo government, John Boadu takes a swipe at him over accusations the NPP government has failed to prosecute since taking office from January 7, 2017.
On August 30, 2021, Sammy Gyamfi Esq, the National Communications Officer, NDC, held a press conference at the party’s headquarters, Adabrakah-Accra, to respond to matters arising from the NPP’s held press conference on August 26, 2021 and read by John Boadu. It is clear from this back and forth, that HE John Dramani Mahama has indeed stirred the hornets nest. And if this trend continues, corruption is likely to lead the conversation to Elections 2024. Much to the chagrin of Akufo-Addo admirers and apologists, Ghana is currently competing with two countries lying at the bottom of the corruption perception index league.
By Cadre Shmuel Ja’Mba Abm
