MUSINGS FROM AFAR By Dominic Yooku deGraft Aidoo Email Dominic: [email protected] “Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves.” (Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin current President of the Russian Federation) In Part 1 of my article published in the Ghanaian Chronicle on the 16/01/17, I began to explain in chronological order a list of major scandals during […]
The post NDC Lost The General Elections Because… (Part 2) appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.
MUSINGS FROM AFAR
By Dominic Yooku deGraft Aidoo
Email Dominic: [email protected]
“Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves.” (Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin current President of the Russian Federation)
In Part 1 of my article published in the Ghanaian Chronicle on the 16/01/17, I began to explain in chronological order a list of major scandals during President John Dramani Mahama’s (JDM) government that might have cost the National Democratic Party the December 7th General Election. I had earlier discussed the following scandals: Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), National Service Scheme, Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), The SMARTY’s 116 Metro Mass Transit Rebranding, The Adoption of Article 46A Amendments To The Protocol On The Statute Of The African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACHPR – This I believe was primarily signed to protect the political elite against acts of tyranny and crime against humanity), The “shady” Gift Of The $60,000 Ford Expedition Vehicle (from Burkinabe contractor Djibril Kanazoe), National Embarrassment ( The 2014 FIFA World Cup -$3m flown to pay the players in Brazil) and The allegation by the Northern Regional Chairman of the largest opposition party in Ghana, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) alleging that the President Mahama and his junior brother bribed him with a mind blowing Gh?3.3 million and a new V8 to tag Nana Addo as an anti-Northner.
This article is written in response to the actions of the former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) – Mr Afrifa Yamoah Ponko, MP for Ejisu/Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti region. He has been hopping from radio station to radio station maligning his colleagues and blaming them for the abysmal performance of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the December 7th General Election. Chief among these persons is the former Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Andy Osei Okrah. As already stated in my first article, many see honourable Andy Osei Okrah as among the few incorruptible persons within the National Democratic Congress Party. Andy Okrah was appointed with an impressive resume and a proven track record standing tall among his peers and his appointment was greeted by many political pundits as a step in the right direction towards cleaning up the mess in the NDC within the Ashanti Region. Afrifa’s actions in the wake of the NDC defeat have been interpreted by many as self- serving and desperation of a man running away from his own shadows.
Today I write to conclude the article on the remaining reasons why the NDC lost the December General Election. As always I write from my perspective.
The case of the Montie 3 presidential pardoned by John Dramani Mahama after being incarcerated by the Supreme Court Judges for criminal contempt may be yet another reason why the NDC lost in the December 7th General Election. Many saw the President’s action as an attempt by the Executive arm of Government to intimidate the Judiciary (Apex Court). The suspicion of many was confirmed when a member of the NDC legal Team (on the News File program) confirmed that the ‘real’ consideration that went into the pardon was nothing other than to appease NDC foot soldiers.
The sole Judgment Debt Commissioner appointed by President Mahama intimated in his report that the New Patriotic Party flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo may have caused financial loss to the state in the GNPC drill ship saga. Despite the willingness of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the man at the centre of the accusation to testify, he was denied the opportunity and humiliated without recourse to justice. In my opinion the die was cast the very day the report was released. Defeat as predicted by many, was inevitable.
The impunity in the Alfred Woyome scandal. The wanton disregard for the Court’s directive was clear for all to see. The twist and turn in the case and the obvious aloofness of the Attorney General to take firm decisive actions to retrieve the money wrongly paid to Alfred Wayome defied prudent logic and common sense. It was as though the mandate of the Attorney General was redefined as follows:
To be seen to be the protector of the state legal interest, and not to decisively act as the protector of the state legal interest”
The Ameri deal was another defining moment in the Mahama Presidency. I personally have not seen a contract generate so much controversy. Experts claimed the government paid over the tops for the electricity power generating turbines. It is purported that Ghana paid a massive 290 million dollars more. But like with all the scandals, the NDC government was defiant and aggressively defended the indefensible. Sadly, the ordinary Ghanaian citizen at the time was dying from curable diseases such as malaria which only cost pitting. With many unanswered question one will not be faulted to conclude that Ghana once again was raped of its scanty resources. Sadly, it seemingly appears this was done in connivance with those elected/appointed and entrusted with the responsibility to govern and protect the national purse. What a pity!
Some months leading to the December 7th General Elections, JDM had sworn never to reinstate the nursing training allowances. He made a turnaround at the eleventh hour, reneged on his vow and made the payment. This had far reaching consequences on his leadership, with many concluding that the President could not be trusted.
Ghana’s president strongly defended the government’s decision to allow two Yemenis freed from Guantanamo Bay to live in Ghana. Civil and religious groups in unison condemned the decision. JDM’S response was insensitive. His admonishing was that the ordinary Ghanaian was more likely to die in a road accident than at the hands of the Yemenis. The incensed justification from JDM only cemented his defeat.
Ghanaians will not forget the huge embarrassment during the 59th Independence Day celebration, with the president referring to HE Uhuru Kenyatta as the President of the Republic of Ghana. This blunder attracted international scorn and humiliation. That was not the only public humiliation though, the many spelling mistakes in the independence day brochure brought so much shame and humiliation not only to the people but also to friends of Ghana.
Ghanaians by nature revere men of God. Some of Ghana’s finest religious leaders such as Prof Rev Emmanuel Martey (former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church) and Pastor Mensah Otabil (founder and Head Pastor of International Central Gospel Church) suffered at the hands of the JDM administration. Their only crime was for speaking up against the corruption, ineptitude and political canker perpetuated by his government.
Even the NDC founding fathers were not spared the wrath of the Mahama Administration. The founding father, former President Rawlings was sarcastically described as an old man who needed a rest. Martin Amidu, another founding father of NDC and an anti-corruption campaigner was not spared either when he indicated that JDM was not interested in retrieving the moneys wrongfully paid to Alfred Woyome or fighting corruption. (We must be reminded that Mr Amidu single handedly, without state apparatus or support, secured the judgment in which Alfred Woyome was to refund the 51m cedis).
Civil Society groups such as Occupy Ghana and Let My Vote Count were tagged as pseudo National Patriotic Party (NPP) apparatus without any sensible or logical justification. Their crime was to speak up against the ills being perpetuated in Ghana. Some of Ghana’s esteemed and distinguished personality such as Ace Annan Ankomah (legal Practitioner and anti- Corruption Crusader) and Prof Stephen Adei (The former Rector of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration ) were not spared the onslaught either.
Ghana indeed was poised for change. Every living creature in Ghana foresaw the impending defeat of the NDC administration. The NDC were blinded. They had banked all hopes on the green book and positioned themselves to brand President Akufo-Addo as a violent man. The people of Ghana were to cast a verdict and the verdict was decisive and unambiguous.
The NDC must regroup and provide a reasonable and responsible opposition. The people of Ghana deserve it. The in-fighting and blame culture will only lead to self-destruction. Many pundits are stating that,
If indeed the party was founded on the tenets of probity and accountability then they failed Ghanaians woefully under the JDM leadership”. Posterity will be the ultimate judge”.
The NDC lost the General Election because of Impunity, Corruption and Lack of respect for the ordinary Ghanaian. The NDC must collectively, therefore, take the blame for their abysmal performance in the December, 2016 General Election.
Our founding Fathers would agree with me when I say that power indeed belongs to the people. They must exercise it when it matters most especially, when given an opportunity to effect a change through the ballot box.
The post NDC Lost The General Elections Because… (Part 2) appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.
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