General News of Saturday, 24 June 2017

Source: peacefmonline.com

Mahama administration ignored me - Nunoo-Mensah opens up

Brig. Gen. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, former National Security Advisor Brig. Gen. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, former National Security Advisor

Brig. Gen. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah a former National Security Advisor says he was sidelined in the then Mahama-led administration.

According to him, “I was just occupying the position”

Nunoo-Mensah is known to call a spade a spade especially as far as political issues are concerned. However, some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were not happy with his frankness.

Speaking on UTV’s Adekye Nsroma with Yaa Konama, Nunoo Mensah said even though he was criticised for his openness, he was determined to speak the truth no matter what.

National Security Advisor

Speaking on his position, he said even though he was the National Security Advisor, he was not consulted on national security issues.

Citing the Gitmo 2 case, he said the then-Mahama administration did not consult him before deciding to accept the detainees into the country.

“National security adviser; I was just occupying the position…I was not consulted on any issue and any advice I gave was ignored. I felt so bad; as if I was doing something wrong”

Good leadership

Nunoo Mensah also questioned the leadership skills of former President John Dramani Mahama. According to him, a good mark of a leader is to ‘carry everybody along’; a trait which was lacking in the then-Mahama administration.

“If a country will develop we need a good leader; someone who will carry everybody along and President Mills was doing that very well but things started deteriorating after his death. President Mahama didn't use the experienced, sensible ones"

Frustrations

The former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces also bemoaned the frustrations he faced in the Mahama administration

According to him, he was never happy with happenings in the then-Mahama administration.

“…the most painful thing is people who can be your children undermining and disrespecting you. I felt so bad. I wrote a lot of letters on issues like land guards and many issues to ministers but they didn’t mind me; nobody bothered to answer me…I decided that if President Mahama had won I was not coming back to work for him; I am aging and I needed to rest. I told him his (Mahama) decision to ignore the advice of his elders will cost him one day and that is what we are seeing. Akufo Addo should also learn a lesson. This country can be saved" he said.