General News of Sunday, 8 January 2023

Source: Richard Asamoah, Contributor

Mahama has nothing to offer Ghana - Stephen Ashitey

Former President John Dramani Mahama Former President John Dramani Mahama

A former executive of the Tema East Constituency branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Stephen Ashitey Adjei, has reiterated that former President John Mahama is a spent force in politics.

In latest commentary on national affairs, Moshake as Mr. Ashitey Adjei is affectionately called, averred Mr. Mahama, consequently, cannot be looked up to as a resourceful person who can be trusted to provide solutions to the country’s problems.

“Whatever Mr. John Mahama has to offer has been offered -  we saw him give us what he has when he was in office as Vice President and later as President,” Moshake wrote.

He declares therefore that, “John Mahama really has nothing to offer Ghana beyond what he offered when he was president.”

Moshake made the reiteration in a post on social media over the weekend. The statement comes as the NDC prepares to hold its presidential primary in a few months time.

Mr. Mahama was president from 2012 to 2016 when he lost power to current president Nana Akufo-Addo.

His days in office were some of the most remarkable in the history of Ghana’s Fourth Republic with Ghana’s perennial electricity problem, notoriously known as ‘dum sor’ punctuating much of the administration.

Mr. Mahama also made some controversial decisions, including canceling teacher and nursing trainee allowances while allowing the then opposition, NPP brand him as an incompetent leader.

The Mahama government was also characterized by a chaotic relationship between himself and, with the Founder of his party the NDC, late former President Jerry Rawlings.

According to Moshake, “whatever Mahama has to offer can be gleaned from what he did in the past and what he did in the past was nothing extraordinary. Therefore, any bid from him to become president again must to be seen through the lense of his past days in office.”

And for Moshake, this assessment of Mr. Mahama is especially important for the NDC to do because the man is seeking to lead the party again.

“NDC must not forget the neglect we suffered when Mahama was president – how party faithful were abandoned, how pro-NDC media collapsed while Mahama’s office gave adverts to NPP newspapers like Daily Guide, how the grassroots members roamed jobless while outsiders like Raymond Atuguba and Nayong Billiejoe were given ministerial appointments. This is what Mahama will offer again if we make him our leader and he wins to become president.”

Moshake also points out that if Mahama wins to become president again, he will only have four years in office. “in four years there is nothing meaningful that any president can do.”

“the NDC must shun John Mahama and elect the learned economist, a business tycoon, a polished gentleman, a trustworthy person and a God-fearing material in the person of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor as flagbearer for 2024, what I admire about Dr. Duffuor is that, there are no corruption and incompetent tags around his neck and he is liked by many Ghanaians.” moshake concluded.