Deputy Communications Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Kweku Boahen, has called on party members desist from defending Ibrahim Mahama, younger brother of former President John Mahama, since he is not a party member.

Mr. Mahama, though not a government appointee, had a bigger say in government operations including deciding who gets which contract and at what time under the erstwhile adminsitration. He is alleged to have cancelled contracts given to legitimate and qualified businesses during the NDC’s era, just because he did not have a good rapport with those people.

To even add insult to injury, he awarded to himself several contracts and despite the huge financial gains he made, he failed to pay taxes and worker contributions.

Currently embroiled in a tussle with the state over the acquisition of a mining license to prospect for bauxite at the Tano forest reserve in the Ashanti Region, he has found advocates in several NDC party communicators, who have persistently defended him and accused the Ashanti Regional Minister Samuel Osei Mensah and others of witch-hunting him.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo breakfast show on Wednesday, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, NDC’s Director of Elections, said the government is unnecessarily persecuting the younger Mahama purely for his business operations. According to him, an existing contract whether signed at midnight or not is still valid, though he concedes a new government can decide to look into it.

Equipment of Exton Cubic Group, a subsidiary of Engineers and Planners, have been confiscated by the regional minister who has indicated he is not ready to release them, despite pleads from colleague Minister Peter Amewu to do so.

But Mr. Boahen, who praised Mr. Osei Mensah for taking the action against the company, said he would have dismissed him if anything contrary had been done.

''If the Minister had not seized the equipment and I am the president, I will sack him. He did well by seizing the machines and demanding for documentation. That was the proper thing to do. He did no wrong and if anyone is aggrieved, he or she should provide the necessary documentation. He said leave the NDC out of this.”

He said the NDC communicators should allow Mr. Mahama and his colleagues to be speaking for themselves and not them, the party people. He said Ibrahim Mahama’s activities with the government were more of work he did for the brother, the former President, and not the party as an entity.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Nii Osah Mills, on December 29, 2016, entered into and granted Exton Cubic Group Limited mining leases to mine bauxite in different concessions for 21 and 18 years respectively.