Opinions of Monday, 5 November 2018

Columnist: Kwaku Badu

Ungrateful NDC keeps insulting memory of Mills

Late Atta Mills Late Atta Mills

Ex-President Mahama and his NDC operatives have been insulting memory of the late Mills by belittling his achievements in his three and half years stint in government.

Believe it or not, the late Mills pragmatically initiated and commenced the construction of social infrastructural projects and amenities, many of which were completed by former President Mahama following the demise of President Mills.

But despite the late Mills dint of effort, former President Mahama and his NDC supporters have egregiously failed to give him (Mills) any mention on NDC’s much touted infrastructural projects.

Suffice it to point out that Ex-President Mahama has bizarrely stencilled his name on all the projects to the utter dismay of Mills admirers.

If you may remember, the late President Mills met with fierce resistance on his decision to select John Dramani Mahama as his running mate for the 2008 general elections.

Nevertheless, the unwearied Mills defied the stiff opposition, stood by his then running mate John Dramani Mahama, worked collaboratively and emerged victorious in the 2008 general elections.

It must be noted that following his victory in the 2008 general elections, the late Mills did his utmost best and continued with the excellent economic foundation laid by former President Kufuor and his NPP government, until his sudden and somewhat mysterious death in July 2012.

Of course, the late Mills was not without foibles, for he was a descendant of old man Adam. And yet his light shone among a section of corrupt and villainous NDC apparatchiks.

Take, for example, it is on record that prior to the scandalous Wayome’s judgement debt payment of GH51.2 million, the late Mills warned the ‘create, loot and share’ cabals not to effect payment, and yet the conspiratorial plotters defied the good old Mills orders and doled out the staggering amount to Wayome, who had no contract with the government of Ghana.

Some insiders nonetheless insist that apart from the gargantuan corruption allegations that were bothering the late President Mills; he was also worried about the persistent shenanigans of his appointees, including the then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama.

And more so it was not only the late President Mills who was appalled about the Vice President John Dramani Mahama and other appointees shenanigans, other decent people in NDC like Mr. Martin Amidu showed concerns as well.

Take, for example, Mr Amidu has revealed that in 2010, he told the late President Mills and the then Chief of Staff that if the late President could advise his appointees to reduce corruption, abuse of office and arrogance for the remaining two years, the NDC would win the 2012 elections hands down.

Some observers, however, have been suggesting that there was a bad blood between the late Mills and his Vice President John Dramani Mahama.

The sceptics contend that if that was not the case, how on earth would a whole president set up a Committee to investigate his vice president over the acquisition of aircrafts from Brazil?

The critics thus maintain that the alleged feud between the late Mills and his Vice President Mahama may explain why after the death of Professor Mills, President Mahama impoliticly suggested: “God in his own wisdom has taken the old man, Professor Mills away to pave the way for youthful Mahama to take over the mantle”

What is more, following the demise of Mills, President Mahama went to the Northern Region and declared that it was about time ‘Northerners’ took over the mantle of Presidency, because they (Northerners) were fed up serving in the Vice Presidency post.

If the appalling treatment of the late Mills by the NDC faithful is anything to go by, then we can deduce that the enmity has continued up to this time.

It may explain why Ex-President Mahama and his supporters have obtrusively failed to give the late Mills any credit on the NDC’s much touted infrastructural projects despite the fact that the late Mills initiated the vast majority of the projects.

Indeed, President Mahama and his NDC apparatchiks blatantly refused to give the late Mills a mention in their green book which highlights their contestable accomplishments.

For if nothing at all, the late mills pragmatically put the loans contracted by former President Kufuor into good use, initiated the Volta Region University, the Eastern Corridor road, all the numerous water projects, amongst others. Regrettably, however, President Mahama has made them his own without giving credit to the late Mills. How bizarre?

As I stated elsewhere, the late Mills did his utmost best and improved the booming economy left by former President Kufuor and his NPP government.

Take, for example, former President Kufuor quadrupled Ghana’s GDP to a staggering $28 billion in 2008. While the late Mills inherited the discovery of oil in commercial quantities and managed to increase the GDP to $47 billion by 2011.

Unfortunately, however, President Mahama reversed the GDP to an incredible $40 billion as of October 2016.

Besides, the late Mills left an economic growth of around 14 per cent, but Mahama succeeded to asphyxiate the economic growth to an amazing 3.6 per cent.

Moreover, President Mills left an agricultural growth of around 7.4 per cent in 2012, while President Mahama reversed it to around 2.5 per cent as of October 2016.

It is also true that Ex-President Mahama could not hold on to the late mills “unprecedented” single digit inflation (15.8 as of October 2016).

Last but not least, the late Mills left a fairly stable currency exchange rate-it was around GH1.65 to 1 U.S Dollar in 2011. Disappointingly, exchange rate stood around GH4.20 to 1 U.S Dollar as of December 2016.

Believe it or not, the late Mills performed exceedingly better than President Mahama, so, for goodness’ sake, give him some credit and stop insulting his memory.

K. Badu, UK.

k.badu2011@gmail.com