The controversy sparked by Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, with assertion that former President Mahama’s government had been an ‘Animal Farm’ in which NDC faithful sacrificed while outsiders benefited, is refusing to die off.
Mr Abubakari Moro, the Prestea Huni valley NDC Treasurer who came out to strongly back Mr Bagbin reiterated the point that indeed “monkeys worked and baboons came to chop” when Mahama was President.
Mr Moro, popularly called Oldman Bayor was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the performance of the party also named some of the ‘party outsiders’ to prove the point that indeed they were given privileges by former President Mahama to reap where they had not sown.
“When Mr Alban Bagbin said Mahama’s government had been an animal Farm, where outsiders benefited more than party faithful, he had been charitable with the truth. Former President Mahama actually presided over a situation where opponents from other parties, who had not fought with us in the trenches came to get juicy appointments while party faithful were ignored.
“Mahama’s Animal Farm was that; NDC worked for he; Mahama, who then shared the goodies with others,” Oldman Bayor said.
Specifically, he pointed out that Mr Alhassan Azong, former Minister of State at the Mahama Presidency had been the PNC’s sitting Member of Parliament for Builsa South when President Mahama gave him the appointment.
He also pointed out that Dr Sulley Gariba, who he made Senior Policy Coordinator at the Presidency and Dr Raymond Atuguba, who had been Executive Secretary to President Mahama, were not known NDC members.
“Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, who was head of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna whom John Mahama appointed as Food and Agriculture Minister were both also not known NDC stalwarts,” Oldman Bayor pointed out.
Oldman Bayor reiterated Mr Bagbin’s point that many appointees in the erstwhile Mahama government were outsiders who had come in to reap where they had not sown.
“The likes of former Gender Minister, Nana Oye Lithur, former Education Minister, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, former Presidential Staffers, Stan Dogbe and Dr. Clement Apaak, Former Chief of Staff Prosper Douglas Bani are all ‘outsiders’.