Shaming Corrupt African Leaders - Mahama, NPP’s Target

-To equalize Kufuor’s tainted record

Have you thought of why members of the opposition New Patriotic Party at the least opportunity try to desperately but fruitlessly allege dishonesty against President John Dramani Mahama in order to portray his administration as filthy corrupt?

The reason is very simply, members of the biggest opposition party are scouring for ways to equalize the horrid sleaze record of their ‘most successful’ leader of all time and former President, John Agyekum Kufuor.

Realizing former President Kufuor is still lonely in the corruption index bracket even after two Presidents succeeded him, NPP members have embarked on an aggressive search for another corruption tainted President to “partner” ex-president Kufuor.

Having failed woefully to get former President Rawlings and late President Mills to Mr Kufuor’s corruption zone, members of the NPP have changed course and are now desperately trying to get President John Mahama as a ‘dishonest friend’ for the most successful leader of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition.

Former President Jerry Rawlings’ recent proclamation and challenge that he has never been corrupt in his whole life and that makes him one of Africa’s cleanest leaders to have served as Head of State is said to have further imposed undue pressures on the opposition New Patriotic Party to be in dire search for a corrupt ‘partner’ for Mr Kufuor.

“I will dare you to go and line up some of your finest policemen, some of your finest heads of state, some of your finest judges. Make any allegations against me. Whatever questions you want to ask; take me through a chemical interrogation. I will be the one who will pass. I wonder how many of you will pass,” Boastful Rawlings recently dared.

This statement is said to be eating up Mr Kufuor and his NPP who are said to have vowed to intensify the corruption campaign charges against an ‘innocent and clean’ President John Mahama, to get him by hook or crook in that bracket.

Sources close to former President Kufuor disclosed to this paper that the NPP tried their best but failed woefully to paint Rawlings and Mills with corruption brush, adding “but for Mahama, we will make sure we bestow on him the corruption title.”

Unlike former President Kufuor who was reported directly involved in some shady and corrupt deals when he was Head of State, former Presidents Rawlings, the late Mills and President John Mahama, though may have reported cases of corruption cases under their administrations, they have not been directly linked to any underhand deal whiles in office.

Prominent cases of sleaze reported under the administration of former President Kufuor were directly linked to him and among them included, the infamous purchase of Hotel “Waawaa”, his alleged sexual escapade with Gizel Yaji and the Macmillan contract that led to the sacking of Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo as Education Minister among others were all scandals that then President Kufuor was directly linked to.

The most revealing corruption news in former President Kufuor’s government was when the then Chairman of the NPP, Mr Haruna Esseku announced to the whole world that he (President Kufuor) had turned the seat of government into kickback collection center and that he (Kufuor) was the treasurer.

Like the NPP government, past and present NDC governments cannot be exonerated from reported cases of corruption, however, in the latters’ administrations there was no evidence of any of the Presidents’ complicity in those scandals.

This has remained a nightmare for the NPP who have decided to engage in all means possible to ensure President Mahama does not escape their corruption tag.