Aliu chosen as VP due to his Islamic faith - JAK

For the first time since assuming office, President John Agyekum Kufuor has explained why he chose Alhaji Aliu Mahama as his vice. President Kufuor told Sheikh Hassan Cisse, Senegalese National Chief Imam at a meeting at the Castle, Osu, on Monday that he chose Alhaji Mahama because of his Islamic religion among other factors.

He said he (the President), being a Christian felt that it was reasonable for him to have somebody from the Islamic community to be his running mate. According to the President, it was a wise political decision he took and a good strategy, which had brought about good results.

Basically, he said Ghana is made up of Christians and Muslims who have equal rights in everything in the country. He said the selection of Alhaji Mahama was to set the example that members of the two religious bodies could co-exist peacefully without any problem.

President Kufuor said he had never regretted choosing Alhaji Mahama as his vice since the two of them and the government had been able to achieve something good for the country within the relatively short period that they had been in office.

“We have lifted the country socially and economically in a way and we would try to do more,” he said. He said he and his vice would see the positive aspects of their religions to move the nation forward.

The President said the African continent was made up of the same people and stressed the need for unity to promote economic development. He said under no circumstance should the people of the continent allow factionalism to cause division, which had the potential to derail progress.