An aggrieved member of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nii Kpakpo Samoah, says one of the biggest problems that brought President John Dramani Mahama’s empire crushing was the absence of courageous people around him.

He strongly believes if there had been courageous and outspoken people around the Ghanaian leader as it happened during the previous administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under John Agyekum Kufuor, President Mahama’s empire would have lasted for another four-year term.

The courageous and outspoken people, he noted, would have been blunt with the truth and tell the President whether he is failing or still have the Ghanaian people following him.

“The President lacked courageous people around him. That was his problem. In Kufuor’s regime, he had people who could speak up their mind without fear of any consequences. Somebody like Kennedy Agyepong you can’t buy him off. Any political party must have people who can speak their mind. If you don’t, that is the problem. As for the praise singers, they will always be around and because they think about themselves, they will not tell you the truth,” he noted.

He added “We have more political bootlickers in our system than people who can be able to speak up. That is where the problem is. But once you are able to speak up, some people think that you are showing gross disrespect and they will try to bring you down.”

Mr. Samoah made this observation in an interaction with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Thursday.

His comment was in response to the defeat suffered by the NDC in the December 7, 2016, general elections.

Commenting further, the NDC activist said he regrets the way the executive and the party machinery handled the former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Martin Amidu, when he came out publicly to criticise the government of which he was an appointee.