...Many Troop To His House For Positions

The leadership of the ruling National Democratic Congress has directed all interest groups and lobbyists canvassing for various persons to be named Vice President, to put an immediate stop to it but on the blind side of their eyes, incessant pressure is being mounted on President John Mahama to show John Henry Martey Newman, the Chief of Staff the exit and appoint “his own man”.

The man who is seen as President Mahama’s “own man”, according to our Castle sources, is Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Baba Kamara.

Baba Kamara, a onetime Deputy Treasurer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is largely a self-educated man who reads avidly and was even touted at a point as a possible Running Mate to then Presidential Candidate Mills.

Our source further indicated to us that “apart from the fact that he is respected in the Islamic community because of his generosity and affableness, he cuts across both the NDC generations”.

“The Northern factor is also on his side since Mr. Newman also hails from the Central Region like our departed President Mills”, the source revealed further.

According to the source, there had been at least two delegations to the residence of the President to prevail on him to choose Alhaji Kamara as the Chief of Staff.

However, efforts to reach the High Commissioner for him to corroborate or deny the information at our disposal proved futile as his Nigerian telephone lines were all jammed.

Since the unfortunate demise of the President last week Tuesday, various lobbying groups have been pushing for their favorites to occupy the vacant position of the Vice President, compelling the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu-Nketia to say the development was inconsistent with the national state of mourning declared by the President and the mood of the nation.

In a press statement, the NDC maintained that the decision remained the sole prerogative of President Mahama and he must be given the space to make the nomination.

It would be recalled that, in 2010, the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) commenced investigations into allegations of corruption against certain persons relating to the operations in Ghana of M&J, a British engineering firm.

They were Dr. George Sipa Yankey, former Minster for Health, Kwame Peprah, former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Alhaji Baba Kamara, Alhaji Abubakar Sadique Boniface, former Minister of Works and Housing in the erstwhile NPP administration, Alhaji Amadu Seidu, former Minister of State at the Office of President Mills, Brigadier-General Lord George Attivor (rtd), Managing Director of Intercity STC and Dr. Ato Quarshie, former Minister of Roads and Highways.

However, Alhaji Kamara objected to the CHRAJ investigations.

Alhaji Kamara, who holds an Executive Master's in Governance & Leadership, GIMPA; is the Founder/Chief Executive Officer, African Trans Bridging Limited (Supply, Erection and Design of Steel Bridges).