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Opinions of Friday, 23 December 2016

Columnist: Agbenu, Charles

Mahama in transitional disorderliness

President John Mahama President John Mahama

By Charles Agbenu

NDC have started their childish, pedestrian and emotional arguments again. Tell them we are no more in a campaign mood. Real governance must take center stage now. And Amaliba and Ayariga, those dishonest and emotionally scrap intellectuals are leading NDC to make the supporting arguments in favour of the outgoing President Mahama last minute appointments of bosses for CHRAJ and NCCE.

I quote them ::- '........the mandate of the president is still in force until midnight of the 6th of January 201... The law is the law, the law is not morality. President Kufuor made similar appointments on the eve of leaving office in 2008 and there was no noise like we are hearing. Why must that of President Mahama generate a lot of noise--------",.

Now, Ghana was confronted with monumental transitional problems during the 2000 and 2008 change overs. That's why we did new laws to cover future transitions like this 2016 transition as prompted by IEA. I think it was a popular opinion and there was general agreement that we should put decency and order into our future transitions in writing. Thus we now have transitional provisions to regulate the transition from Mahama to Akufo Addo in 2016.

What are the references of Kufour objectionable transitional acts in 2008 by NDC meant to achieve? Political equalizer for what? Do the current Transitional provisions mean anything to outgoing President Mahama and his cohorts especially when Kufuor had no such Transitional Provisions to guide him in 2008?

By the stipulations in the current Transitional Act, outgoing President Mahama should have submitted his government's handing over Notes by November 7 2016, a month to the December elections, to the Administrator General for onward delivery to the incoming administration. It was expected that the handing over notes would have mentioned all major outstanding issues including CHRAJ/NCCE new appointments and major contracts and other appointments to be performed in the last days of the Mahama administration. These transitional activities by the new rules had to be discussed fully between the two administrations before implementation.

By all standards, outgoing President Mahama violated the Transitional stipulations with impunity. He did not submit any notes, which should have included the mention of his intentions. It is said that NDC administration led by Mahama did not also do Hand Over submissions in November 2012 prior to the December 2012 elections.

The conclusion is that Mahama has the notorious penchant violating Ghana's precious historical and institutional memory rules. He does not want Ghana to move forward in its records keeping. To him, Ghana must be stuck in disorderliness and waywardness as far as transitional activities and records of past performance of governments are concerned. As it is, vital happenings in governance between 2008 and 2012 are lost in history forever because of Mahama incompetent leadership did not produce the records.

President John Mahama has to be indicted for negligence and violating of the rules. He has gone on to take Major decisions on CHRAJ/NCCE without consultations with the incoming administration. He thinks he can use NDC majority to stampede parliament to go on to take major decisions and pass bills. Brave and serious minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensa Bonsu and his team are saying- ''no way, you can't do it''. They are right.

There is a serious BREACH OF FAITH in Mahama latest appointments and contracts and these have to be brought home to him forcefully. I learn Philip Addison has started a legal challenge of Mahama dishonest and irregular appointments. I am with him. The outcome of the challenge will help to deepen understanding as to what outgoing governments can or cannot do during the period of transition. The minority must stay firm.