Opinions of Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Columnist: Abubakari, Seidu

President John Mahama-Father of Corruption(I)-Rejoinder.

First of all Chief Obosu Mohammed displayed his lack of in depth knowledge of issues by stating that the President of Zimbabwe is Mobutu Seseko. What a fallacy and complete ignorance! With this blunder Obosu has discredited his whole write up. It is crap and bereft of any facts.

The attempts to paint the President as the most corrupt living politician of the 21st century is utterly pathetic and repugnant! President John Mahama is the most outstanding Vice-President Ghana has ever had. The vile propaganda against President Mahama is taking a vicious form of lies, denigration and insults.The unfounded accusations and allegations is not surprising because the NPP is desperate for power to enrich themselves. The integrity of President is intact. The NPP will be put to shame.

Every right thinking, logical and rational Ghanaian will see the moves by the Presidents detractors to be hollow, empty and only aimed at tarnishing his good name. Envy, self-interest and ethnic motivations take precedence in Ghana so much so that the articulate, intelligent, handsome and visionary President will face nightly attempts to impugn his great name. But President John Mahama should be rest assured that he is already a colossus primed for the pantheon of our greats and any endeavour to rehash stale gossips against him will not see the light of the day.

On the Armajaro issue the Vice President has explained his case. He did nothing wrong! But because of some peoples shallow mindedness, they are making attempts to bring the issue back. Did not President John Mahama challenged those who accused him of taking a bribe from Armajaro to go to CHRAJ?

The NPP Chairman, Jake Obestebi-Lamptey, was the first to speak publicly on the Armajaro issue. According to him a report in the London Sunday Times newspaper stated that our Vice President, John Dramani Mahama was lobbied to have the ban removed.However, in an interview with Radio Ghana on Thursday, 4th November2010, Vice President John Mahama made a categorical statement that he personally did not intervene to get the Armajaro ban lifted. He explained that he only advised a British politician who met him to get Armajaro to petition the appropriate authorities in Ghana, Cocobod.The matter should have died after the explanation from John Mahama and after the media ignored Jake's porous arguments.

But one Mahama Haruna, the spokesman of a now phantom group, the Alliance for Responsible Office Holders (AFROH) who was an avowed critic President Mahama decided to wage a 'crusade' to discredit President Mahama. He organised a press conference to accuse the President of impropriety in the Armajaro ban lifting but later backtracked and even apologised. I believe he did so because he has no evidence to support his claims and would have been defeated if he had proceeded to CHRAJ. What was surprising to me is that, this Mahama Haruna is a blood relation of President John Mahama but to discredit President Mahama.

Obosu knows very well that his party folks are the corrupt ones but not President John Mahama. Obosu reached a conclusion of corruption against the President without really providing much by way of evidence. Using one's position of influence in doing a lobbying work is subject to Codes of Conduct. Hence, as far as Obosu failed by way of evidence that the President took cash or was influenced by material gain, then I am afraid he did not break any rules using his then Vice-Presidential influence in helping overturn the freeze on the business activity of Amarjaro Holdings in the country.

Lobbying becomes illegal when guiding rules and regulations are broken by way of monetary and material reward. Obosu should provide that evidence and I will help him campaign for the removal or prosecution of the Vice-President on corruption charges!

Obosu said he will expose in detail how President John Mahama through his brother’s company had folded-up some banks due to their excessive borrowing and the use of some state intuitions to defray their cost. Why is the NPP so obsessed with Ibraihim Mahama? Ibraihim Mahama was in business even before NPP came to power. What has his business gotten to do with President? Envy and hatred is the hallmark of NPP and that is why they will continue to lose elections in this country.

Seidu Abubakari

seiduabubakari@rocketmail.com