Opinions of Thursday, 25 October 2012

Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah

They 'killed' the former prez

Late President Mills attempts to investigate John Dramani Mahama led to his untimely demise.
It is now crystal clear to all discerning Ghanaians that attempts by the late President Mills to investigate the corrupt deals by his then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama might have exacerbated plans by his detractors to send him to his untimely grave. I have always said and will repeat it a thousand times that until justice is done our current President John Mahama stands implicated in the mysterious death of his predecessor. He is not ‘clean’ and the long alms of the law will surely catch up with him sooner or later. He can like the proverbial camel, bury his head in the sand and delude himself into thinking that all is well. After all, he is the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces with all the state instruments of coercion under his command. He can do and undo, but the truth will always suffice and criminally minded persons will soon be exposed. David was the King of Israel; he took Uriah’s wife, but the Prophet Nathan found him out. The President’s case is not different from that of David. The only difference is that whereas King David showed remorse, our Pre4sident is showing no sign of that and is going about his “duty” as if nothing evil had happened.
President Mahama led an NDC Government delegation to negotiate the purchase of aircrafts for the Ghana Armed Forces. The invoice he brought was “gargantually” inflated so much so that late President Mills, who was not known for questioning such corrupt deals by members of his party became convinced that his Vice President was up to mischief. He therefore set up a Three Member Committee to investigate this hypocrite and betrayal of people’s trust. The Committee was not allowed to see the light of day.
This might have been the beginning of the late President’s problems with his former Vice, John Dramani Mahama. Blinded by selfish and parochial motives, our newly christened John ‘Macbeth’ Mahama conspired with some equally disgruntled members of the NDC and decided that enough was enough. I am tempted to believe that those who made the late President go through rigorous exercise at the Kotoka International Airport before his departure to the United States and after his arrival in the country had a sinister motive. It was to exacerbate his illness which would have eventually resulted in his untimely demise. There couldn’t have been any other motive (apart from this) to have asked the “old man” go through such vigorous exercises at the Airport before departure and after arrival. That was the likely scenario. If it isn’t, tell me their motive.
When that did not achieve the desired result, Plan B was put into motion. John Dramani “Macbeth” Mahama went to the United States and hatched his First and only Coup d’état against his boss, late President John Evans Atta Mills.
Ghanaians have raised a lot of searching questions for President John Mahama to provide answers to. But the man who became President when providence ‘killed’ his predecessor and opened a door of opportunity for him has cleverly parried those questions away with a mere wave of his hands. But the case is not yet closed.

You see, immediately after the death of the former President, all those wicked people with criminal intentions descended on any person who demanded an investigation into the sudden and mysterious death. Such criminally minded person would always come up with counter arguments as to why a post mortem examination could not be performed. Why? They couldn’t permit that because It could lead to the opening of a Pandora’s Box. From that time, the mantra became “no investigation” “no post mortem” and the perpetrators of such heinous crime thought they had brought the matter to a closure.
There are many searching questions waiting for answers from the current President, and the earlier he answered those questions, the better it would be for him.
My major question to every Ghanaian is this: Should those whose hands are tainted with the blood of the former President be allowed to go scot free? I sincerely hope and feel they should not. When are we going to get answers to the issues raised?
Let me once again reiterate the fact that the 37 Military Hospital was not informed officially before the former President’s body was sent there. Secondly, he was brought there DOA (Dead on Arrival). Also both the Minister of Defence and the CDS were not informed of the death of the former President.
The review of John Mahama’s security details on Monday, 23rd July, 2012: Again, let me tell you of something which might interest you and awaken your conscience to the fact that perhaps the President and his men have chosen not to tell us the truth about the death of the former President. On Monday, 23rd July, 2012, between 6.30pm and 7.00pm, (the day before the official day given as the death of the former president) the security details of the then Vice President John Mahama was revised. On that day at such time, two armoured vehicles were sent down from Burma Camp to guide John Mahama’s residence. The armoured vehicles arrived by way of Soul Clinic Road near the Gotte Institute.
The then Vice President John Mahama has lived at his residence in Cantonment for nearly Four Years and not once was his security details revised as it happened on Monday, 23rd July, 2012. Why was it changed a day before the day given as the death of the former President. It can only mean one of two things. One, either the former President was dead at that time. Secondly, it could be the former President had been poisoned and perpetrators of that heinous crime were hoping that by morning the poison would have taken its toll on the late President.
Something strange: There is another observation worth mentioning. On Saturday, 21st July, 2012, a birthday party was organized for the late President. People believe it was at the birthday bash that the “old man” “was done in” by the conspirators who happened to belong to his own contraption. Doesn’t it baffle you that it was on that particular day that Nii Lante Vanderpuye, (the okro mouth thug at the Castle who told us the late President wore a juju ring) chose to launch his official campaign in his bid to snatch the “Odododiodoo constituency’s seat? Doesn’t it seem odd that this political thug who claimed to be the late President’s right hand man would choose that Saturday of all days to launch his official campaign? The answer is simple! It would have given him an alibi if the former President’s death was traced to poisoning. These are mere speculations but they are not impossible.
John Mahama’s First coup d’état was against Former President Mills: Another revelation is that when the then Vice President returned from his trip from the United States after he had launched his book “My First Coup against Atta Mills”, he never met the late President before the latter’s death. But doesn’t it intrigue you that both the late President Mills and the current one, John Mahama had their offices in the Castle. The former President also lived there. So what happened? And yet Current President Mahama never deemed it expedient to visit his former boss when he learnt that the latter was unwell. Or was it the discovery by the late President of shameful attempts by his Deputy to use nefarious means to take over the Presidency from him. Current President John Mahama, we are told had buried a live cow at the Castle and aides of the former President had relayed the information to their boss. The late President had confronted John Mahama on the phone. The latter had said it was mere rumour and that he should get well first and they would discuss it after his arrival in the country, but it never happened. Why? It was because John Mahama felt ashamed to come face to face with his mentor, the late President. It smacked of ingratitude on the part of John Mahama, just like Brutus stabbed Caesar last at the Capitol.
Again President Mills was said to have confided in some of his close aides that “they want to kill me”. I think he has John Dramani Mahama in mind when he uttered those words.
President John Dramani Mahama has told Ghanaians a lot of lies about how the late President died. He is not a man of integrity. He says he is prepared to clear himself of any allegation of corruption against him. Will he also subject himself to any probe or committee to ascertain his involvement or innocence in the untimely demise of his former boss? The only way President John Mahama could douse the flame surrounding the mysterious death of his predecessor is to submit himself to the court of the people. I am saying it on authority that President John Mahama knows more than he has told Ghanaians about the death of the former President. My Third Eye has revealed that something sinister had taken place in the mysterious death of Former President John Atta Mills and I will continue to ask probing questions until I get the right answers.
I am re-echoing the many issues I raised when the death of the former President was announced. This is because the issues are now more relevant than ever considering the fact that a new dimension has been introduced. I have been vehement and vocal in the demand that the death of the former President be investigated because I smell a rat and believe that there are attempts by the current Mahama Administration to sweep all the issues under the carpet. You see the issue is more relevant now than before because human life is involved. Secondly, elections to elect a new President are just around the corner. We are an evolving democracy and must be seen to be doing things in the right manner. If we don’t conduct investigations into the death of our late President now and a similar situation arises in the future, how can we talk of precedence?
The inconsistencies, inaccuracies, distortions, deliberate lies and conflicting statements emanating from the stables of the personae dramatis who in this case happens to be President John Mahama make one believe that these people want to take Ghanaians for a ride. They have re-enacted the scene in Orwell’s “Animal Farm” in which Napoleon and the other pigs, after making use of Boxer’s super extra strength and realizing that his strength had deserted sold him off to the knackers’ yard to be killed and used for animal food. That’s exactly what the NDC have done to the late President.
Why should the Chief of Staff and the current President lie to Ghanaians about when and how the President died. The Chief of Staff issued a statement that the President was suddenly taken ill at about 2pm and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he died at 2:15pm. President Mahama also said he had met the late President in the latter’s office on the morning of his death and that he and the Chief of Staff were asked by the late President to represent him at a public function holding at the International Conference Centre.
Again he stated that the function ended well and they returned to the Castle where they briefed the late President on the successful completion of the assignment. They then retired to their respective offices at the Castle, from where he was called that the former President had suddenly taken very ill. This was aired by various TV Stations nationwide.
But after I had punched holes in his assertions in various write ups, the President who prefers to be referred to as a “young man” at 54, then decided to shift the goal post.
In a later interview with Shaka Sasli on “Straight Talk on Africa during a VOA programme, the anointing of the Holy Spirit “arrested” the President and he spilled the beans. He omitted to tell the interviewer that he had met and discussed with the late President on the morning of the latter’s death. He said he found out that the President did not come to his office on Monday, 23rd July, 2012. He found a memo from the late President on his desk asking him and the Chief of Staff to represent him (President Mills) at a public function holding at the International Conference Centre.
You see the contradictions here! Why and who is to fill in the gaps for President John Mahama? What does President Mahama want to tell Ghanaians and the rest of the international community? You realized that your boss was not at the office and you did not bother to find out what was wrong with him! And it was not as if his boss was staying at the North Pole while he John Mahama stays at the South Pole! Both of them had their offices right inside the Castle. To make Mahama’s defence untenable is the fact that the late President had his Residence inside the Castle.
Communications Minister, Haruna Iddrissu would not be left out in the macabre dance of death. Given a new dimension to the death of President Mills, he said he was part of the delegation that represented the President at that function, but he gave the venue as the Arts Centre, instead of the International Conference Centre as relayed by President Mahama. Why the contradiction here? Who is telling the truth, the President or his Communication Minister?
What about the former President’s henchmen? Someone might ask. Why are they not saying anything? Your guess might be true as might. They have chosen to remain stony silent. In fact they have adopted that “mumu” attitude believing that discretion is the better part of valour. “Noko fio” has done its worst. The fear of being relieve of their various succulent positions with all the trappings that accompany them has made even the die hard supports of the former President to pitch camp with the new kid on the block, John Mahama, the likely perpetrator of the heinous crime and beneficially of the crime.
You recall the incident involving Victor Smith when he criticized President Mahama’s nomination of Amissah Arthur as Vice President. He quickly made a u-turn and apologized to the new President when it dawned on him that he stood the risk of losing his plush portfolio as Eastern Regional Minister. Now President John Mahama has absolute power and is reigning in all dissenting factions in the NDC just as the American Slave Owners broke down the spirits of recalcitrant slaves in the Americas. President Mahama has become possessed and moving about hike a bull in a China’s shop. Who will cage him; who will stop him?
It surprises me that apostles of the late President have all of a sudden switched over the support to President Mahama even though they still believed that current President might have played an active role in the untimely death of the late President, the man the had all sworn to defend him with their lives. But like I have already stated, who wants to lose his daily bread?
Again, doesn’t it sound odd that the NDC has not shown any respect to the former President at almost all the official programmes it has held? One would have expected the party to have shown some form of respect to the spirit of the departed President by observing at least a minute’s silence, it has deemed it unnecessary because of the fear that doing that would invoke the anger of the sprit of the late President on them
The ‘Greedy Bastards” “Babies with sharp teeth” and the “Evil Old dwarfs” knew they would be in serious trouble if they spilled the beans and so they must do everything in their power to ensure that the secret did not leak. But like Macbeth and Banquo in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the truth will very soon unfold and Ghanaians will know the real devils and criminals in the country. When that happens, not even the sea can save them.
President John Dramani Mahama has said he is prepared to appear before any Committee to prove his innocence in matters of corruption. He has also issued a challenge to debate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on the latter’s free SHS Education policy.
But will he accept an open challenge to meet me or any other person to discuss issues involving the death of his predecessor? This is the only way President John Mahama can prove his innocence in the death of his mentor, President John Atta Mills.
President John Mahama, will you listen to the voice of reason and submit yourself to interrogation from an ordinary citizen of your country? You have a golden opportunity to prove to Ghanaians that you had no hand in the death of the man you claimed to be your mentor.
It will be a battle of unequals, with one as President of a country and the other, a down to earth ordinary citizen of the land.
Mr President, I await your response!

Daniel Danquah Damptey (damptey_daniel@yahoo.com) 0243715297