Mahama To Be Contested For NDC Slot

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John Mahama
Step Up Assistance To Ghana-mahama Tells Development Partners
John Dramani Mahama
John Dramani Mahama

Mr. John Dramani Mahama is on the verge of making history as the only Ghanaian President not to take advantage of the constitutional mandate that allows a sitting president to avail himself for another four year term in office.

 

The aL-hAJJ can report today that all available signs intensely backed by the actions and or, inactions of the Mahama administration most especially, the president?s own disposition leads to only one conclusion; that President John Mahama is not desirous of going for a second term.

 

On the blind side of most Ghanaians some five months ago, President John Mahama may have given the strongest indications yet when he said he is not just ?another African politician?, hell bent on clinching on to power.

 

The president gave this hint when he responded to public criticisms from some senior members of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) amongst who include; former Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency and now Ghana?s Ambassador to The Netherlands, Dr Tony Aidoo, former Majority Leader and ex-minister of Health, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin and comments by the NDC party General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketsia.

 

Reacting to the NDC kingpins and other party members sharing similar sentiments, President Mahama told an orientation Workshop for Metropolitan, Municipal and District?Chief Executives at the Local Government Training Institute in Accra that:

?Recently a few of my comrades have questioned my commitment to fight corruption. I dare say they don?t know me?.

 

?For those who disagree with me and are anxious to see my back, (they are) not to worry, 2016 is not too far away. I will urge them to be patient and this difficult job; the least one expects is loyalty and comradeship?.

 

While many Ghanaians could not decipher what exactly the president meant at the? time, history has it that this will not be the first time President John Mahama would be disappointing many when his service was needed most; perhaps to prove to the world that he, unlike other politicians does not believe in grabbing or being in power at-all-cost.

 

Indeed, in the run up to the 2004 elections in Ghana when the whole NDC family including the ?almighty? party Founder, Rawlings and wife, Nana Konadu were ?shedding? tears for John Mahama?to partner the late Candidate John Mills as his running mate, the then Bole Bamboi MP did the unthinkable which stunned everyone, by turning down the offer in pursuit of academic laurels.

 

Even though the President is as yet to formally declare his intension whether to seek a second term as guaranteed by the 1992 constitution, his body language and orientation nonetheless, depicts him as someone not afraid to jump ship when his first term comes to an end.

 

Painstaking examination of the happenings in the Mahama government since the president was sworn into office on January 7, 2012 has provoked some political watchers to be positing that President Mahama may just not be interested in the renewal of his mandate as part of his wider plans.

 

Perhaps, the President Achilles heel; his eagerness to please all and not good enough to even hurt a fly, are also turning out to be his waterloo.

 

Recent assertions by his former boss, mentor and the man who unearthed his political career, Jerry John Rawlings? that perhaps Mahama was too ?nice a President? for an African country such as Ghana; appears to hold.

 

Incredibly, party officials and political pundits are yet to come to terms as to why almost halfway into President John Mahama?s four year tenure in office, the president is unable to have the full complements of his government.

 

This is against the backdrop of the fact that the NDC?s archrival and main opposition, the New Patriotic Party has heated the country?s political skies even when the next presidential election is two years away.

 

In the last few weeks, President Mahama and his administration have come under intense public censure for their poor handling of a number of issues that could have better been managed not to generate the needless raging public anger which invariably, demoralize its teeming supporters.

 

Aside the intrigues, the ongoing high stakes politicking amongst the various political gladiators in the NDC ahead of the party?s national congress to elect national officers, most of the problems diluting the chances of the ruling party under Mahama?s leadership are self-imposed.

 

The long-overdue ministerial reshuffle expected to reinvigorate government, the frequent upward adjustment in fuel and utility tariffs as a result of so-called automatic adjustment formula and the president?s recent acquired taste for foreign travels even when his backyard is boiling, political pundits have observed are enough pointers to surmise the President may have lost interest going for a second term.

Government?s handling of the yet-to-be enforced 17.5% VAT imposed on some bank charges and the confusion in the advertised but now cancelled introduction of GYEEDA ICT module leaves much to be desired.

 

Compounding government?s woes was the presidency?s handling of the Ghanaian US-flagged plane sighted in Iran, the SADA/Mango rot and the buffoonery of former SADA CEO.

 

Delayed Ministerial Reshuffle

 

Following the inertia generated as a result of the eight long months of the novel election petition engineered by three leading members of opposition NPP, it was widely expected that President Mahama would introduce some changes after the verdict of August 29, 2013 in order to bring freshness into his administration.

 

But alas, that was not to be, almost eight months after the Supreme Court gave legality to his election as President. This is in spite of the fact it has become glaring to Ghanaians that some of the president?s appointees don?t qualify to be where they are.

 

Not even an indictment of some of his functionaries by no mean a person than his party?s founder and former president, Jerry John Rawlings will make president Mahama budge.

 

Indeed, the media has since the election petition judgment reported on several occasions about the dates of the impending reshuffle and names of appointees likely to go home and those to make their way into government; yet it never happened.

 

Amazingly, almost a year and half into the Mahama government only two out of the about 40 expected ambassadors have duly been posted whiles some district Assemblies are still without substantive Chief Executives.

 

Ominously, a considerable number of public corporations and institutions are without board of directors and is some cases; some are without substantive Chief Executives.

 

And this has left tongues wagging, wondering if a President so desirous of another opportunity will allow critical state institutions and government agencies to operate for such a long period without boards or chief executives.

 

17.5% VAT on Banks

Until recently, there has been intense public outrage arising from misinformation to the effect that government has slapped a 17.5% VAT on all banking transactions.

 

Until the Ministry of Finance came out with a statement last week to clarify that the 17.5% VAT per the VAT law, Act 870 is for non-core financial services provided by the banks for a fee, such as data processing, legal, accounting, actuarial, notary and consulting services; the government had allowed the false information to fester for some time, creating uneasiness among Ghanaians. .

 

Even in the face of these hard facts, and for reasons best known to officialdom, the opposition and their media collaborators have been allowed to pollute the minds of Ghanaians such that it could have caused the collapse of the entire banking sector.

 

Indeed, prior to the Ministry of Finance?s clarification, some Ghanaians including the educated ones were threatening to withdraw their monies from the banks. Even after the clarification, sections of the public are still holding onto the false information.

 

This prompted the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr to remark ?Look at the unnecessary panic and the anxiety the business community has gone through; not just because of poor communication but clear inefficiency and lack of commitment to duties? This should not have happened?common sense has become a major problem for our leaders?.

 

 

SADA/MANGO/Past CEO?s BUFFOONERY

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A startling occurrence in the Mahama government was its handling of the reported rot at the Savanna Accelerated Development Agency.

 

People may fault Accra based media house, Multimedia of probably having a hidden agenda to rundown government for whatever motives, but has the government itself helped matters in the management of alleged scandals such as GYEEDA, SUBA or SADA?

 

For example, government has over the past few weeks looked on unconcern, allowing the former CEO of SADA, Gilbert Iddi, under whose watch all the mess associated with SADA happened to be courting more hatred and scorn for it (government).

 

Without showing any sense of shame and remorse for the wanton pillage of resources meant to improve the lives of the people of the north under his supervision, Mr Gilbert Iddi has not ceased granting thoughtless interviews on the huge embarrassment he caused the Mahama government to hostile media outfit like Joy Fm/Multi Media who are bent on painting the government as filthy corrupt to please their paymasters.

 

In the absence of Gilbert Iddi, who like the many other public officials under the Mills/Mahama administration immersed in sleaze/scandal but is walking free, shutting up on the mess he has helped to create, the Mahama administration, like a toothless lame duck; has also failed to call him to order, further providing missiles to its political opponents.

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GYEEDA ICT ADVERT

 

The Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development which has been in the news for some time now following reports of alleged corruption made headlines again last week.

 

This followed media reports pointing to some wrong doings on the part of officials of an advert inviting bidders to bid for a new ICT module which has been running in the dailies for well over three weeks.

 

This was against the President?s directive some months back halting further creation of new GYEEDA modules and cancellation of others.

 

Despite protestations from some pressure groups and the media during the three week period the advert was running; nobody at the presidency or the supervising ministry according to government spokespersons was aware let alone to act on.

 

After spending valuable sums of state resources and funds as cost advertising the new module as well as costs incurred by prospective bidders in the tendering process, the president we are told has ordered the whole process be halted because it was not sanctioned.

 

This follows a week ultimatum from pressure groups and members of the opposition NPP who have threatened to hit the streets unless the President acts.

 

In response, government through the Information and Media Relations Ministry made matters worse when Mahama Ayariga declared that the President did not sanctioned the advert.

 

Even as government in a statement admitted the process was not authorized by either the supervisory ministry or the presidency, no one is being held to account neither for flouting the president?s directive nor for wasting public funds.

 

Alarmingly, aside the former deputy Communication Minister, Victoria Hamma; maybe due to her gender, and to some extent Gabriel Barima aka ?Tweaa DCE??; as have been pointed out earlier, it?s as if the Mahama government cannot punish officials for any wrong doing.

 

Ghanaian US-Flagged Plane in Iran

 

Ghanaians across the political divide have been totally disappointed with recent government?s communication on issues relating to Ghanaian US-flagged plane belonging to Engineers and Planners sighted in Iran.

 

As in many of the challenges that have bedeviled the Mahama administration since January 2013, the Iran faux pas clearly exposed government as having grave communication deficiencies. Aside the uncertainties and contradictory accounts from government officials, Media and Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga further muddied the waters when he thoughtlessly accused Teheran of ?lying?.

 

Iran has proven over the years to be one of the friendly countries Ghana can relied on; indeed, Iran has over the years proven to be a worthy brotherly nation to Ghana providing diverse support to the economy of Ghana without strings attached. It is therefore and indeed, a regrettable statement coming from a high ranking Ghanaian government official.

 

Rampant Fuel Price Hikes

 

The Mahama administration prides itself as a socialist oriented government and therefore was expected to be pro-poor, yet under a so-called Automatic Adjustment Formula the government has continually been increasing fuel prices every fortnightly, overburdening the already impoverished Ghanaians.

This is despite the fact that the NDC government under Mahama has virtually withdrawn subsidies on almost all services whiles at the same time it has continue to increase and or, introduce new taxes,

 

To the extent that complains of general economic hardship in the country is now such that supporters and members of the governing NDC have not only joined the chorus; many are now said to be shying away from being associated with the ruling party.

 

Excessive Presidential Travels

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President John Mahama?s recently acquired love for foreign travels unlike his predecessor and mentor the late John Atta Mills can only be comparable to former President John Kufuor whom the NDC then in opposition nicknamed ?Mungo Park?, is another issue that has become a source of worry to many a NDC member.

 

Kingpins and rank and file members of the NDC have been quietly complaining about President Mahama?s latest penchant for overseas travels. They argue that they scolded former President Kufuor for same ?offense?, therefore it was unconscionable for an NDC sponsored President to repeat same.

 

It is unclear if this could have informed why the President?s recent trip to Brazil was not publicly advertized even though parliament was notified as required by the constitution.

 

Party and Gov?t Relations

 

It is no longer secret that there is strain in relationship between the Presidency and the leadership of the governing NDC party.

 

Party insiders have ascribed lack of proper consultations, especially during appointments and on major government policies, as the cause of the frosty relationship.

 

They cited the attempt by the presidency to change the name of the seat of government from the Flagstaff House as rechristened by the late President John Mills to Jubilee/Flagstaff House in order to appease former president Kufuor.

 

The ?cold-war? between the presidency and party may have not been managed properly to the extent that it is today finding expression in the upcoming elections of executives at all levels of the party structures.

 

The aL-hAJJ?s investigations has uncovered? that whiles the party has lined-up some candidates to secure the various positions up for grabs; the presidency has also blessed some candidates to slug it out with the party?s candidate.

 

This is said to further corrode the hitherto harmonious and oneness that existed in the party after the death of the late President Mills, which largely contributed to the NDC winning the 2012 election at the first round, albeit disputed by the NPP.

 

Can the NPP take advantage?

 

Though many political pundits say the present happenings in the ruling NDC government could play to the advantage of the opposition NPP by election time in 2016, they are also united in thought that the biggest opposition party isn?t ready to grab the ?golden opportunity.?

 

The NPP is fractured along Kufuor and Nana Addo factions and the jostling for who becomes the next flag bearer of the party is further deepening the cracks in that party.

 

Even before the NPP open nominations for the flag bearer contest for the 2016 elections, party heavyweights have announced their readiness to engage in a ?fratricidal combat? that may eventually spell doom for the biggest opposition party.

 

Ironically, while the ruling party from all account so far is literally giving away power come 2016, the biggest opposition party certainly has not positioned itself to take full advantage of the opportunity been presented.

As this political episode unfolds within the two major political parties, Ghanaians are those at the receiving end, bearing the brunt of the effect the drama is having on the national economy.?V4 front 53

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