MAHAMA IS NOT JAKE OBETSHEBI LAMPTEY

There is nothing we are facing under the Akufo-Addo led administration that we did not know would happen. We made mistakes, many of them deliberate. We ignored every single warning.

The major issue is who is at the apex leadership? Who are the people surrounding the leader? What are their antecedents? Does the leadership have a vision? We heard stupendous and empty promises in the run up to his victory. We heard the vague promise of equaling the cedi to the dollar, building of 350 new secondary schools, free secondary education for all students, job for all including the unemployed graduates, salary adjustment etc when the financial and economic indices were clear enough for novice to discern, was a complete nuisance and political mischief that took voters for a ride. The discerning minds refused to take them seriously at the time because they knew it was all nonsensical and utopian. Instead of retracing its steps, the Akufo-Addo is still blaming the past administration for its abysmal performance and failure. Their latest attack is their fake story that former President Mahama influenced the award of contract to construct a guest house at Bole in the Northern Region to enable him enjoy comfortable holidays during his visit to his constituency. The cocoa research institute of Ghana Research Station Guest House, has been in existence since 1975. The Cocoa research institute has a research tradition that spans 75 years. The Institute has its headquarters at New Tafo,Akim in the Eastern Region. The headquarters has a well equipped offices, residential facilities provided for research scientists, clinic, swimming pool, guest house facility etc. The institute has three sub stations at Afosu, Bunso, and Bole,with offices, laboratories and residential facilities for staff. Did the former administration acted wrongly by renovating the state facility? Does it mean all state facilities renovated or refurbished by the Mahama administration including the schools, hospitals, roads etc were done to enable former President Mahama enjoy comfortable holidays during his visits to areas where such facilities are found?

And this senseless allegation was made by no less a person than the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board Joseph Boahen Aidoo and this was his response to concerns expressed by cocoa farmers.This senseless allegation only exposes his lack of understanding of issues concerning the sector he is heading. Culture of maintenance is one problem affecting our national life. Important state facilities have been left to deteriorate over the years.

President Mahama is not the boastful type but his father’s record in terms of wealth and support for his people cannot be downplayed, they are too huge to be buried by propagandists of this administration. He [Mr Mahama] doesn’t need that facility to ensure his comfort during his visits to his hometown. He is not the type who will jump around boastfully telling the world what his great father and elders bequeathed to him and the siblings and will never claim ownership of Ghana because of the great achievements of his father whose name will forever remain marked when narrating Ghana’s political history.

Mr Aidoo must be made to understand that the former President is not Mr Obestsebi Lamptey and has never been an admirer of the lamptey- philosophy.I hope Mr Aidoo, was in the country when Mr Lamptey bought state property under dubious conditions. Mr Lamptey used state fund to renovate the number 2 mango street government property and sold it to himself. Mr Mahama banned public officials from buying state bungalow when he took over from his boss in 2012 and instituted other measures to end the wanton dissipation of state lands and other properties by government officials in the name of transition. Is Mr Aidoo, per his senseless allegation telling Ghanaians he will not renovate properties of the cocobod during his tenure? And if government embarks on any refurbishment work on any of our state facilities in the home region of the President, it would be done purposely to enable the current President enjoy comfortable holidays during his visits to his home region? Mr Aidoo and his likes address Ghanaians as of all Ghanaians are political fanatics who can easily be confused with such senseless political jabs.