Former President John Mahama does not present himself as a leader of firm principles, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asserted.
According to the NPP, Mr Mahama could not be trusted to hold onto his words, and for that, Ghanaians should not vote for him in this year’s election.
The former Director of Communications for the party, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Company (STC), Nana Akomea, addressed a news conference at the Asylum Down party office and made these pronouncements.
He said: “The issues that we will canvass to urge Ghanaians to reject President Mahama are objective issues worthy of the consideration and attention of Ghanaians. We don’t bear President Mahama any ill-will. We present our issues based on objective facts.”
He continued: “He is not a leader whose word is his bond. He shifts positions depending on which direction the wind blows. He presents as a leader who the Ga people will call Rophopho, or obey the wind leader. He seems to talk from all sides of the mouth, and looks forward and backwards at the same time. He will not provide this country with firm, decisive leadership, based on consistent principles and integrity, which we need at this time of our national development.”
Meanwhile, Nana Akomea opined on the saying that it is only a fool who does not change his mind, but added that if the mind changing is so frequent as to become a habit, then that is a troubling sign in a leader.
Nana Akomea, serving a menu of some instances of President Mahama’s inconsistency, which he also referred to as the obey the wind leadership style, said Mr Mahama stopped government’s payments of university students’utility bills in 2015, President Akufo Addo restored it, and now President Mahama says he believes in the principle of government paying for students’utility bills.
Again, he stated that Mr Mahama, in 2015, cancelled payments of allowances to trainee teachers and trainee nurses. “He staked his entire political fortune on this stance, telling Ghanaians he will not shift from that position even if it cost him the 2016 elections. President Akufo Addo found the money to restore payment of allowances to trainee teachers and nurses. Now seeking re-election, President Mahama says he will uphold the policy, [a] clear case of a leader who shifts with the wind.”
Nana Akomea further indicated that Mr Mahama said in 2016 that the citizens should beware of the promises of politicians who were in opposition, as those politicians do not know the real situation on the ground, and tend to make unrealistic promises. But now Mahama “is a politician out of government making all kinds of promises, how should we take his promises now?” he quizzed.
“President Mahama and his government and party told us in 2016 that the NPP was on a binge of free promises, promising free this, free that. He said to Ghanaians that if care was not taken, Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP will be promising free air, forgetting that God had already provided free air.
“He and his party ran adverts, going as far as using out of context voices such as of Hon. J.H. Mensah and Pastor Otabil, all in a bid to demonstrate to Ghanaians that anything free was not good. Today, President Mahama is on a binge of free promises, Free Primary Health Care, (whatever that means), Free Half Fees for University Students etc. Another clear instance of a leader who turns where the wind blows.”
In sharp contrast, Nana Akomea acknowledged that President Akufo-Addo had demonstrated leadership that was [a] clear departure from the leadership of convenience, expediency, obey the wind, and lack of principle, offered by Mahama.
He added that President Akufo-Addo presented a stable, firm, steadfast, principled and consistent leadership.
“He has kept his promises. You may differ on your estimate of his success. But what is always clear is that he has provided a stable and firm leadership to the Ghanaian people, and remained focused on delivering his promises.”
Listing a few, he mentioned Free SHS, creation of new regions, One District One Factory, and One Village One Dam. “They have remained aspirations turned into great promises by candidate Akufo Addo. Upon his election, he had brought a determined and focused leadership to lead the nation to achieve these aspirations with great degrees of success.”
He said, as candidate, Akufo-Addo promised he will lead the people of Dagbon to peace, and true to his words, he did same after assuming office – a singular feat for which he earned the title Naa Abudani I.
Nana Akomea also mentioned the famous Ashanti Goldfields at Obuasi, which, under President Mahama’s watch, was closed down and left to rot. President Akufo Addo, in the 2016 campaign, promised that he would ensure the mine was opened, and, today, the mine is opened and fully operational, employing thousands of Ghanaians, a feat which almost brought the Asantehene to tears during the commissioning.
He concluded: “The choice is clear. A choice between a vacillating, flip, flop, inconsistent, obey the wind leadership of expediency, represented by President Mahama, and a leadership of firmness, of certainty resolute but caring, imaginative and surety, represented by President Akufo-Addo. On December 7, 2020, we must make a judgment call on our own future as a people; on our own future as a country. We cannot be partial in this decision. We must vote for a leadership that we know is best for us at this time; let’s vote for Ghana; let’s vote for President Akufo Addo. God bless us all.”
The post Mahama is not principled; don’t vote for him -NPP appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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