Matilda Amissah-Arthur paying her last respects to her husband on friday
The circumstances surrounding the alleged maltreatment of former Vice-President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur when he was in office are beginning to unravel.
The glaring hypocrisy, which was being displayed in the form of tributes, appeared to have irked Matilda, the wife of former Vice President, during his final funeral rites at the Accra International Conference Centre last Friday.
She clearly could not take it any longer when she decided to let everything off her chest by launching an unprecedented vitriolic attack on her husband’s ‘detractors,’ leaving Ghanaians to wonder what might have gone wrong.
“Over the last few weeks, I have been amazed at the number of people who have come to show us love and I asked myself is this Ghana? Are all these people in Ghana? Because the maligning, the lies, the treachery, the wickedness, the deliberately (sic) changing things so that they could look better than others, the mischievousness… I ask myself is this Ghana? I ask myself is this my own husband that people have come to pay tribute to?”
Intended Target
Mrs. Amissah-Arthur’s attack, according to insiders, was directed particularly at some elements in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who did everything to frustrate him when he served as vice-president.
It has emerged that a mere presidential staffer ordered the former Vice-President to return the presidential jet on which he had travelled for official assignment outside the country.
The said staffer, who was recently in the news for attacking a high-profile traditional leader, was said to have undermined Mr Amissah-Arthur while in office.
No courtesy
At certain points, Mr Amissah-Arthur, the head of the economic management team, would attend a programme, especially in financial sector, and in the course of the programme, he would be asked to leave the scene because President Mahama was also attending the same programme.
Also without any courtesies, he would be asked to attend a programme only when the sitting President’s handlers felt he should.
“They just tossed him about as if he was a nobody but he never uttered a word,” one of his aides told DAILY GUIDE.
Hijacked Itinerary
His itinerary as vice-president was hijacked by a very powerful presidential staffer who is noted for his gross disrespect not only to NDC’s political opponents but also top appointees who served under President Mahama.
Abuja Incident
Recently, when discussing the legacy of the former Vice- President, a journalist, who was attached to Mr. Amissah-Arthur’s office, remarked that “Amissah-Arthur was so humble that on one occasion when he used the presidential jet to fly to Abuja on official assignment, Stan had the audacity to call the Vice-President on phone and insultingly told him to return the Presidential Jet. Amissah-Arthur did not talk, he simple called us the press men and told us that we have to return to Accra.”
Amissah-Arthur Loyalists
Since his demise, Mr. Amissah-Arthur’s loyalists have been firing from all cylinders, trying to draw the public’s attention to the fact that their boss was maltreated whilst in office.
For instance, one of the ladies, who worked directly in his office, has been firing on social media platform, Facebook, describing some NDC elements as hypocrites who attended the funeral to shed crocodile tears.
Princess Law, believed to be one of Mr. Amissah-Arthur’s officers and called Lawrencia Wurah in several posts on Facebook, labeled her party’s leadership as hypocrites who only exhibited their ‘love and affection’ for Mr. Amissah-Arthur only after he had passed away.
“God is watching us all. Fear enemies within. Hypocrites!”she posted last Friday, and added “acting like they once cared. Hypocrites!”
She said: “When he was alive you never posted any of his activities. He is gone and you are posting his images on your walls. Enemies within. Hypocrites!”
“The enemies within are more dangerous than those outside your political party. Hypocrites!”
Baba Kamara
A former National Security Advisor under the previous Mahama-led NDC administration, Baba Kamara, who until Mr. Amissah-Arthur’s untimely demise was believed to be backing the ex-Vice-President to contest former John Mahama in order to lead the NDC as flag bearer in 2020, touted his leadership qualities.
“I will remember him for his personal decency and integrity, his deep commitment to public service, and his passionate belief in the vast potential and bright future of Ghanaians. He was a man who was several things to several people. He was incorruptible!”
JJ’s Observation
Even former President Jerry John Rawlings’ tribute pointed to the fact that Mr. Amissah-Arthur had a very difficult time during the tenure of former President Mahama.
“Despite the complex challenges he encountered as Vice- President, he nevertheless was a man whose demeanour won him deserving respect and admiration. Paa Kwesi may have been an unsung hero, but he paid his full dues to Ghana with love and commitment,” Rawlings said on Page 56 of the beautifully prepared 136-page brochure.
No Respect
In the run-up to the crucial 2016 general elections, which the NDC was defeated by then opposition NPP in an unprecedented fashion, there were campaign posters of President Mahama and his wife Lordina at the background scattered all over the country, especially in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Interestingly, it was Mr. Amissah-Arthur and not the former First Lady, who was partnering Mr. Mahama for the election on December 7, 2016, and the late Vice-President was relegated to the background in favour of the President’s wife, with no cash to support his campaign programmes.
The NDC’s disrespect for Mr. Amissah-Arthur was clear, as even on the day he was being buried, the leadership of the party okayed constituency elections to be held in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, among others.