I could not end my utter disbelief upon listening to NDC’s 2020 manifesto launch and hearing former President Mahama blissfully articulating his plans to combat corruption in the unlikely event of returning to the presidency on 7th January 2021.
Frankly stating, I am really struggling to find any euphemistic words that will depict my astonishment. I am, indeed, flabbergasted. Wonders shall never end, our elders say.
In fact, anyone who has passing acquaintance with the revoltingly ugly events which took place during the erstwhile NDC administration will be extremely surprised to hear that Mahama is evocatively accusing his successor of not doing enough to combat corruption.
Dearest reader, take my word for it, I am not seeking to ‘play God’ and pass judgment, but for the sake of balanced annotation and to set the records straight, I shall grub into the regrettable bribery and corruption scandals which took place during Mahama’s coarse administration.
The most recent of the numerous bribery and corruption scandals is the Europe’s aerospace multinational Airbus shocking news of knowingly paying huge bribes to a few countries, including, Ghana in order to secure contracts during Mills/Mahama administration between 2009 and 2015.
Some observers believe that Mahama has more alleged bribery and corruption scandals hanging around his neck than any other president in the history of Ghanaian politics.
The sceptics insist that the former president has serious questions to answer over the puzzling corruption scandals such as the Airbus, SADA, GYEEDA, SUBA, NCA, SSNIT, the infamous bus branding, the Brazil World Cup, the STX housing deal, the Brazilian aircrafts, the Ford Expedition vehicle, the Armajaro saga, among others.
The critics have been wondering how and why the former president can secretly accept a gift of brand new Ford Expedition vehicle worth over $100,000 from a Burkinabe contractor called Djibril Kanazoe?
That being said, in recent times, Mahama has been daring President Akufo-Addo to arrest, investigate and prosecute him or any member of his administration if there is unobjectionable evidence to suggest that they amassed wealth illegally during their time in office (See: Catch the ‘supposed’ thieves to prove your charges – Mahama dares Akufo-Addo; ghanaweb.com, 30/04/2018).
So, it came as a surprise to some of us when we read that four courageous Ghanaians had petitioned the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, to probe into the alleged E.O. Group’s $13 million corporate social responsibility fund towards the development of the Western Region which the petitioners claimed to have been diverted by Mahama (See: ‘Mahama diverted $13m E.O. Group money; probe him – Four citizens petition Amidu’-todaygh.com/ghanaweb.com, 18/06/2018).
What is more, sometime last year, we woke up to the regrettable news of corruption scandal in the erstwhile Mahama administration, on that occasion, an alleged oil money of GH¢40.5 million was surreptitiously transferred to the presidency via the then Chief of Staff (See: ‘Group explains why Amidu must probe Mahama, Debrah in GH¢40.5m BOST payment’; myjoyonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 19/09/2018).
Dearest reader, you may believe it or not, sometime last year, I thought I was dreaming when I chanced on the unfortunate news about the misappropriation of $175 million loan facility secured in 2012 which was meant to provide seven district hospitals. But I was not. I was wide awake. The NDC hierarchy indeed misapplied the loan facility on the blind side of Ghanaians.
What is more, the Mahama administration allegedly diverted $6 million of a government loan facility of $175 million meant to provide seven district hospitals into researching the then governing NDC’s chances of winning the 2016 general elections?
The clandestine research was alleged to have carried out by the United Kingdom-based SCL Social, the mother company of Cambridge Analytica.
According to the report, although SCL Social was given $6 million to carry out a nationwide survey to provide appropriate data for the proper planning of the healthcare needs of Ghana, the NDC government led by Mahama deemed it fit to divert the loan facility for their internal research at the expense of the sick and infirm Ghanaians. How insensitive?
SCL Social admitted: “The work consists of two discrete political and public health elements. The political element is testing the attitudes and perceptions of the population towards contemporary issues faced in Ghana and public confidence in the capacity and competence of the current administration to implement appropriate timely solutions. As well as the current level of satisfaction regarding the performance of the NDC at district, regional and national level is also tested and the research incorporates how this may translate into future electoral success.”
If we do the arithmetic of the $175 million loan facility which was supposed to provide seven district hospitals, each hospital should have cost us $25 million.
Nevertheless, credible sources have it that out of the seven district hospitals, only the one in Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region received the full funding and was thus completed successfully.
The overarching question then is: where is the rest of the $175 million loan facility?
The vineyard news had it that during his State of the Nation Address on 19th February 2009, the late President Mills informed the Parliament that his government was looking into the decision to acquire two executive presidential jets.
However, the late President Mills had doubts over the acquisition of the aircrafts later on and thus observed: “Ghana simply cannot afford the expenditure at this time and we certainly do not need two presidential jets” (thestatesmanonline.com, 16/06/2016).
From K. Badu, UK.
k.badu2011@gmail.com