Why Akufo-Addo shouldn’t stand on the shoulders of Mills and Mahama (III)

Ex-President John Dramani Mahama, unlike his predecessor, the late John Evans Atta Mills and his successor, President Akufo-Addo, did not expect to be the president of Ghana, and hence never prepared for the highly important position.

That said, it could be true that the then Vice President Mahama had an ambition to ascend the throne one day, albeit his presidency happened sooner and fortuitously, following the sudden death of former President Mills.

Ex-President Mahama, as a matter of fact, was only forced by the Ghana’s 1992 Constitution to ascend the throne he never prepared for, and, therefore had no burning desire or had little interest to move the country to the right direction.

If you may remember, it was the late Mills who hand-picked John Dramani Mahama as his running mate for the 2008 election.

Although the late President Mills met with stiff resistance on his decision to select John Dramani Mahama as his running mate for the 2008 election, the indefatigable Mills defied the fierce opposition, stood by his then running mate John Dramani Mahama, worked in valence and emerged victorious in the 2008 election.

Subsequent to his victory in the 2008 election, the late President Mills did his utmost best and continued with the excellent economic foundation laid by former President Kufuor and his NPP government, until his sudden and inexplicable death in July 2012.

Apparently, it is on record that apart from the gargantuan corruption allegations that were disturbing the late President Mills, he was also worried about the dealings of his appointees, including the then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama.

And more so it was not only the late President Mills who appalled the appointees lacklustre approach, other credible people in NDC like Mr. Martin Amidu, expressed concerns as well.

For example, Mr Amidu has audaciously revealed that in 2010, he told the late President Mills and the then Chief of Staff that if the late President could advise his appointees to reduce corruption, abuse of office and arrogance for the remaining two years, the NDC would win the 2012 elections hands down.

Apparently, it is being alleged that there was a bad blood between the late Mills and his Vice President John Dramani Mahama. And, if that was not the case, how on earth would a whole president set up a Committee to investigate his vice president over the acquisition of aircrafts from Brazil?

I, however, find it extremely difficult to accept the position of some critics that, it was because of the feud between the late Mills and his Vice President Mahama that made the then Vice President Mahama to suggest after President Mills demise: “God in his own wisdom has taken the old man Professor Mills away to pave the way for youthful Mahama to take over the mantle”

It was, indeed, quite baffling that after the death of President Mills, Ex-President Mahama would go to the Northern region and would declare that it was about time ‘Northerners’ took over the mantle of Presidency, because they (Northerners) were fed up serving in the Vice Presidency post.

The alleged enmity somehow travelled into former President Mahama’s NDC administration.

Take, for example, Ex-President Mahama obtrusively failed to give the late Mills any credit on the NDC’s much touted numerous infrastructural projects despite the fact that the late Mills initiated the vast majority of the projects.

Indeed, former President Mahama and his NDC apparatchiks flagrantly refused to give the late Mills a mention in their green book, which highlights their often contestable accomplishments.

The decision not to give the late Mills a mention was indeed not admirable.

For if nothing at all, the late mills pragmatically put the loans contracted by former President Kufuor into good use, and, initiated the Volta Region University, the Eastern Corridor road, numerous water projects, amongst others. Regrettably, however, President Mahama made them his own without giving credit to the late Mills.

As I stated earlier, the late Mills did his utmost best and improved the booming economy left behind by former President Kufuor and his NPP government.

Take, for example, former President Kufuor quadrupled Ghana’s GDP to a staggering $28 billion in 2008. While the late Mills inherited the discovery of oil in commercial quantities and managed to increase the GDP to $47 billion by 2011.

Unfortunately, however, President Mahama reversed the GDP to an incredible $37 billion as of October 2016.

Besides, the late Mills left an economic growth of around 14 per cent, but Mahama succeeded to asphyxiate the economic growth to an amazing 3.5 per cent.

Moreover, President Mills left an agricultural growth of around 7.4 per cent in 2012, while President Mahama dragged it to around 2.5 per cent as of October 2016.

It is also true that President Mahama obliterated the late mills “unprecedented” single digit inflation and replaced it with double digits (15.8 as of October 2016).

Believe it or not, despite his brief spell at the presidency, the late Mills performed exceedingly better than his predecessor, Rawlings, and his successor, Mahama, so, for goodness’ sake, give him some credit and stop insulting his memory.

Indeed, the late Mills was an excellent human being and a real patriot who meant well for his country. But he was unfortunately let down by the very people he reposed his absolute trust.

In spite of the late Mills good intentions for Ghana, the naysayers within his own Party gratuitously kept nagging, shrilling and grumbling about his style of leadership until his inexplicable death in July 2012.