Samuel Koku Anyidoho, founder of the Atta Mills Institute, has reiterated that his former boss, late John Evans Atta Mills, sidestepped his then vice president, John Dramani Mahama, on key issues on the economy.
This is despite Mahama’s official role as the head of the Economic Management Team (EMT), which team Anyidoho said was non-functional largely because of Mahama’s lack of leadership. He said Atta Mills eventually constituted an economic advisory body which became the main body that he referred to on matters relating to the economy. The former presidential spokesperson stressed that Mahama had very little to do with the economic successes chalked under Atta Mills.
“People say he was head of the Economic Management Team under Prof Mills but the fact is, it wasn’t working. So, Prof created his own advisory economic team because he didn’t have faith in Mahama. The Economic Management Team everyone knew at the time was non-functioning so he created his own advisory team chaired by Dr. Gorbin Nankani, who later left to the IMF. So, Prof actually sidestepped Mahama on a lot of this and was running this country in his own,” he disclosed.
Anyidoho, known to be opposed to John Dramani Mahama’s bid to lead the National Democratic Congress into the 2024 elections, lamented how Mahama destroyed the booming economy he inherited from Mills in 2012 when he took over after his boss’ death.
“You were given the opportunity with a strong economy built by President Mills. Dr. Duffour was then the Finance Minister and Amissah was the Governor and Mahama had a solid economy with over 36 months single digit inflation and stable currency, introduction of the single spine salary and heavy infrastructural development
“You came and because you didn’t like Mills, you changed every input he made. Then you appointed Seth Terkper as your Finance Minister and you you two arrogantly collapsed it.”
Koku Anyidoho
Mahama was Mills’ running mate in the 2008 elections, which was won in a run-off. He served Mills’ remaining term of about six months before he won the 2012 elections. He, however, lost the 2016 re-election bid and a 2020 shot at staging a comeback. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo defeated him in both elections.
Mahama Must Know That Ghana Is Governed By Laws
The deputy Communication Director for the governing NPP, Kamal-Deen Abdulai said the former Electoral Commission (EC) boss, madam Charlotte Osei was lawfully removed from office. According to him, the laws will apply on anybody irrespective of the offender’s status in the country adding that when you flout it, you cannot escape the consequences that come with the offends.
kamal deen abdulai
Kamal-Deen Abdulai
His comments opposed the views of former President John Mahama, who questioned how State institutions have been bastardized in the country by the current administration, while delivering a lecture on “Africa’s Strategic Priorities and Global Role” at Chatham House, London. The former President also recounted how the former EC boss was removed.
Commenting on the lecture by the former President, Mr. Kamal-Deen stated that it is unfair for former President Mahama to describe the removal of the former EC boss as frivolous on an international stage such the Chatham House.
“No matter who you are, our constitution is clear that no one is above the law and for His Excellency John Dramani Mahama who has been the President of the republic of Ghana before, and who swore according to the constitution of Ghana and swore to uphold all the laws of Ghana,” he lamented.
“It will be very unfair to the system when he says that reasons for the asking of Charlotte Osei from office were frivolous. The question that comes to mind is that was Charlotte Osei taken out of office as a result of due process of the law? As a result, she has relented on her duties and to the extent that she has flouted the laws of this country or not; and if the answer is yes, then I think that President Mahama should come again,
“I think it is unfair for a statesman to make such a statement. With the young people growing up we all have learnt that we need to be bonded by the laws of the country. We need to actually work with them and Charlotte Osei. The accusations that came for her removal emanated from the same institution and people she was working with. Even Commissioners that were at the same table had problems with her or she had problems with them.”
Kamal-Deen
Mr. Kamal-Deen stated that the former President should not sit anywhere and formulate any story while the accusations and counter accusations from EC under the leadership of Charlotte Osei got her out of office.
“Me, I will maintain that no matter how little a law appears and no matter how little a crime appears, it is still a crime. So long as it is defined by the law as a crime then it is punishable, and if consequences are to come with them, they are supposed to come with them and of course you will face them as well.”