The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has expressed his optimism in Ghanaians electing him into presidency come the December election.
Speaking in an interview on an Accra based television station, Mr. Mahama chided President Akufo-Addo of protecting corrupt administrations within his administration, vowing to make the system work.
“The mistake with Nana Akufo-Addo is that some of the people engaged in corruption are so close to him in terms of the relationship that he is unable to do anything to them.
“Aside from that, he has a proclivity, where corruption has occurred and it has to with one of his appointees to try and clear them and shield them. He has done that in almost every scandal that has hit.
“Ghanaians will elect me to change the course of their lives and their destinies to work and get them employment so it won’t be my job to run after political opponents.”
The NDC flagbearer, further assured Ghanaians that under his government, anti-corruption institutions will work unabated should they choose him.
This assurance comes amid the controversy enveloping the Agyapa Royalties deal and the subsequent resignation of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, who has accused the President of interfering in his work.
“All I will do is let the system work; let the Office of the Special Prosecutor investigate those cases and prosecute anybody who is involved in them. That is how it should be”.
Brooding further on the spate of corruption within the country, Mr. Mahama followed through with similar allegations when he spoke at a durbar of chiefs in Gambbigo as part of his tour of the Upper East Region.
“This president is bathing in corruption I say that because the allegations of corruption are of people close to him and that is why I say that he is bathing in it.
“This country is heading in the wrong direction and it is our duty and responsibility to rescue our nation”.
Meanwhile, John Dramani Mahama has vowed to retrieve monies from government officials who made any monetary gain from the Agyapa Royalties deal.
He intimated that, his party when elected, will be compelled to implement recommendations made by the Office of the Special Prosecutor on the deal.
Explaining his stance further, Mr. Mahama said that the Ghana Gold Company that his previous administration wanted to use to monetize the country’s gold royalties was 100 percent owned by Ghanaians.
“The difference is that, the proposed Ghana Gold Company was going to be 100 percent owned by the government and the people of Ghana and not the Agyapa one. With the Agyapa deal, Ghana owns only 51 percent and 49 percent held by other people we don’t know. Ghana Gold Company was being registered here in Ghana but Agyapa was registered in an offshore tax haven so that the identities of the shareholders will be hidden. Civil society organizations and right-thinking Ghanaians have all expressed misgivings with this Agyapa deal. And I have said and my advice to president Akufo-Addo is that, they should desist immediately from signing that deal because as we have said clearly, we are going to oppose it, and we will do everything legitimate to frustrate that agreement in the interest of Ghanaians.
“If I become president and by the will of God, I will become president, I will not respect that agreement. They should bring that agreement back and hold a meeting with civil society organizations, the chiefs, and all the stakeholders to whom that gold royalties belong and let us achieve consensus on how we want to monetize our gold royalties and every penny that has gone underhand will be retrieved. I assure you. So they (government officials) should return those monies.”
