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The
NPP has forced Ibrahim Mahama out of his shell
By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Folks, we have over the years heard a lot of damaging
comments from political opponents of the NDC and the Mahama-led
administration in respect of President Mahama's brother,
Ibrahim Mahama.
Beginning with the Merchant Bank to the role of his company,
Engineers and Planners) in the drainage of the Odaw river
after the June 3 disaster at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra,
those loudmouthed doomsday activists made so much noise to
create the impression that Ibrahim was abusing his ties with
President Mahama to intensify corruption and to fleece
Ghana.
Many comments condemned him to death and pushed him to the
point where he had to go to court against the NPP's Ashanti
Regional Chairman, Wontumi. The matter is in the maze and
dragging on forever. Probably, someone has to give the trial
judge some sacks of fresh snails, containers of cocoyam,
huge tubers of yam, a long-lasting massage by Ghana's Beauty
Queen, and other goodies to activate his system to expedite
the trial.
As if not satisfied with the extent to which they have
dragged Ibrahim and President Mahama's image in the mud,
these elements have ratcheted their calumny in the wake of
the AMERI power deal that they are twisting out of all
reasonable bounds to involve Ibrahim and President Mahama in
the so-called corruption that they associate with this
agreement.
Having soaked up all that calumny to this point, Ibrahim
can't take it anymore and has shot out of his shell to take
on his detractors, He is firing on all cylinders, telling
them what they won't want to be exposed. He has gone abroad
on several issues to say that:
1. He pays Akufo-Addo's monthly medical bills (Akufo-Addo
has issued a statement denying this claim, even at the time
that he said he was yet to verify the veracity of Ibrahim's
claim. So, on what basis was he denying that claim?). Is
Akufo-Addo so sick/ill as to have monthly treatment to
warrant the payment of such bills by Ibrahim? And why is it
Ibrahim who should be responsible for his medical bills?
What is the motivation (mere altruism or philanthropy? To
what end?). Yet, Akufo-Addo claims not to be corrupt or
susceptible to corruption!!
2. He doesn't own Merchant Bank (now Universal Merchant
Bank); he has paid his debts to that bank and won't be
foolish to buy a bank if he wants to remain in business. He
has challenged all NPP people owing that bank to repay their
loans.
3. He doesn't do shady business. He has exposed Kennedy
Agyapong and all others benefiting from the NDC government's
openness in awarding contracts. From his reaction, we can
tell that those NPP people are profiting from the Mahama-led
administration more than expected. Why, then, will they turn
round to condemn it as if they are not doing business with
it or benefiting from its policies?
4. Rumours that he is taking advantage of his brother’s
ascension to the Presidency to win state contracts and amass
wealth are baseless and malicious. Anybody ready to prove
him wrong with incontrovertible evidence?
5. He has more friends in the NPP than in the NDC and that
he is more in bed with the NPP than with the NDC. Very
serious!! Should the NDC people fear that Ibrahim will
"steal" secrets from his brother and leak them to the NPP? I
don't think so because unlike the NPP, paranoia is not in
the NDC's dictionary, clearly because it knows how to do
productive politics to connect with the electorate. Only the
NPP people are paranoid and looking over their shoulders at
the least sign of the mirage that they themselves have
erected around themselves. Poor lost political souls!!
And here is his bombshell: "He has advised the NPP to desist
from using him to score partisan points. “I don’t do shady
deals, let’s get serious... I will not win [for] the NPP the
election,” he said.
The main nub now is not who will win the elections for the
NPP but what will do so. In truth, the personalities leading
the NPP to Election 2016 can't win the elections. Only WHAT
they have to offer Ghanaians for them to see a huge
difference between their problem-solving strategies and what
the Mahama-led administration has been using all this while
will do so.
Many question marks are still hanging over the WHO aspect,
which makes nonsense of any claim of incorruptibility on the
part of Akufo-Addo and his gang. Now that they are at each
other's throat, they have turned up their underbelly for
poking. Only the WHAT part can save them. Unfortunately, it
is elusive. So, where do they stand? On a quicksand that
will swallow them.
If they doubt it, let them consider what happened in the
bye-election in Amenfi West, which endorsed the NDC despite
all the barrage of negative propaganda launched against it.
The Amenfi West experience is replicable in many parts of
the country because the WHAT element isn't forthcoming from
the NPP to assuage doubts about Akufo-Addo's leadership
skills. Ibrahim Mahama is taking them on now.
Folks, there is a lot more; but for now, let's pause here
with a clear understanding of Ibrahim's effusions. He has
pushed the ball into the court of those loudmouthed
detractors, most of whom are in the NPP camp. His coming out
at this time will add a new complexion to public discourse
on current happenings, especially as they will influence
people's perception of what exactly lies behind the
allegations made by the NPP people. Are they sure they can
stand Ibrahim?
I shall return…
• E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com
• Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor
to continue the conversation.
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