Dear former President Mahama,
I TRULY believe and cynically, without a doubt, that Ghana lived through the worst government in living memory under your presidency.
Indeed, we have watched the NDC government that you led hack away at the public state and normalise corruption, polarisation, incompetence and cruelty.
It is trite and obvious that your presidency was defined by one corruption scandal after another. But even as political watchers savored a sombre yet reaffirming moment for good governance, you won the NDC nomination to run for President yet again in 2024. Your track record is one of surprises, corruption, profiteering, avarice and bucking the system. It is also true that corruption defined your career, but then you added to it a unique brand of dishonesty and opportunism.
Please allow me to begin by reminding you of the corruption we witnessed in your tortuous erstwhile regime.
As matter of fact, let’s run through a laundry list of your corrupted deals as president.
◾️The $100-million Circle Interchange corrupt deal awarded to Queiroz Galvao Construcao through non- competitive tendering process under your presidency.
◾️The overpricing of the Ameri Energy deal for the supply of 10 turbines with 230-250MW capacity of power. There was strong accusations the project was costed at a lot more than it was worth – experts said the turbines should cost $220 million, so the question is where is the extra $360 million?
◾️ The fraudulent Smarttys bus branding scandal, where 116 Metro Mass Transit (MMT) buses were rebranded at a cost of GH¢3.6 million.
◾️The GYEEDA scandal, where millions of cedis were paid illegally to contractors of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA).
◾️The SADA corruption, where GH₵32,498,000 was paid to ACICL to plant five million trees in the savannah zone, but could only account for about 700,000 trees. SADA also spent GH¢15 million on guinea fowls, but could only account for a few of the birds.
◾️The Ford bribery scandal, where you accepted a Ford Expedition vehicle estimated to cost $60,000 from a Burkinabe contractor, Djibril Kanazoe, whose construction firm was bidding for a lucrative government contract.
To top it off, now, the latest farcical episode in the whole sorry saga of your corrupted persona is playing out in full swing.
It’s an allegation that has bubbled amid a steady stream of recent happenings that have seen you being accused of secret financial interests and allegations of dodgy dealings.
All of that said, however, I ask a pertinent question; is it true that you connived with some South Koreans and laundered $1billion through Nigeria into the country in the run up to the 2016 election?
How about the mysterious vault containing the laundered $1billion in your residence?
Again, are you able to come clear on the fact that your Korean friends actually laundered this huge cash through Nigeria?
Is the laundered cash what you’ve been splashing around like an Arabian King and doling out to your friends in the media to do your dirty propaganda for you?
Respectfully sir, what about the $ 600.000 Lordina splashed on shopping at Selfridges in London?
The evidence is becoming increasingly obvious to me that you and your family made millions of dollars using political influence.
In the face of you and your cohorts gaming the political system to enrich yourselves and your long history of sailing close to the wind, the people of Ghana cannot allow your corrupt hands to taint the halls of power and the very foundation of our democracy.
Mr former President, you’re the poster version of, corrupted politician, and it seems that all of your years of corruption in high office may be coming home to roost, as we look ahead to 2024.
Politicians have a duty to uphold the highest standards. Regrettably, right thinking members of the public in Ghana don’t trust you to keep corruption out of our politics.
Sincerely yours,
Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu – Deputy Director of Communications, NPP