Bungalow saga: Mahama’s conduct ‘credit’ to Ghana – Akufo-Addo

Despite controversies surrounding his request to keep his official bungalow as part of his retirement package, former President John Dramani Mahama’s conduct has been a credit to the nation, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

While expressing his gratitude to God for his electoral victory at the Accra Ridge Church on Sunday January 15, Mr Akufo-Addo also lauded Mr Mahama for his role in ensuring a peaceful transition.

He told the congregation: “Our thanks must also go to my predecessor President John Dramani Mahama, who followed in the worthy footsteps of his illustrious predecessors – President Jerry John Rawlings and President John Agyekum Kufuor – and supervised a peaceful transition of power. Despite all the controversies surrounding his settlement, his conduct has been a credit to our nation and we must all give thanks to the Lord for it.”

There has been controversy surrounding the settlement of Mr Mahama after he lost the December 7 election to Mr Akufo-Addo.

Per Ghana’s 1992 constitution, Mr Mahama was supposed to vacate his official bungalow at Cantonments in Accra a day before the investiture of Nana Akufo-Addo.

While the outgone government’s side of the transition team said it reached an agreement with the new president’s team to allow Mr Mahama to continue staying in the property, the new government said there was no such deal.

The leader of the new government’s side of the transition team, Yaw Osafo Marfo, told journalists: "We have not approved of his request, and I want to repeat we have received the request and the requests are two – for him to be given as his ex-gratia where he lives and also be given another property as his office."

Mr Mahama’s critics said his earlier quest to keep the property was unlawful. Mr Mahama later withdrew his request to have the property as his ex gratia.