Controversy Over Mahama Flagstaff House Move

The relocation of President John Dramani Mahama from the Osu Castle to the Flagstaff has been greeted with controversy over past pronouncements that have created inconsistencies in the stance of key officials in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

For instance, in 2008, former spokesperson of erstwhile President John Evans Atta Mills and the current Minister of Information and Media Relations, Mahama Ayariga, was very critical of the multi-million dollar presidential edifice, describing it as wasteful.

According to Mr. Mahama, the NDC, as a matter of principle, was against the construction of the Flagstaff House (which was refurbished from its previous colonial state at over $70 million), intimating that the NDC would have used the resources to put up several development projects instead.

Yet, in 2013, the Minister and the entire NDC have made a complete U-turn on their opposition to the location of the seat of government in the Flagstaff House.

Sam Pee Yaley and the current National Security Advisor, Gen Joseph Nunoo Mensah, had all raised concerns about possible security challenges if the President moved to the controversial Flagstaff House.

Yesterday, pro-opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth group Young Patriots issued a statement criticizing the apparent double standards of officials of the NDC.

“Mr Mahama Ayariga, the very person who, as the spokesperson for former President Mills, told the whole world the NDC was and still is against the putting up of the edifice in principle, intimated the NDC would have better used the resources to put up several development projects,” stated the statement signed by the group’s top hierarchy.

Yesterday, Mahama Ayariga told Citi FM that the security concerns which prevented the late President John Mills from using the Flagstaff House as the seat of government had been addressed, hence paving way for President Mahama to occupy the imposing edifice.

Former chief of staff under the Kufour government Kwadwo Mpiani was quoted yesterday saying that it was the partisan nature of the NDC government which caused it to waste five years before moving to the Flagstaff House.

“I believe it is the right decision as the whole edifice was put up to be the office of the Head of State and it is rather unfortunate that it has taken a long time for the President to decide to move in,” Mr. Mpiani told Citi FM.

“Maybe it teaches us a lesson as a nation that we should look at things with a broader view as we seem to be too much of a partisan nation. We look at everything with partisan considerations and I think that is not good enough,” he added.

Indeed, President Mahama’s predecessor, John Evans Atta Mills, was extremely critical of the edifice so much that he vowed never to move his seat of government there; the only condition that would make him budge, according to him, would be over his dead body.

NDC officials described the edifice as fit for a poultry farm. The over $70 million edifice, which has office and residential premises for the president, has been the subject of a hot debate after President John Mills’ persistent refusal to relocate there. The NPP, in 2007, pulled down the old structure of the Flagstaff House and rebuilt it with a grant from the Indian government to serve as the new seat of government.

The Kufuor government commissioned the project in 2008. But President Atta Mills refused to use the facility when he took over power in 2009, citing security reasons. In that same year, however, part of it was handed over to the Foreign Affairs Ministry temporarily after its offices were razed down by fire.

The Young Patriots thinks the NDC should graciously eat humble pie because it is convinced that the U-turn is an indication that the ruling party fumbled in its criticism of the Flagstaff House.

“As much as the Young Patriots are happy to note that the President and the NDC have eaten humble pie and are moving into facility, we sincerely think as a matter of principle the President should explain to the good people of Ghana why he is moving into the facility,” stated the NPP youth group.

“We request the President and the NDC to render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians and most especially President Kufour for playing petty politics with the matter.

Ghanaians deserve better than the debasement of the issues and the immature way the NDC and President Mahama handled the matter,” the Young Patriots challenged.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Information and Media Relations, on behalf of President Mahama, issued a statement elaborating plans to see the President move into the Flagstaff today.

“Government wishes to announce that the seat of government will officially move from the Castle-Osu to the Flagstaff House on Thursday, 7th February, 2013.

This means that President John Dramani Mahama will from Thursday, 7th February, 2013 conduct formal government business from the Flagstaff House,” the statement indicated.