Dismiss Edward Mahama - Malam Issa tells PNC

The leadership of the People’s National Convention (PNC) should sanction the party’s flag bearer, Edward Mahama, and possibly expel him from the party for accepting to serve in the Nana Akufo-Addo government as Amabssador-at-Large without consulting the party, a former member of the PNC, Malam Ali Yusuf Issa, has said.

Dr Mahama has received a lot of flak from members of his party for accepting the role as Ambassador-at-Large in the NPP government without recourse to his party.

PNC National Chairman Bernard Mornah has expressed shock with Dr Mahama’s decision and has hinted the party leadership will meet to sanction him.

Contributing to the discussion on 505 on Class91.3FM on Tuesday, 11 July, 2017, Mr Issa said the PNC should deal severely with Dr Mahama.

“If the leadership of the PNC were not aware of the appointment given Dr Edward Mahama and he accepted it, then I think stiff disciplinary action must be taken against him. He should even be dismissed from the party because it’s a betrayal. Stiff disciplinary action should be taken against him because you don’t do that,” he told Valentina Ofori-Afriyie.

Mr Issa, who was himself appointed Minister of Sports by the NPP government under former President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2001 while still a member of the PNC, expressed shock Dr Mahama had accepted to become an ambassador under Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to him, Dr Mahama, who criticised him (Malam Issa) for accepting to serve under Kufuor had only accepted the ambassadorial position for monetary gains.

“I was surprised [Dr Mahama accepted the appointment] because this is Dr Edward Mahama who in 2000 the former President John Agyekum Kufuor offered him the vice presidential candidature of his party and he turned it down with a lot of excuses that he didn’t want anything to do with NPP.

"He gave all sorts of excuses as to why he thinks that PNC were of different background and traditions from the NPP and, therefore, impossible for him to accept the running mate of a different tradition…all for you to now turn around to accept an appointment called ambassador-at-large. Only heaven knows what his function is going to be".

"I’m told he will be travelling up and down for the government. But from the way Nana Akufo-Addo is travelling, I’m sure he will not get the opportunity to travel from here to even Cote d’Ivoire or Togo on behalf of the government.

In any case, age is not on his side so where is he travelling to to get and bring on the table for Ghana? For me, I think he is hard up and wants to make money into his pocket which is why he accepted that offer,” Mr Issa stated.