I won't be deterred by deliberate attempts to malign me – Mahama

Former president John Mahama has said he will not be cowed by the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) “consistent and deliberate” attempt to malign him.

His comments come in the wake of allegations that he visited some Senior High Schools in the Northern Region in the company of the Deputy National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Joshua Akamba during his campaign tour of the region to incite students against the Free SHS policy.

Mahama and Akamba were alleged to have visited the Wapuli Community Senior High School to enflame the students against the Free SHS policy being implemented by the governing New Patriotic Party.

But in a statement Saturday, October 6, the spokesperson for the former President’s 2020 presidential bid, James Agyenim Boateng said: “Mr. Mahama did not (and has still not) entered any secondary school to interact with students in the Northern Region nor any other region during his campaign tours.”

“Mr. Mahama,” the statement added “is focused on delivering the country from the economic hardship and committed to working hard to provide jobs when elected in the 2020 elections. He will therefore not be deterred by the constant, consistent and deliberate attempts by NPP members to malign him.”

Below is the full statement

NPP MEMBERS WAGE CAMPAIGN OF LIES AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT MAHAMA

Our attention has been drawn to yet another campaign of lies and deliberate disinformation intended to bring public disaffection to former President John Dramani Mahama.

Last week it was President Nana Akufo-Addo who started a malicious propaganda against Mr. Mahama when the former President called for a stakeholders review conference to address the challenges facing the Free Senior High School programme in order not to compromise the quality of secondary education in the country.

Fortunately, the good people of Ghana saw through the lies and propaganda started by the president and it fell flat on its face.

As if that was not enough, on Friday the National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye, started another round of fabricated nonsense in order to tarnish the image of Mr. Mahama and bring him into disrepute.

Nana Boakye had alleged that both Mr. Mahama and Mr. Joshua Akamba, Deputy National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had incited students against the Free SHS policy.

Whilst we do not speak for Mr. Akamba and are also not seized with the facts surrounding his interaction with students, if any, we wish to state the following as the facts about Mr. Mahama’s photos with students of Wapuli Community Senior High School which have gone viral on social media:

Mr. Mahama did not (and has still not) entered any secondary school to interact with students in the Northern Region nor any other region during his campaign tours;

Driving on a very dusty road to Saboba Constituency on Thursday, 4th October 2018, Mr. Mahama’s convoy slowed down for a large group of students (about 70) who were on their way home after school in order for the vehicles not to kick a storm of dust on the students;

Noticing that it was Mr. Mahama’s convoy, the students massed up in the middle of the road and demanded an interaction with him:

Mr. Mahama subsequently honoured their demand by popping out of the moon roof of his vehicle and interacted with the students;

Mr Mahama urged them to be studious, diligent, respectful and hardworking so that they can excel in their examinations;

The students in turn told Mr Mahama of the challenges facing their school and pleaded with Mr Mahama to resolve them when he is elected president in 2020;

Mr Mahama promised to attend to their need when elected and thanked the students.

The convoy subsequently drove off.

It is clear from the above that Mr Mahama has not dabbled in politics with Senior High School students in the Northern Region and that jaundiced, thoughtless and mischievous fabrication by Henry Nana Boakye must be treated with contempt.

In the last few days, following the warm and rousing welcome given the former President in constituencies in both the Central and Northern Regions and the government’s cluelessness about how to resolve the economic hardship, including the high cost of living in Ghana, and massive job losses, Mr Mahama has become a target of wicked and unproven allegations by fake news promoters and entrepreneurs in the government.

We wish to state that Mr Mahama is focused on delivering the country from the economic hardship and committed to working hard to provide jobs when elected in the 2020 elections. He will therefore not be deterred by the constant, consistent and deliberate attempts by NPP members to malign him.

In conclusion, we welcome the call by the NPP’s National Youth Organiser for the Ghana Education Service to investigate the matter and make its findings public.

JAMES AGYENIM-BOATENG

SPOKESPERSON