Mahama’s act unpatriotic, shameful – Osafo Maafo

Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo has condemned former President John Dramani Mahama for painting a gloomy picture of the country to some members of the diplomatic community in Ghana.

Describing his act as unpatriotic and shameful, the Senior Minister said it is unacceptable for a former Head of State to stoop so low in tarnishing the image of the country to foreigners with the aim of painting the Akufo-Addo-led government black just so he gains favour from them.

According to Mr. Maafo, it would have been pardonable if Mahama met with Ghanaian academia or businessmen to talk about the violence that happened at Ayawaso West Wuogon but to meet with diplomats is below the belt.

“To say the least, this is unpatriotic and shameful. It is because if he gathered Ghanaians, call it the academia or Ghanaian professionals or Ghanaian businessmen and he talked about matters of concern to him, I’ll have no problem. He’s a former head of state and then for a very important opinion leader but to gather foreigners and try to paint Ghana black is just not acceptable”, he said.

Former President Mahama on Wednesday, February 13 met with various diplomatic missions in Ghana to brief them on the violence that ensued at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election last month.

Joined by the National Chairman; Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, General Secretary; Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Deputy Minority Leader; James Klutse Avedzi, a former Minister for National Security; Kofi Totobi Quakyi and senior members of the NDC, former President Mahama was of the view that the actions of the vigilante group which he said were under the instructions of the presidency were criminal and must be prosecuted.

The briefing traced the history of the NPP’s introduction of the vigilante groups, their training and the dangerous decision to arm the hoodlums and also clothe them as supposed national security operatives.

The diplomats were shown multiple videos of the barbaric attacks, gun violence, unrepentant admissions of responsibility by a Minister of State at the Presidency, Bryan Acheampong and videos of the previous outings of the NPP aligned vigilante groups, Delta and Invincible Forces.

Reacting to this, Yaw Osafo Maafo quizzed Mahama’s intentions and what he aims to achieve after showing them videos and images of the Ayawaso violence, stressing that investigations are currently underway to bring the perpetrators to book.

“What is he really after? What does former President Mahama want to portray? Why does he want to paint Ghana black? When indeed there is nothing to paint black. There was some violent, it didn’t happen in a polling station, it happened as it were in the parliamentary candidate’s house away from any polling station and we’re yet to know who even shot. Why would you want this to look like a national disaster? This is really nothing; it’s not good and I will never support any such thing but if you look at what has happened in previous by-elections in this country, this is nothing more than what had happened earlier”, he stated.

On 31st January, masked security men purportedly to be National Security operatives shot and injured seven supporters of the NDC during the by-election.

Following that, government has set up a Commission of enquiry into the incident which is being led by the former boss of CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short to investigate the matter.