Mahama should have been officially prosecuted for corruption - Kwamena Duncan

Kwamena Duncan has slammed former President John Dramani Mahama over his speech at Chatham House in London on Friday, January 27, 2023.

The former President, speaking on the theme “Africa’s Strategic Priorities and Global Role”, fired shots at the Akufo-Addo administration saying, "severe cost of living crisis fueled by ever-rising prices of basic goods has imposed extreme hardship on Ghanaians as the government struggles to meet some of its most basic commitments in areas like education and health.

"Unemployment stood at a staggering 13%, the highest in recent memory. It would be no hyperbole to assert that our present state bears an uncanny resemblance to the late seventies and eighties".

"How was a country with such bright prospects, only a decade ago, brought to its knees so quickly when it should have made far more progress?", he queried.

John Mahama continued that "government failed to sustain the gains made after our last IMF programme, which brought stability to the management of the Ghanaian economy. Corruption has also contributed significantly to bringing us to this distressing juncture".

"The purpose of recounting these failures, driven my mismanagement and corruption, in Ghana is to demonstrate how Africa depletes scarce resources generated from both the continent and development partners.

"Instead of thinking innovatively to address the fundamental economic problem, many leaders worsen it. Using management of the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study my own country Ghana once a beacon of Africa has come up for mention for dissipating domestic and donor funds," he further said.

But Kwamena Duncan is amazed at the audacious behavior of Mr. Mahama to criticize the incumbent government.

He wondered how the former President could speak about the government in such manner when he has a truckload of corruption allegations against him during the time of his administration.

To him, "if it was not the case that Ghana is bankrupt, in his own words, what must be happening today is that former President Mahama should be appearing in court and being prosecuted on the charges of taking bribes".

"In his (Mahama) words he describes this country as bankrupt . . . but for our bankrupt situation, what should be happening now is that former President Mahama should have been officially charged and brought before the court and being prosecuted, taken through due process of law," he fumed.

Kwamena Duncan made these comments during the Wednesday edition of Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show.