Mahama should just step aside - Kabila

“…he should resign for us Ghanaians to elect a different person because President Mahama is tired and he has shown clearly that he is clueless in leading this country out of its present predicament. There is no other explanation that can be given to what he said other than the fact that he is tired...” says James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr.

Kabila, as the former National Youth Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) is affectionately called, was reacting to President John Dramani Mahama’s assertion that his government is in the “first gear” and will soon change to the “fourth gear” for accelerated development.

President John Mahama at a gathering at Awutu Senya in the Central region asked his critics to be patient because he will soon change to 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear to accelerate development in the country. He assured that Ghanaians will soon see the transformation in the country.

But speaking on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo,’ Kabila said there is no way the President will be moving in first gear because he was Vice President before becoming President.

He said the President’s assertion is an indication that he is ‘tired’ and cannot handle the affairs of the state; hence ‘he should step aside for us to elect a new person’.

He admonished President Mahama not to go for a second term because if he does, ‘corruption, misappropriation of funds, economic crisis and so on will keep escalating’.

“…my thinking is that he is tired and waiting for four years will be like punishment. He shouldn’t think of going for the second year because already we are suffering and the suffering is likely to increase in the second (term). We don’t want that…Instead of looking for solutions; you are rather talking about first gear. He is proving that the Mills administration which we criticized is even better than his; but we cannot go on like that,” he indicated.

He was unenthused that there is no provision in the country's constitution that can compel a sitting President to step down if he is underperforming, and hoped that the Constitutional Review Committee includes it in their recommendations.

“We have to look at the constitutional arrangement…because whether we like it or yes, we cannot offer any form of resistance but can only go sit through a four-year turbulent period before a president can be changed. The executive power constitutionally is with the President and the constitution does not offer any provision for a sitting president to hand over to another person if he or she becomes ‘tired’ and realizes the task is daunting before the four year term expires...and that is what I am challenging. There is a certain loophole in that aspect of the constitution…”