The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, says the New Patriotic Party and Ghanaians alike have serious concerns over President Mahama’s commitment to the fight against corruption as his record during his tenure as vice President does not offer any hope.
Jake stated that as Vice Present, John Mahama was involved actively in some of the most scandalous contracts and loan agreements over the last few years, adding that “Ghanaians have more reasons now to worry about corruption than before” as he has become President of Ghana.
According to Jake, President John Mahama was the same man who, against all competent advice, signed Ghana up to, allegedly, the most corrupt loan agreement ever contracted by any government of Ghana, the US$10 billion STX housing deal.
“Ghanaians were to be fleeced of $1.5 billion for the construction of 30,000 flats, half of them single bedroom. The deal allowed the Korean company to walk away with a staggering $264 million in so-called ‘political risk insurance’”, Jake maintained.
He continued, “As we speak, we still do not know where our sovereign guarantee is and the Korean partners are demanding $17 million in court for no work done.”
The NPP Chairman also cited the acquisition of the Embraer 190 presidential jet, a commercial jet disguised as a military jet, which was also championed by President Mahama.
“This deal included a ridiculously inflated price of $1million for a staircase, $1million for entertainment package and $17million for a hangar to park the plane,” Jake added.
Moving on to the litany of broken promises which the ruling NDC have become known for, Jake Obestesbi Lamptey described President Mahama as “the face of NDC broken promises.”
Explaining his statement, with particular reference to SADA a project championed by President Mahama, the NPP chairman said the promise of an initial start-up capital of GH¢200 million and a further GH¢100 million every year had been neglected, just like the affordable housing project started by President Kufuor and the NPP.
Turning his attention on President Mahama’s relatively short tenure as President, Jake expressed further worry about the incompetence shown by President John Mahama.
“His penchant to take bad decisions without consulting the relevant stakeholders, as in his flawed decision to turn the Jubilee House into a presidential cemetery; his shocking explanation to foreign diplomats that had he chosen his vice presidential nominee earlier he would have been accused of ‘assassinating the president’, his strange and rash decision to launch his campaign during President Mills’ one week funeral celebration; the indecision characterizing the choice of a burial place for the late President”, according to the NPP Chairman was worrying.
Jake maintained that President Mahama’s decision to break his own admonition to NDC communicators by being the first to throw insults at Ghanaians when he described the unnecessary debate that he himself generated over the choice of burial place as “useless”, is indicative of what Ghanaians should expect in the next four months.
The NPP chairman made these comments at a press conference organized at the party’s headquarters to congratulate President Mills and Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on their assumption of office following the death of President John Evans Atta Mills
