Veep Aliu Mahama ? A Toothless Bulldog?

Credible information available to The Insight indicates that Vice-President Aliu Mahama had no prior briefing and was not consulted about the recent cabinet reshuffle.Interestingly, lesser-placed persons in the funges of the Kufuor administration were fully consulted and knew about the details of the reshuffle, at least two weeks before they were announced.

The Statesman, a newspaper sympathetic to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) got many of the details right in its predictions published about three weeks before the formal announcement. The newspaper accurately predicted the exit of at least three top ministers; Charles Bintim for Local Government, Yaw Osafo Maafo of Education and Ayikoe Otoo for Justice and Attorney General. It also predicted that Dan Botwe was to leave the Ministry of Information. On the other hand, Vice President Aliu Mahama got to know about the reshuffle from President Kufuor on the very day it was announced. Reliable sources to the presidency told The Insight that on the day in question, Mr. Kufuor arrived for the meeting at the Castle and told the Vice-President to the hearing of those assembled that he should have discussed some changes with him the day before.

President Kufuor told his Vice that he could not have the discussion because he was busy. Vice President Aliu Mahama was then instantly invited to join a team which was to explain the changes to the ministers who had already assembled. The team was made up of the President, the Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Head of National Security and a Mrs. Chinery Hesse.Interestingly, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who was present at the meeting was initially not invited to join the team. Insiders say that this is not the first time the Vice-President has been slighted. Indeed, it is believed that the Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs is far more influential in Government than the Vice-President.

In the light of his dwindling influence in Government, the Vice-President has had to find something to keep him busy and this must explain his forays into the countryside. Well-informed sources say the vice-President has not kicked up a fuss over his isolation and neglect because of fears that it might adversely affect his presidential aspirations. Some party faithfuls, led by stalwart Amoako Tuffour have rallied to the support of the vice-President and they hope to make him the NPP?s presidential candidate for the 2008 elections.

Although Aliu Mahama has not publicly declared his intention to run for President, his campaign team is well placed and working vigorously. It is especially active in the three northern regions and the Volta region. Four persons have already emerged as frontliners in the campaign for the presidential candidature of the NPP. They are Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor.