Building Mansions And Giving Houses To Ex-Presidents Is An Insult

To The Suffering People Of Ghana

The NDC governments decision to build a brand new house for Ex –President Rawlings and his wife on the site of his residence that was razed down by fire is unacceptable and an abuse of the blood and sweat of Ghanaian taxpayers. Although one does sympathaise with the loss of property by fire , we know the property is state property and not owned by the Rawlingses. The fact remains that Ex President Rawlings was a head of state for 19 years, 11 years as a military dictator and 8 years as a civilian president. During this period, he received a monthly salary just as nurses, doctors, factory workers, clerks, civil servants etc. If he is really a social democrat or cares for the people of Ghana as he always claims, He should save his money just like everybody else from his monthly pay packet. Apart from this he gets gratuities and a regular monthly state pension. There are also financial gifts from party members, businessmen, and donations from other heads of state .So why are we putting up with him?

It is also clear that Ex President Rawlings is not destitute. He owns a house at Adgirgano, in East Legon with an inscription on the wall H.E.J.J.R(Your guess is as good as mine what is stands for). He also owns 100 acres of land stretching from Dodowa and Ayikuma in the Dangme West district, A farm ranch in the Afram plains, a country home in Sogakope and other numerous houses.

We are also surprised by the information revealed by Mr John Aklogu Tia, the Minister of Information which was published in the Chronicle newspaper that the government had also renovated Nana Konadu’s mother’s house. This is really shocking and a gross abuse of the Ghanaian taxpayers money. We have 210,000 graduates at home with no jobs, we have 55,000 citizens sleeping outside shops in the streets of Accra since April 2009 because they cannot pay their rent, Our water and electricity bills have gone up by 300% in real terms,we are paying high priced road tolls at vantage points in the country , University Teachers are on strike because they have not been paid their arrears, The School feeding Programme has virtually collapsed in some regions with children not getting the free hot meal they are entitled to, water and road projects have grounded to a halt because contractors have not been paid almost a year, there is no gas available anywhere in Ghana and all we can think of is to build mansions for an Ex leader and their wifewho are already wealthy and renovate the homes of their mother in- laws!!!! So they can get enough space to incite NDC youth to seize more toilets and offices!! Is this the Better Ghana Ghanaians voted for? One would like to believe that being a president of your country is Public Service and a National Service and not a lifetime licence to enjoy the tax payers money and resources till the day you die, even after you have finished your service. We believe that our constitution allows for past and sitting presidents to abuse the ex gratia system. Some of us although we have always been loyal to former President Kufuor and our party for example, disagreed with him and other party members internally on the Chinery Hesse report. We thank God that in NPP we don’t practise idol worship where we have to always agree and nod our heads like agama lizards to what our leaders say or do even if its not in the interest of the Ghanaian people. We are not against our leaders getting a pension and basic gratuities linked with their final monthly salary as pertains in other democracies. However the fact that we should give them cars, build mansions, send them on yearly holidays aborad, pay their childrens school fees and pay their families after they are dead is grossly unfair and a waste of our scarce resources. It is vital we as a people bring about urgent reform to end this madness and do what the silent majority of Ghanaians expect. For the record we would like to site some names of former patriotic African Heads of State, who are living in their own homes they built with their sweat .

Olusegun Obasanjo Former President, Nigeria 1999-,2007 -Lives on his farm in Otta ,Nigeria

Ibrahim Babangida - Former Head of State Nigeria 1983-1993-Lives on his ranch in Maiduguri, Nigeria,

Benjamin Mkapa - Former President Tanzania 2003-2007, lives in his house he built before coming into office. in Dodoma

Nelson Mandela -, Former President, South Africa1994-1998-Lives in his house in Soweto

Ahmed Tejan Kabbah,- Former President Sierra Leone,1997-2006-Lives in his own home in Freetown

Mattheu Kerekou-Former President, Benin1972-1990(1994-2005)-lives in his home on the outskirts of Cotonou

John Agyekum Kufuor, -Former President Ghana 2001-2009-lives in own home in Accra.

God save our country from charlatans and self proclaimed messiahs.

Nana Yaw Sarpong Communications Officer-NPP UK and Ireland