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Who can resist Mahama's real 'impeachment' on December 7?

JDMahama President John Mahama

Thu, 1 Sep 2016 Source: New Statesman

Members of Parliament have been recalled to consider a motion seeking to impeach President John Mahama for accepting a Ford Expedition vehicle, largely considered by many as a bribe, from a Burkinabe contractor.

Whilst commending the NPP Minority for initiating the process, and seeking to stand up for the interest of the nation, we want to encourage them not to be upset by the intended effort by their counterparts to foil the move for partisan considerations.

No matter the outcome of the process, posterity will acknowledge their gallant effort in standing up to be counted in the fight against bribery and corruption in the country.

The canker of bribery and corruption under this government is not only unprecedented, but also eating deeper into the very fabric of the country, and rendering the state poorer and poorer in all sectors.

President Mahama's acceptance of the so-called gift was a serious slap in the face of good governance, especially after Ghana had been acclaimed internationally for her democratic tenets.

It must be noted that the Mahama-Kanazoe bribery scandal far transcends the mere offer and acceptance of a bribe. It also tragically reflects the excruciating unbridled corruption going on within the Mahama-led NDC government.

Often times in our country, we have allowed people in authority to have their ways without subjecting them to proper scrutiny, and by allowing this we indirectly send signals to others that they can go ahead and bend the rules; after all, their superiors are engaged in similar acts.

We are aware that the petition for impeachment will first need to be handed over to the Chief Justice by the Speaker of Parliament for investigations to be conducted to establish a prima facie case against the president. Already, the Majority side has indicated it will move heaven and earth to ensure that the motion for impeachment is not even entertained by the Speaker.

Even though unapologetic President Mahama and his apologists have sought to lie through their teeth to Ghanaians that the Ford vehicle was a gift to the nation, Ghanaians are very discerning to read through the lines.

And whatever comes out of the attempted impeachment process will not change their views about the president, who has shown that he sees governance as a means to amass wealth at the expense of the suffering masses.

Even in the event that the process fails to achieve the ultimate result, we are convinced the actual 'impeachment' of President Mahama will be done by suffering Ghanaians when they go to the polls on December 7. And who can resist that 'impeachment'?

That impeachment of the President Mahama and his government over their unbridled corruption and looting of the national coffers certainly, as well as their gross economic mismanagement, cannot be resisted by the Majority in Parliament.

In the meantime, we expect the suffering constituents of the Majority MPs to take keen interest in the attempted impeachment process against the president, and the reactions of their representatives thereof, and be advised accordingly when they go the polls on December 7. It's about Ghana's interest and not self-preservation.

Columnist: New Statesman