‘It’s most unfortunate’ – Mahama speaks on stolen legacies

Former President John Dramani Mahama has described as unfortunate, attempts by the ruling Akufo-Addo government to discredit him of efforts he made in securing some developmental projects under his tenure before losing the seat to the ruling NPP.

According to the former president, it will take nothing from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government to acknowledge the efforts of their predecessors in the governance process.

He believes practising this will only harness national unity and cohesion. However, John Mahama lamented the seeming lack of acknowledgement on the part of the ruling government, a situation which he describes as “most unfortunate.”

Referencing particular instances under his tenure of office, the former president insisted that he was always sure to acknowledge the efforts of his predecessors when he commissioned developmental projects.

“What is all this thing about whose credit and whose what…when I became president, the Bui Dam was completed, it was conceptualized under Rawlings’ administration, Kufuor came and took it and actually sort the funding for it...and the project started and he didn’t finish before he left office and Prof Mills came and took it…and then it was finished in my time. I went and commissioned it, I invited President Kufuor and, in my speech, I said we have this dam because this president moved it to the next level…” he said in an interaction with Radio Waa.

John Mahama stressed that giving credit does not in any way diminish the efforts of the sitting president.

He explained, “I don’t see how it diminishes you…to try and take credit to yourself and avoid giving credit. Prof Mills commissioned the N1 road in Accra and at the commissioning, President Kufuor was there and he gave credit to him. But a certain phobia for acknowledging the work of past presidents especially under Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration. It’s most unfortunate. I mean if I take over from him and there are projects that he initiated when I go to commission, I’ll invite him to come…just mentioning that this person played a part it doesn’t take anything away from you.”

Over the past few months, Ghanaians have witnessed an interesting display of undisguised politics with developmental projects which are often funded with the public purse.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in these discussions is often peeved by the discourteous mannerisms of the ruling party in overlooking their roles in the success of projects.

NDC claim the ruling party is reaping what they did not sow. But the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the other hand, often retorts by stating restructuring of projects and quoting instances of lack of value for money as defence.

Some key infrastructural projects the two have laid claim to include; the Bank of Ghana Hospital, Tema Motorway Interchange, Pokuase Interchange and the Greenhouse project.