Ghana
Former President John Dramani Mahama, has the penchant for insulting persons he disagrees with in the society, Mike Ocquaye Jnr, Ghana’s High Commissioner to India, has said.
He asked the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to learn how to present his points without insults.
This comes after the Special Prosecutor (SP) Martin Amidu had revealed in his observations on a corruption risk assessment report on the Agyapa Royalties deal that he submitted to the Office of the President on October 16, 2020, that Mr Mahama is the one described as Government Official One in the Airbus bribery saga.
“The only reason the former President [Mahama] has not been invited for interrogation (in spite of all threats from some of his followers and lawyers) is the fact that he got himself an insurance as the Presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana,” the SP said.
He added that “prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season”.
Reacting to this while interacting with students of the University of Ghana on Wednesday, November 4, an obviously livid John Mahama said: “Amidu goes and presents Agyapa investigations and I thought he was a man enough.
“They say investigate Agyapa, so present a report on Agyapa. If you have investigated Airbus present a report on Airbus.
“In the Agyapa report, you know that it is going to be damning of this government and so you go and put one paragraph there about airbus. Nobody asked you about Airbus.
“If you were man enough present Agyapa and do a report on Airbus separately and then I will come and answer you on Airbus. If you think I am indicted on accuse me directly .
“But because he is a coward and they knew Agyapa was going to be discussed today so he put a paragraph on Airbus to equalize the discussion. what stupidity is this?”
He added: “The point is you say I am the leader of a political party and I am also saying if you have a legal basis for investigating me go ahead and investigate me. “There has been a DPA, you are not a party to it, you don’t know who are involved in it, they have identified some people in it."
“You don’t have an authenticated agreement from SFO or from whoever is involved in it and you say ‘I surmise that Government Official One is this person or that person. On what legal basis are you proceeding?”
Sharing his views on this matter on the New Day Progamme with Johnnie Hughes on TV3 Tuesday, November 10, Mike Ocquaye Jnr said “a Former president and a Presidential candidate and when a report has been released and you don’t like it you use that kind of language?
“It is not surprising because we know the track record of the man. He is the same man that used words like baloney against his opponents. We thought he had repented but he is still doing it."
“If former president Mahama will use such intemperate language in our political space, what does he expect his communicators to do? If a report has been issued and you don’t like the report you don’t call the man a coward or stupid, you only say you disagree. “
He added: “Let us find a more decorous way to respond to these matters. As politicians, we are going to be criticized by journalists, but we should not call them stupid and cowards. There is going to be a time that bodies condemn me on something I don’t agree with. Let us find a more decorous way of responding.”
Elikem Kotoko, a member of the communications team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said Mr Amidu had no basis of delving into the Airbus saga when he was dealing with Agyapa deal.
