Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has argued that the New Patriotic Party(NPP) government cannot explain away the nepotism charge levelled against it by stating that the appointed relatives of the President are qualified because he had more qualified relations but never did same.
For the qualification of the relatives of the President was immaterial when he was President and the same standard must hold for President Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party(NPP) government.
“The thing is in politics, be careful what you say because tomorrow, it will come to haunt you, And that’s exactly what’s haunting them. [They shouted] family and friends government! When it wasn’t true. Now today, relatives everywhere! And when you raise it, nepotism, they tell you:” No, no, it doesn’t matter if it is the person’s relative; it depends on whether they are qualified. Whether they are qualified? Who doesn’t have qualified relatives? I have degree holders and PhD holders in my family. And that’s what I said in Bolga: if it was getting qualified relatives, oh! Plenty, I have plenty,” he pointed out in a speech at a recent event covered by MyNewsGh.com
The NDC, as part of its Moment of Truth Series, accused the President of packing his government with as many as 51 relatives in his government, declaring the NPP as the most nepotistic government in Ghana’s history.
But the NPP, in a swift rebuttal, explained that even though some of the relatives named have no government positions, all others cited are qualified to serve as appointed by the President.
This explanation, John Mahama, finds unacceptable given that it is a different rule for the current President as opposed to when he was President when the qualification of relatives did not matter.
“Then lean government. Lean government! When you appoint and they are too many, they say oh, it is not the quantity but it is the quality. So who is judging the quality? You? You know, but it’s not good for our corporate governance. Because you don’t change the rules depending on who is in power. Ghana belongs to all of us. Whoever is President, whoever forms government, we must hold them to the same standard of accountability. And civil society organizations have gone quiet? More society has gone quiet?” he wondered.
