Ghana: a country of clowns

Former US President Donald Trump was arrested and indicted on 04.04.2023 for hush money, falsifying corporate documents, regulations of corporate tax declarations, later this year rape charges, Capitol Hill riot, attempt to change election results, etc. Still, in 2024, he wants to be president again. This reminds us of another leader from Africa.

No matter what a president does right and what is laudable for what he does wrong he must be held accountable even in court.

Former President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama, NDC, when President received a car in 2013 from a business owner based in Burkina Faso. He put the SUV into the carpool of the presidency declaring he is not corrupt. Instead of sending the car back to the sender and blocking him in addition to the future procurement process to do the right thing he thought to get away with it easily.

When the Melcom disaster with casualties and injured people happened in 2012 JD Mahama spoke of the greatest tragedy of modern Ghana and promised justice for the victims and their families. A report in 2013 unveiled the structure only had a building permit for an office building not the heavy load of a supermarket. Still, he did not press for a court hearing or discipline AMA Accra Mayor Alfred Oko Vanderpoye to do so.

Merchant Bank collapsed because the younger brother of John D. Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama with his company Engineers & Partner Ltd , and two other companies refused or we're unable to pay back the USD 40 Mio. loan taken. These companies never filed for bankruptcy as mandated by law in such cases. Instead, Fortis Ltd., owned by Ibrahim Mahama and others was given the right to buy Merchant Bank violating the rules of the Bank of Ghana as the needed assets and professional expertise. Rand Bank of South Africa was outmaneuvered

to take over the bank regardless of their most favorable conditions. Parliament was called out of summer break to bless the unlawful ruling of the Bank of Ghana. JD Mahama knew always right on time about the development of this case but remained silent.

The Bus branding scandal of 2014 saw a cost reduction but still the portrait of the presidents including JD Mahama on the outside of buses instead marketing campaigns of private companies.

June 3rd, 2015 saw 150 people die at the Circle in Accra at or around GOIL petrol station. JD Mahama promised justice and compensation for the victims and their families. Mourning with 4000 people at a state funeral of my partner Debs Bediako his seriously injured shop assistant informed me no help was given to him. During heavy rainfall, oil had leaked out from the underground storage container of the GOIL petrol station resulting in the explosion. Neither GOIL, AMA nor others ever stood in court to answer questions.

Airbus scandal revealed that Officer 1 was bribed with USD 1 Mio. for Ghana to buy Airbus M400 to join the military force. Officers 2, 3, 4, and 5 were compensated with less money. It was uncovered Officer 1 was JD Mahama accordingly to internal Ghana investigations after the UK declined to give clear real names.

2016 saw the opening of the Komenda Sugar Factory worth USD 35 Mio. Besides wrong seedlings etc. JD Mahama did not reduce or stop the import of sugar to protect this investment rather allowed the factory to go down in history as a white elephant crying loud out the pain of the 7000 people around who had never been employed.

Besides God, the whole world knows in Ghana clowns have loud voices and fun in all their suffering.