I'm surprised people are challenging Mahama’s role in building UGMC — Franklin Cudjoe

Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Africa has waded into the ongoing controversy over who deserves credit for building the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 2, the IMANI Africa boss expressed surprise at efforts to wipe out former President John Mahama's role in the project.

Mr. Cudjoe wrote, "I am surprised some folks are fighting the fact that JM (John Mahama) was very instrumental in the building of the UGMC."

He acknowledged that President Mills "initiated the project" but noted that Mahama, as vice president at the time, "supported the project and finally saw the completion of the project."

The debate started after Mahama recently claimed credit for UGMC while touting his achievement in healthcare infrastructure.

However, many critics, including NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign spokesperson Dennis Miracles Aboagye refute the claim.

Dennis Aboagye said "President Mahama never built the University of Ghana Medical Centre. He had no hand in the construction."

He credited late President John Evans Atta Mills for phase one and Akufo-Addo for completing it.

But in his post, Mr. Cudjoe questioned "why these folks did not see anything wrong with the utterly stupid delay in opening the UGMC...supervised by the former health minister Agyemang Manu."