John Dramani Mahama, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for 2024 and a former president, has vowed to prosecute any NPP officials involved in corruption under his future administration.
The former president claims he is taking on the NPP members because corruption has gone uncontrolled and spread throughout the nation. The President was voted out of office in 2016 as a result of corruption-related activities involving his appointees.
Speaking on Thursday at a forum held as part of his campaign tour in Tegbi, a small fishing community in the Volta Region’s Keta Municipality, the former president charged that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) had no intention of putting an end to the problem, primarily because party members were deeply embroiled in corrupt practices.
“So I have said if they can’t deal with it when we come, we will deal with it for them,” he remarked with empathy. We will hold those who have misbehaved themselves accountable when NDC arrives.
“But I must also caution our people that those of us who go into positions of authority, if you also abuse your trust, I’m not going to come and defend you. The anti-corruption institutions will deal with you as we are going to deal with members of this [NPP] government,” he said.
The former president went on to accuse the NPP of ignoring farmers and fishermen in favor of party executives and “apparatchiks” who store, use, and/or sell production-related goods for their personal and financial gain.
“Corruption has broken loose; if it was in the IGP’s custody, it has broken jail,” the former president lamented even more. It is operating throughout the nation. It is apparent the NPP has no will or no ability to check corruption.”.
Mr. Mahama, who said he wouldn’t spare his (NDC) members when he regained power, had some of his members tried and imprisoned by the current administration during his previous administration.
