Goldmines and Landmines: Manasseh’s open letter to President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama

Dear President John Dramani Mahama,

Accept my congratulations on your emphatic victory in the 2024 presidential election and your rebound as president of our republic.

It is early days yet, and experience has taught me to tame my excitement over the positive signs of your administration. I must, however, admit that the air of our national discourse since you took over two weeks ago appears to have been purified from the toxicity of oppression, nepotism and impunity with which our nation was polluted in the longest eight years of the Fourth Republic.

I know you are still swamped by the multitude of job seekers swarming the magnetic field of your presidency, seeking to serve in positions they qualify or greedily fighting for jobs to fulfill their dreams of self-enrichment. However, I think this is the best time to write to you, and I hope you will take your eyes momentarily off the CVs and read this.

As a journalist, my role in your government is cut out in the 1992 Constitution. I’m mandated to hold you and your government accountable to the people of Ghana, and I intend to do that constructively. This letter is intended to draw your attention to the goldmines that can cement your legacy if you pursue them. It also points to possible landmines that could undermine your efforts at resetting Ghana and sink the nation deeper than the national cathedral-like hole in which the Akufo-Addo administration left Ghana.

It also outlines the standards by which many Ghanaians will judge your administration.

Threats to Gag Media and Civil Society

Before I continue, however, permit me to address this crucial issue. Some of your party members have started threatening to crush voices of dissent. Their reason is that the media and civil society were silent when Akufo-Addo was in power, so they won’t allow them to talk. I see many of these claims, especially on social media.

Over the past eight years, I missed no opportunity to contrast the Akufo-Addo regime with your presidency whenever media freedom and free speech were discussed. While tolerance for dissent, spearheaded by your body language, allowed Ghanaians to have their say during your presidency, speaking up was an act of bravery—and, sometimes, foolhardiness—in the Akufo-Addo era.

Indeed, a few pressure groups and public-spirited individuals whose sanctimonious voices of accountability shattered the rafters of your administration abandoned their avowed cause to observe table manners when Akufo-Addo took over. But the civil society organisations (CSOs) that matter in Ghana did not abandon the ship.

At great danger to their safety, civil society activists stood up under Akufo-Addo. I appreciated the enormous impact of civil society groups, especially those in the anti-corruption and extractive sectors, when I wrote “The President Ghana Never Got.” The CSOs led and won the fights against Agyapa, the Aker Energy deal, and the unconscionably renegotiated Ameri deal. The CSOs sued the government over Daniel Domelevo’s sacking as Auditor-General and are in court over the shady SML deal Ken Ofori-Atta spearheaded.

Like them, I cannot be denied my right to speak in your administration. For doing my work under the oppressive Akufo-Addo regime, I had to resign from my job, went into exile twice, went to work with armed police escorts at some point, and ended up seeking therapy from a clinical psychologist because of the toll of the pressure on my mental health. These notwithstanding, I wasn’t mute as charged. I also reject the false claim by some that I was not as productive as I had been while you were in office.

During your presidency (from January 2013 to January 2017, my major works were the (1) GYEEDA scandal, (2) SADA scandal, (3) Ford gift saga, and (4) Doctor Ali-Gabass story.

In the Akufo-Addo era, my major works included:

(1) Contracts for Sale resulted in the PPA CEO’s dismissal and ended the government’s claim of saving billions through procurement audits.
(2) The SML scandal, which resulted in the discontinuation of about $450 million worth of contracts.
(3) Robbing the Assemblies, which resulted in the cancellation of the $74 million contract fraudulently awarded to the Jospong Group.
(4) The Covid-19 Scandal initiated by Akufo-Addo, which won the overall best 2023 Norbert Zongo African Investigative Journalism Prize.
(5) The Returned Bribe, which resulted in the dismissal of the head of legal at the FDA.
(6) Exclusive revelations of the Akufo-Addo administration’s mess in my book, “The President Ghana Never Got.”
(7) Setting up and managing The Fourth Estate for the Media Foundation for West Africa. Started in 2021, The Fourth Estate was about the most critical and impactful media entity in Akufo-Addo’s second term.
(8) The expose on NPP party executives selling outboard motors meant for fishermen in the Central Region.
(9) The expose on De-Eye vigilante group’s operations at the Osu Castle, led by Akufo-Addo’s former bodyguard.
(10) The 5G expose.
(11) Grounded Wheels.
(12) The documentary titled “Saved by Grace: Ghana Against Covid-19”
(13) The pregnant nursing trainees’ story that resulted in abolishing the policy that suspended nursing and midwifery students who got pregnant while in school.

With these, my writings and social media activism, it is evident that despite operating under the worst media environment in the Fourth Republic, I did more work under Akufo-Addo. I did not shut up and cannot be said to have suddenly found my voice when you returned.

Having clarified this, I will now proceed to state the goldmines and landmines that could elevate or sink your administration and Ghana.

Goldmines

1. ORAL: When you won the election, the most dominant cry of Ghanaians was reminiscent of the 1979 chant: “Let the blood flow!” This time, it was a cry for justice and accountability and not bloodshed. Ghanaians want an end to the unbridled looting of their resources. Disregard the noise that Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) is on a witch-hunting expedition. There is absolutely nothing wrong with witch-hunting if, indeed, the hunted are witches. Streamline the legal creases concerning ORAL and empower your Minister of Justice and Attorney General to prosecute the looters. The state anti-corruption institutions are yet to give a good reason why ORAL is unnecessary. I support ORAL.

2. Resetting Institutions: In 2016, I said in an article that if governance were about borrowing, building infrastructure and bragging about it, then any idiot could govern a nation. In the Akufo-Addo presidency, however, Ghana was shut out of international borrowing, and it took IMF’s intervention to open the doors. That was when I realised that not every idiot could borrow. But still, governance is more than that. The precarious economy you have inherited will not allow you to do much. But you can still succeed as one of the best presidents of Ghana, even without adding a kilometre of road or building a single hospital. The formidable committee you have set to review the constitution is a key step in implementing reforms that could greatly transform the governance of our country. Providence saved Ghana by not allowing Akufo-Addo to have the numbers you have in parliament. Make good use of it. Reset Ghana.

3. Crack the Whip: Some of your ministers and appointees are not in to serve. Some are in to make money and retire with you because they stand no chance of being in a future NDC administration. Some have presidential ambitions and want to build war chests of resources to pursue their goals. With minds contaminated with selfish ambitions, some will soon start looting and misbehaving. Do not hesitate to crack the whip at the hint of a scandal. That’s how you will save your administration. Don’t be like the Chief Clearing Agent of yore, who used state security agencies to clear his appointees of visa racketeering only for those cleared to openly confess their involvement.

4. YEA Scandal: I investigated this scandal in 2013, and you acted on all the contracts except the most outrageous one. Since the days of President Kufuor, politicians have connived with Zoomlion to rob Ghanaians in obscene deals. One contract that stinks above all is the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) contract awarded to Zoomlion in 2006 to manage sweepers in all the district assemblies in Ghana. The contract allocates GHS 850 to each sweeper per month. The contract further says Zoomlion should pay the sweepers GHS 250 per month and keep GHS 600 per month as management fees. This means the sweepers daily wage of GHS8 cannot buy roadside waakye. The YEA CEO under Akufo-Addo ended the contract before the NPP left office. Your administration should not revive it. Just allow the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to manage and pay their own sweepers. After all, the money used for that contract comes from the District Assemblies Common Fund. You don’t need a middleman in this. No member of your administration will try to resurrect this unconscionable deal unless that person is a thief and a heartless criminal. I will volunteer information and evidence on this unconscionable deal that should lead to the recovery of money and prosecutions.

5. Stop SML: Mr. President, a component of the SML scandal, the downstream petroleum sector, is still running. You promised to cancel the SML contract if you were elected president. I still have the video of your declaration. The Akufo-Addo administration has ended a significant portion of it. Your work should be easier. Kindly terminate the contract, prosecute the perpetrators and recover the loot. I will help your government and the ORAL team with every piece of evidence you need to recover the $140 million already paid to SML in this shady contract.

6. Election of MMDCEs: I don’t know what the Constitutional Review Committee will recommend, but kindly ensure the non-partisan election of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives. Having lived over a year here in the United States, I have realized that their politics can be as messy as the politics of many countries, but their institutions work. Decentralisation works here, so despite the acrimony in Washington, the development of the cities goes on. Stop the payment for contracts on behalf of the assemblies. We cannot claim to practicse decentralisation but award contracts on the assemblies’ behalf and pay for them in Accra.

7. Let the People be Free: Your record of tolerance is unblemished. The power you exercise is for the people of Ghana. Let them have the freedom and security to speak up if they are not satisfied. Don’t allow your party faithful to carry out their threats of gagging voices of dissent. Keep the gulf of difference between you and Akufo-Addo in this regard. Thanks to Akufo-Addo, the NDC appears to have won the media and civil society from the NPP. Consolidate the gains. Work with the CSOs and make good use of their expertise.

8. You Won’t Seek Re-election: One major weakness in your first term was your inability to make tough decisions. You cannot succeed as president or a leader when you’re afraid to offend some party members. Thankfully, this time, you don’t have to go to them for nomination, so those who would oppose your good deeds for their selfish reasons should not be allowed to hold Ghana to ransom. You are better placed to act tough and set good examples. Don’t blow this golden opportunity, sir.

9. Kayayei: Thousands of young women work as beasts of burden in markets in major cities in Ghana. They come from northern Ghana. They, like the thousands of helpless youth teeming the markets and streets for opportunities, need your attention. There aren’t many opportunities up north because we have not paid serious attention to that part of the country. Burkina Faso is drier than northern Ghana, but they feed us vegetables. Pay attention to northern Ghana, where you hail from, and know the level of poverty there. We can no longer blame others for neglecting to bridge the gap between the north and the south of the country.

LANDMINES
1. ORAL: Going after stolen wealth is a slippery path. The Akufo-Addo administration attempted to recover loot, but it resulted in a scandal when the government, led by Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo, hired Kroll Associates to audit transactions. Your ORAL team and the government ought to be above board. Those who have stolen millions of dollars can easily cut deals with some of your officials and appointees. If you show signs of weakness, ORAL could become a major scandal in your administration and disarm you from embarking on serious accountability. ORAL should apply to members of your own administration.

2. The Cancer Called Jospong: Any president in bed with Jospong but claims to be fighting corruption is nothing but a fraud. A week before the 2016 election, you publicly told Jospong’s CEO at the 10th anniversary of Zoomlion that “as long as I remain president, I will do everything possible to support your business.” You lost the election the following week, and the Jospong CEO was at the NPP’s victory thanksgiving event. He and his shady businesses found favour with the Akufo-Addo administration and continued to wreak havoc on state institutions, especially the district assemblies. Jospong, like any private company, can do business in Ghana, but a private company must not be a criminal enterprise that connives with the political class to rob the nation. If you could stop Roland Agambire and rLG after my GYEEDA investigation that also implicated Jospong, you should be able to stop Jospong. Zoomlion and the Jospong Group, as I found in that investigation, were worse than rLG and the Agams Group.

3. Ambitious Ministers and Appointees: Your overly ambitious ministers of state and appointees will be your potential downfall. You have the power to appoint and dismiss. Don’t allow anybody to mess you up. It’s your presidency, not theirs.

4. Traditional Rulers and Religious Leaders: Some powerful chiefs and pastors will soon call you to stop making decisions that will help Ghana. Some will intervene for known thieves. Any chief who tells you not to prosecute a thief is himself a thief. You listen to them at your risk. Don’t allow them to twist your hands and have your name soiled. Ghanaians voted for John Dramani Mahama. And your name, not theirs, will be imprinted on the administration’s deeds.

5. Security: Our nation faces internal and external security threats from extremists in the Sahel. Don’t treat it lightly. You’ve started well by being personally involved in Bawku and others. We cannot take our peace and security for granted.

6. Galamsey: Our country is dying slowly and shamefully. If we cannot protect our water and forests from the forces of greed that have invaded our land, we should be prepared to die in droves. The security threat posed by illegal mining (galamsey) manifests every day. The killings in Obuasi are one of them. We can defeat galamsey if there is political will.

7. Abandon Some Promises: As I have stated, you can still be a great president even if you don’t build more roads. You have inherited a nation in crisis. You cannot do much with the economy, which is still in the ICU. We know that some of the promises were meant to win power. Not all of them should be given attention. I am pursuing a degree programme here in the United States and know how a university should be resourced and the conditions under which students should learn. Our education is not fit for purpose, but politicians want to outdo one another with populist ways to win votes. Paying fees for first-year university students will win you votes, but it won’t solve the problem. Abandon populist policies and aim at real solutions.

In conclusion, I genuinely want you to succeed. If you succeed, Ghana succeeds. It is a shame that the brightest minds and most talented people are fleeing Ghana to countries that appreciate their contributions. Medical doctors and nurses are leaving in their hundreds and thousands. John Mahama cannot do everything in four years. But if you’re honest in your commitment to resetting Ghana, your effort shall be remembered and appreciated.

I wish you well, sir.

Yours sincerely,

Manasseh Azure Awuni.

CC:
1. Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
2. Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah
3. Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama
4. Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine
5. Would-be CEO of the YEA
6. Minister of Local Government-designate.
7. All Men and Women of Conscience in the Mahama Administration