The Spokesperson of Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, Gideon Boako, last week insinuated President Akufo-Addo has amassed as President of Ghana when he stated that Bawumia will not do so if he becomes President.
During an interview with Citi TV, he claimed that Dr. Bawumia wants to be President to change the fortunes of the country and not to dip his hands into the public purse.
Many have described his statement as a subtle dig at President Akufo-Addo who is held widely as a corrupt leader who has amassed wealth by dipping his hands into state coffers.
Corruption related cases surrounding Akufo-Addo and his cronies have been so staggering that in one case, one of his employees, Martin Amidu, labeled him the “Mother Serpent of Corruption”.
Many Ghanaians have lost count of the many corruption cases that have engulfed his Presidency. Notable among them, however, are the Cash for seat, PDS, Agyapa and Gold Mafia scandals.
Before becoming President, Akufo-Addo was known to be in debt all over to the extent that at one stage, he had to sell off the Ringway hotel left behind by his late father to pay off parts of his debts. However, since becoming President, he has amassed so much wealth that he is considered in some circles as one of the richest African Presidents.
His daughters have also become very wealthy persons with one of them suddenly the owner of a plush restaurant called NsuomNam located at Cantonments in Accra which some experts say is valued at $ 6 million. Another daughter, Valerie Obaze, now owns a plush duty free shop at the Kotoka International Airport.
Apart from becoming wealthy overnight, President Akufo Addo has also been engaged in vulgar opulence which includes driving about with a convoy of over 50 vehicles as well as flying in hired private jets which costs $17,000 an hour.
While Bawumia has been part of this sleaze, he and his camp have tried to distance themselves from it with Bawumia announcing a new vision soon after filing his nomination at the party’s secretariat. The latest is his spokesperson’s dig at President Akufo-Addo, a move which is certainly not going to go down well with some NPP members who in spite of the rot, still clutch at the tartars of what remains of Mr. Akufo-Addo’s image.
Already, some NPP supporters see Bawumia as an outsider, a person whose umbilical cord is not tied to the party and its tradition and therefore does not deserve to lead it.
Many political connoisseurs have been opining that Bawumia and his camp’s attempt to distance themselves from the sleaze of President Akufo-Addo and his cronies is an exercise in futility because he has been part of it from the very first day they came into office.
Source : Daily Postb
