Mogtari’s response to my statement on Mahama’s GHS 32m emolument is porous – Owusu-Bempah

A Deputy Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ernest Owusu-Bempah has said that the response by an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari to his earlier statement on Mr. Mahama’s 32million Cedis emolument payment was porous.

Bawah Mogtari had said in a Facebook post “I have read another unintelligent lie from the Bawumia and Akufo-Addo government routed through a discredited and shallow voice about supposed monies paid to President John Dramani Mahama. Mr Mahama has not received from the State the amounts indicated in the ridiculously false claims.

“As he has repeatedly stated, his only benefit from the State is his constitutionally deserving monthly pension payable to all former presidents, including President John Agyekum Kufour. Mr. Mahama operates from a private office, paying monthly rent.

“It is a fact that the Akufo-Addo government has performed abysmally and is the most corrupt in the history of our country, plunging Ghanaians into unprecedented hardship and poverty. Vice President Bawumia is a puppet being foisted on the nation to avoid the searing heat of accountability and continue the state capture of the last seven and half years.

“Mr Mahama remains steadfast in his promise to fight corruption when he is sworn into office. This includes scrapping the payment of ex-gratia and removing other benefits available to members of the executive and officials of state-owned organisations. This is the kind of leadership that Mahama believes in, a leadership that is committed to fighting corruption and serving the people.”

But responding to her, Owusu-Bempah said “That response was badly written, and I’m hugely taken aback by the fact that it was under the hand of the spokesperson of the former president.

“Let me point out that, the idea by Mahama’s spokesperson that her boss received lesser value than the published figures sounds a lot like spin and more like wishful thinking rather than the facts on the ground.

“In fact, the insinuation by this disaster of a spokesperson that Mahama is entitled to the payments betrays her intelligence. And seeing her playing in a bit of plant and throwing a tantrum like a petulant five-year-old makes me wonder if she is actually qualified to speak for herself let alone the former President.”

Below is his full response…

Owusu-Bempah’s response to Mahama’s response regarding the ¢32million emolument ‘chop-chop’

I have seen yet another porous response to my earlier public statement regarding the 32million emolument ‘chop-chop’ by former President John Mahama.

That response was badly written, and I’m hugely taken aback by the fact that it was under the hand of the spokesperson of the former president.

Let me point out that, the idea by Mahama’s spokesperson that her boss received lesser value than the published figures sounds a lot like spin and more like wishful thinking rather than the facts on the ground.

In fact, the insinuation by this disaster of a spokesperson that Mahama is entitled to the payments betrays her intelligence.

And seeing her playing in a bit of plant and throwing a tantrum like a petulant five-year-old makes me wonder if she is actually qualified to speak for herself let alone the former President.

What a vile, awful collection of people we have around the former President. No shame, no sense of public decency, and are willing to burn anything and everything down to keep hold of their bubble. It’s a sordid, rancid mess, and everyone involved in perpetuating it is villainous.

The truth is dishonesty has been the one constant in Mahama’s political career, and rigtly so, I’m not the least surprised that his special aide and spokesperson is desperately seeking the very same unsavoury reputation.

As I have said in my statement, Mahama has greedily enjoyed some ¢32million state money since 2017 when he was booted out of the presidency.

In fact, the state has, so far, spent ¢18.5 million on former President John Mahama in terms of salary and his end-of-service benefits since he left office in 2017.

Mahama, apart from the GH¢14 million ex gratia, has, since 2017, received a total of GH¢18.5 million from the state as salary and emoluments combined.

This is the gravemen of the matter and I expect Mahama and his spokesperson to tackle the issue head on, and not engage in shenanigans.

This is a man who claims he intends to abolish the emolument regime for article 71 office holders, and yet he has no difficulty benefiting from same even as former President.

Yes, Mahama had stood before the country in one of the darkest hours of his tumultuous reign and promised that he will abolish the emolument regime for article 71 office holders.

But, as the nation discovered a couple of years later, that was not true. He broke his own promises and presided over a culture of casual corruption.

How about Mahama practise what he preaches? Obviously, he can’t do as he says.

Mahama’s habitual mendacity has always been embedded in a larger political project.

He does what he always does, which is to try to drag everybody into the gutter with him. One thing we know about this former President is everybody who has ever come into contact with him always gets damaged in the process.

Yes, Mahama ain’t no leader. A lazy, lying charlatan, that’s who he is. He has no leadership skills and no political skills.

Mahama and his enablers are a disgrace to our country.

Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah
Deputy Director of Communications, NPP