A remarkable spectacle; Akufo-Addo describes Mahama Ford gift

A remarkable spectacle…that’s the description NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo of President John Mahama’s acceptance of a controversial car gift from Burkinabe contractor, Djibril Kanazoe.

The President has come under intense criticism for accepting a Ford Expedition gift from the man who executed the $650,000 Ghana embassy wall contract in Burkina Faso and another road contract.

Government has defended the president, claiming the vehicle has never been used personally by the president and that instead, it has been added to the pool of vehicles at the presidency.

The NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo is now stoking the fires. He has been addressing a gathering at the International Young Democrat Union's Freedom Forum in Accra.

"I'm sure you have been here following the remarkable spectacle of our president, who has been given a $100,000 gift by a contractor and the issues that it has raised about conflict of interest, about personal integrity, code of conduct of public officers. And this is within a context where there have been persistent and many instances of proven allegations of widespread corruption in President Mahama's government," Akufo-Addo said.

"We [NPP] are saying to the Ghanaian people in this [2016] election that not only do we believe that a higher quality of government is necessary for us…but that the management of the national economy that we have witnessed in these last seven or eight years have been, if you like, nothing short of disastrous," the former Abuakwa South member of parliament (MP) added.

President John Mahama on Thursday responded to the allegations of bribery, abuse of office and conflict of interest after a Joy News Investigation by Manasseh Azure Awuni revealed he received a 2010 Ford Expedition gift from a foreign contractor.

The President said the allegations were baseless and politically motivated to stifle his chances for a second term in the upcoming November 7 general elections.

“The allegation of corruption is baseless. Baseless accusations won’t win you the Presidency. Ghanaians are discerning and I believe come November 7, they will make their decision," the President told his accusers.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]