A senior journalist and former Managing Editor of the Accra Daily Mail, Alahji Haruna Atta, has been cautioned not to draw former late Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama into his “betrayal and backstabbing behavior”.
Alhaji Haruna, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Namibia, in justifying a recent supposed ethnocentric comment by President John Dramani Mahama implicated the leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, of same, citing that the NPP presidential candidate was critical of him in 2008 for supporting the late Vice President.
“[Akufo-Addo] raised a number of issues and concluded on my ‘support’ for the late Vice President. On that, this is what he told me,” Alhaji Atta wrote.
“The words have been indelibly etched on my conscience: ‘Harruna, your support for Aliu was flawed. If you think our party will cede its Akan leadership, you are wrong’.”
But in a statement released on Thursday by the Alhaji Aliu Mahama Foundation, Mr Atta’s comments are a “lie” as Ghana’s longest-serving vice president was never piqued at any point in the transition of NPP’s leadership from John Agyekum Kufuor to Nana Akufo-Addo.
“There was never a situation where he was favored or discriminated against because of his ethnic background,” the statement issued by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr Samuel Frimpong, said.
“He believed that politics or election is an issue of lose or win hence he accepted the results of 2007 NPP primaries in good faith. His competence and achievements speaks volume of quality of man he was.
“Alhaji Aliu Mahama served this nation as Vice President, through the political party he was affiliated to, with dignity and utmost commitment.”
It has come to the notice of Aliu Mahama Foundation that a senior member of the Ghanaian society is peddling falsehood against the memory of Alhaji Aliu Mahama. The Foundation finds it extremely disturbing that Alhaji Haruna Atta would lie about a faithful Ghanaian servant just to advance a political mileage. This betrayal and back stabbing behavior exhibited by a senior member of the journalism industry is irritating and backward.
The Foundation would like to put on record that Alhaji Aliu Mahama never had any issue of ethnocentrism against him or in his favor throughout his public life until his passing. There was never a situation where he was favored or discriminated against because of his ethnic background. He believed that politics or election is an issue of lose of win hence he accepted the results of 2007 NPP primaries in good faith. His competence and achievements speaks volume of quality of man he was. Alhaji Aliu Mahama served this nation as Vice President, through the political party he was affiliated to, with dignity and utmost commitment.
Alhaji Haruna Atta should respect the memory of Alhaji Aliu Mahama, not out of fear, but because it is the proper human thing to do. He should allow the gentle soul of the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama to rest in peace. The Foundation would not want to be drawn into the political space by the kind of misrepresentation that some section of the Ghanaian public finds convenient for their political gains.
Aliu Mahama Foundation focuses on championing greater discipline and preserving the blessed memory and legacy of the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal.
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