NDC Losing Hope In Mahama?

President John Dramani Mahama has just completed his first full year in office as president and leader of the National Democratic Congress but sections of his party members are worried about his leadership and relationship with them. Many NDC members �big and small� alike think president Mahama must improve his dealing the party members if he really wants to lead them in 2016 as their presidential candidate. In an informal chart with a number of NDC members including National, Regional and Constituency executives about their assessment of the Mahama�s leadership, they stated without hesitation that late president Mills was far better than his successor especially his dealings with party members. Others also belief president Mahama is the worst leader the NDC has ever had, but were hopeful he may amend his ways in due time. �President Mills whiles alive will always pick up his calls from every party member and indeed set aside Wednesdays for this, but it is not the same now�. Party members including former Majority leader Alban Bagbin and General Secretary General Mosquito and other have previously complained about the difficulty in accessing the president. Mr. Bagbin public confrontation of the administration summed up the frustration party members who have tried unsuccessfully to meet with president. Already a group in Nima named the Untouchable Group in a statement few weeks ago suggested that the president should be removed as leader of the party, an indication of growing frustration among members Party old-timers such Ato Ahwoi, Kojo Tsikata among others are very quite but are said to be unhappy with what is going on. �Sometimes this president calls some of us via his aide but we are hoping the situation will change for the better, one national officer lamented. Late president Mills was consulting the party in almost every decision but the case is different now. The President�s visit to Dubai for his Christmas holiday for instance was a decision the party was not involved. Like many Ghanaians we also heard it in the news. WAS PRESIDENCY SHAKEUP TO CLEAR MILLS MEN? To revitalize his administration with fresh ideas and improve relations with the press, president Mahama�s office underwent what some NDC and political opponent described as presidency shakeup with elements of the People�s National Convention being the major beneficiaries. Mills men were the most affected in this shakeup. The decision according to some NDC members in one of the major factors accounting for the administrative challenge the government is government. President Mahama created a new post, the executive secretary to the president at the presidency and appointed Raymond Atuguba, a PNC member to head that post. He also appointed Dr. Sulley Gariba another PNC man as the person in-charge of Policy. The chief of staff Prosper Bani, though new to most NDC members, he is the only person around the president most party members considered as having �listening ear�. Also all associates of the late president who were in the castle have been cleared from the presidency though some have been reassigned. Section of the party members feels the presidency is now being run by strangers and access to the president is getting difficult by the day. FAILURE TO FORM GOVERNMENT AFTER TWELVE MONTHS The inability of president Mahama to complete the formation of his government after twelve months in office is a concern to his party members who interacted with the paper and are baffle about the apparent lack of effort to deal with this matter. Out of the thirty-five non career ambassadors which the president must appoint, he has only be able to name ten after twelve months in office. �Late President Mills completed the formation of his team including the naming of ambassadors, inauguration of various boards as well as appointment of MMDCEs� according to a former associate of the late president. �If you compare appointees of Mills to the ones President Mahama has appointed, there is no doubt Mills appointees who were labeled team B are better than Mahama�s team, James Kwabena Bomfeh former CPP Youth Organiser noted. Dr. Sekou Nkrumah son of Ghana�s first president late last year in one of his radio interviews publicly advised the NDC to look for leader who can lead the country and the party. He noted �president Mahama lack the leadership qualities and is unqualified to govern this country. Sekou�s sentiments were shared by outspoken NPP member Kennedy Agyapong. He also said president Mahama is the country�s worse ever leader far worse than his predecessor, the late president because Mills and asked Ghanaians to compare Mahama�s ministers and that of his predecessor Mills.