Ghana’s Ambassador to Namibia and Botswana, Alhaji Harruna Attah, must stop “betraying” and “backstabbing” late vice president Alhaji Aliu Mahama with his “irritating and backward” claims that the late politician was discriminated against by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because he was a northerner, the Alhaji Aliu Mahama Foundation has warned.
A statement issued by the Foundation, in reference to the veteran journalist-turned-politician’s claim in another statement that Alhaji Aliu Mahama was prevented from succeeding former president John Kufuor as flag bearer of the NPP because of the party’s aversion to northerners, said: “This betrayal and backstabbing behaviour exhibited by a senior member of the journalism industry is irritating and backward.”
According to Mr Attah, President John Mahama’s recent assertion that the NPP only uses northerners and dumps them is a truism. Parrying criticism of the president’s comment from the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the former NPP member who is now serving in the Mahama administration said: “And if I may ask, what is wrong with that?
“The president was only stating an obvious and historical fact known to many people with a sound knowledge of Ghana’s politics since independence,” he added.
Describing Mr Mahama as a noble man who he must defend, Mr Attah said: “After almost 20 presidential aspirants ran against late vice president Alhaji Aliu Mahama in the NPP’s presidential primaries in 2007 when Mr John Kufuor was leaving office after serving two terms, Mr Aliu Mahama “with much humility, conceded to Nana Akufo-Addo who emerged winner, sort of…
“I do recollect very clearly, as if it happened only yesterday, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo invited me to his office at Ridge near the offices of the Electoral Commission. I honoured the invitation, not knowing what to expect. The outcome was one of the most revealing encounters I have ever had with a Ghanaian politician. He raised a number of issues and concluded on my ‘support’ for the late vice president. On that, this is what he told me.
“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.’ He went on to expatiate on the theme, but with my mind reeling at this blatant and brazen ethnocentricity, nothing else really mattered to me again. When I left, I confided in a few people, mainly family and friends, as witnesses. I received all manner of suggestions on how to handle this ‘bombshell’ and indeed one family member high up in the NPP even suggested that I take it up with President Kufuor. The frightening fundamental message was clear: No non-Akan should dream of leading the NPP as presidential candidate.
“Not only that, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, going beyond Nana Akufo-Addo’s ethnicity, used religion as his anti-Aliu stance. He confronted me in the presence of a witness: ‘Abdul-Rahman, with a nation of about 70% Christians, do you think it will be fair to have a Muslim president?’ He was referring to Alhaji Aliu Mahama, a Muslim. I answered calmly that in all the major hotspots of the world, it is when some groups think they are dominant and go on to marginalise groups they regard as minorities that the minorities also rise up to assert themselves, by whatever means.
“Dr Addo-Kufuor, President Kufuor’s brother had his turn too. At a funeral at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, he also railed against my ‘support’ for Aliu and threatened that ‘You are working yourself out of reckoning in any future NPP government.’ I replied that history would vindicate me. I could go on and on…”
However, the Aliu Mahama Foundation said on Thursday that it “will like to put on record that Alhaji Aliu Mahama never had any issue of ethnocentrism against him or in his favour throughout his public life until his passing. There was never a situation where he was favoured or discriminated against because of his ethnic background.”
The Foundation said Alhaji Mahama’s “competence and achievement speak volumes of the quality of the man he was”, adding: “Alhaji Aliu Mahama served this nation as the vice president through the political party he was affiliated to with dignity and utmost commitment.
“Alhaji Haruna Attah 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 will not like to be drawn into the politics and political space by the kind of misrepresentation that some section of the public finds convenient for political gains.”
The Alhaji Aliu Mahama Foundation “focuses on championing greater discipline and preserving the blessed memory and legacy of Alhaji Aliu Mahama. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,” the statement signed by Dr Samuel K. Frimpong, Executive Director of the foundation said.
Below is the full statement from the Aliu Foundation:
RESPECT THE MEMORY OF ALIU MAHAMA – Aliu Mahama Foundation
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 favour 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 speak volume of the 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.
Signed
Dr. Samuel K. Frimpong Executive Director – Aliu Mahama Foundation Former Aide to the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama
Source: Classfmonline
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NPP tell NDC what fiifi afiafitor kwetey said about northerners being presidents so please cut the chase of using npp as a tribalistic party. ndc is the worst.NDC has aslso said the ga people are ***barred word*** and cannot be presidents. how about that. What a ***barred word*** party NDC is
NPP IS AN AKAN PARTY - PERIOD. NOTHING CAN CHANGE OUR PERCEPTION. WHY DID KUFUOR THROW HIS WEIGHT BEHIND KYEREMANTENG INSTEAD OF ALIYU? TELL ME. UNDER WHOSE ADMINISTRATION WAS A NORTHERN CHIEF AND HIS ELDERS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD? WAS IT NOT UNDER THE NPP? UNDER WHOSE ADMINISTRATION WAS A PROMINENT NORTHERN POLITCIAN LIKE ALHAJI MOLBILLA BRUTALLY MURDERED? WAS IT NOT UNDER THE NPP? NPP IS A TRIBAL PARTY THAT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE MINORITY LIKE THE NORTHNERS. ALIYU WAS NEVER RESPECTED UNDER KUFUOR'S ADMINISTRATION. HE WAS JUST A FIGURE HEAD. ANYTIME KUFUOR WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY, PARTY BIG WIGS LIKE MPIANI, ADDO KUFUOUR, KYEREMANTENG, OSAFO-MAFO AND CO CONTROLLED AFFAIRS AND NOT ALIYU. I SUPPORT HARUNA ATTA. HE IS PERFECTLY RIGHT!! BAWUMIAH AND THAT ILLITERATE CALLED BUGRI NAABU AND THAT NITIWUL AND HAMID ARE JUST DISPOSABLE TISSUE PAPERS!! PERIOD!!
Certainly, people like YOU wont care. Cos, you don't vote on issues. You vote simply you are from a particular tribe and trace. The vast discerning People considers a lot of factors including but not limited to a Leader's personal character, his believes and many critical national issues. So, allow us to do the thinking brother!!!!!
Folks please let us not down play this aquisation. i heard in the rebattle of Hackman that Nana moved to that office in ridge after the primaries. Reading the Mans write up carefully he said " Your support for ALiu was Flawed" Which presupposes it was after the primaries. So where lies the contradiction? must the timeline be explicit for us to make sense out of it.
Haruna is a traitor! Of course he has to do his pay master's bid.
ATTA WAS JUST DOING HIS PAYMASTER JOB PERIOD. THERE WAS NO S*NSE IN WHAT HE SAID.
JM, Toaso!!!!!
Do I even care about all of these things considering the economic hardships we r going thru?we want to be liberated from all these suffering so I ***barred word*** about who or what NPP believes in..they got my vote...clueless NDC party
Why do people make simple matters so hard? The man has accused you of certain things.If he is right, ***barred word*** and correct them and if he is wrong, proof him wrong with evidence, SIMPLE!! The usual name calling won't help. In fact, it has never helped. That attitude is only for those who know they are wrong and are looking for a distraction! Is he the one who made the proclamations that Osafo Marfo made on record or he is the one who made Kennedy Agyapong to incite akans against other ethnic groups? What about, ''yen akan fuo'' statement? If there is a problem, fix it! Denying it or name calling would not change the label. It will only add more things like the NPP is now synonymous with NAME calling!!! As if you haven't damaged the party enough.
I wonder what JM saw in this man before making him ambassador. He is very greedy. U joined NDC immediately NPP left office just to make sure ur stomach is always full. I strongly be leave u'll come back to NPP after the election. Talk as a leader and stop the propaganda.