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Business mogul and Council of State Member, Alhaji Asoma Banda, has jumped to the defence of Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President John Mahama, in connection with a loan he contracted from the Merchant Bank, saying Ghanaians should rather clap for the young businessman. �The young man did what lots of Ghanaian businessmen are afraid to do and the Merchant Bank should rather go ahead and give him more loans to work with to offset what he owes the bank,� he said. Alhaji Banda, who was sharing his view on the recent attack from the camp of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on President Mahama and his brother, Ibrahim, said that the President does not come into the matter at all. �At the time Ibrahim took the loan, John was a poor opposition Member of Parliament with no influence at all at the Merchant Bank,� he said. He said: �This loan was contracted by the young man under the NPP, so why is it becoming an issue today all because his brother John is a candidate of a political party.� Alhaji Banda told The Enquirer newspaper that Ibrahim never coerced the bank to offer him the loan but rather the bank was impressed with his business plan. �Everybody should be happy for the young man for coming up with a solid business plan that convinced the bank to offer him such amount as loan,� he said. He told The Enquirer that Ghanaians should not crucify Ibrahim in any way because his company, Engineers and Planners, is fully Ghanaian owned company. �There are lots of children of ministers who worked under the NPP administration who are doing well in business, and has anybody taken the problem to question where and how they secured funding for their businesses?� he contended. Alhaji Banda said that enough is enough and Ibrahim should be allowed to have his peace to continue to offer the much needed employment to Ghanaians. �It appears the whole issue is being personalized because of politics and that is absolutely wrong on the part of the NPP,� he said. �What they should rather think of is to criticize Ghanaians who are fronting for foreigners and not people like Ibrahim, who have done nothing wrong by contracting a loan from bank,� he added. Alhaji Banda, who sounded worried throughout the interview with The Enquirer, said that the posturing of the NPP has the tendency of demoralizing young men with strong attitude in business. �It is simple matter between the Merchant Bank and Ibrahim�s company and I don�t see where President Mahama comes in at all,� he said. The Council of State member said that there was nothing wrong with a Ghanaian contracting a loan from a bank because even foreigners are offered loans by Ghanaian banks. �Sincerely, the attack on Ibrahim is simply unthinkable because h e has not done anything wrong as he did not force the board of Merchant Bank at the time to give him the money we are all talking about,� he said. �Do we know how other young people whose parents worked under the NPP managed to secure funding for their businesses?� he questioned. Alhaji Banda told The Enquirer that those talking about Ibrahim should be bold enough to ask businessmen at their own backyard of how much they owe various banks. �Merchant Bank should go all out and give Ibrahim more loans if he wants to work with and service them at the appropriate time,� he added.