Stop Complaining To Diplomats, Ghana Needs "Policy-For-Policy" Not "Boot-For-Boot" - Mahama Told

The USA Communications Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kofi Tonto has describe the attitude of the former president John Dramani Mahama as quite surprising for painting Ghana black before the international community and giving them the impression that Ghana is an unstable nation.

According to him it is ironical that former President John Dramani Mahama for four years as President and for nearly four years as Vice President, with all the State resources and powers at his disposal, failed miserably to end political violence, adding that under his tenure, Ghana saw extreme political violence.

On his facebook wall sighted by Peacefmonline.com, he stressed that “Former President Mahama approached diplomats because he wants the mayhem which happened at Ayawaso West Wuogon to remain on the minds of the people. He wants the international community to see Ghana as unstable country.”

"President Akufo-Addo has begun a process to bring this canker to an end. I urge former President Mahama to support this noble cause. In addition to the Commission, nothing stops him and his party from offering solutions to help stop vigilantism . . . Ghana needs policy-for-policy not boot-for-boot," he stressed.

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Violence has no place in our politics and as political parties, we must condemn violence at all times irrespective of the actors. The mayhem that happened in Ayawaso West Wuogon was shameful and completely undermined Ghana's democratic credentials.

However, the conduct of Ghana's former President John Dramani Mahama is quite surprising to an extent of painting Ghana black before the international community and giving them the impression that Ghana is an unstable nation.

It is ironical that former President John Dramani Mahama for four years as President and for nearly four years as Vice President, with all the State resources and powers at his disposal, failed miserably to end political violence. In fact, under his tenure, Ghana saw extreme political violence.

In Talensi, the ruling New Patriotic Party then opposition party was attacked, abused, intimidated and in some instances, the leaders were brutally manhandled and also gunshots were fired at the NPP. In the "Let My Vote Count Alliance" procession, activists were physically assaulted and gunshots fired at them as well. A young activist lost his eye and till today he's partially blind. Under the administration of Mr. Mahama as Vice President, we saw violence in Chereponi and in Atiwa by-elections.

These stories are worth recounting not for justification purposes but to serve as proof that former President Mahama had all the opportunities since 2009 to stop political violence but failed miserably.

How then can a man who had everything at his behest to end political violence yet showed no commitment all of sudden see the need to end it today?

How can a man whose solution to violence was to call for more violence all of a sudden find his voice on the international platform?

How can a man whose party's General Secretary recently endorsed political vigilantism by forming the HAWKS all of a sudden paint Ghana black with terrible acts of vigilante groups?

Since vigilante groups are clearly untenable for our democracy, why even suggest the formation of a new one as a means of countering the canker?

Even worse is former President Mahama's failure to endorse and support an ongoing exercise to probe, sanction and recommend lasting solutions to political violence. His party apparatchiks have rather run down the commission's members.

Obviously, political violence must end whether under Mahama or Akufo-Addo but Mahama has shown no commitment in ending political violence.

He had the chance and failed. Unfortunately, he's still failing at helping Ghana bring a lasting solution to this canker. The facts are that;

He's not interested in fixing the issue; Otherwise, he together with his party would have supported the Commission of Inquiry.

He's not interested in fixing the issue, otherwise he would have condemned his party's public endorsement of the HAWKS.

He's not interested in fixing the issue, otherwise he would have avoided touting his party's violent credentials.

Former President Mahama approached diplomats because he wants the mayhem which happened at Ayawaso West Wuogon to remain on the minds of the people. He wants the international community to see Ghana as unstable country.

President Akufo-Addo has begun a process to bring this canker to an end. I urge former President Mahama to support this noble cause. In addition to the Commission, nothing stops him and his party from offering solutions to help stop vigilantism.

Ghana needs policy-for-policy not boot-for-boot.