The newly-elected Executive Director of Danquah Institute, Richard Ahiagbah, has denied labeling former President John Dramani Mahama as a “shameless old man without sense”.
According to him, the story is misleading and an attempt by the author to smear his character.
"The caption is false, misleading and amounts to a mean attempt by the author to distort and divert attention from the issues. It is unimaginable the extent some journalists are willing to go, to engineer stories out of thin air to pollute the political space. I have not at any time conceived or referred to the former President John Mahama in such distasteful terms. Insult has not been part of my discourse and it will not be the way I discharge my duties as Director of the Danquah Institute', he stressed in no uncertain terms in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com.
Read full statement below:
Rejoinder
My attention has been drawn to a headline story claiming I have referred to the former President John Dramani Mahama as, as a shameless old man without sense, in a purported interview.
These are very strong words, and I wish to state in the clearest of forms that, the caption is false, misleading and amounts to a mean attempt by the author to distort and divert attention from the issues.
It is unimaginable the extent some journalists are willing to go, to engineer stories out of thin air to pollute the political space. I have not at any time conceived or referred to the former President John Mahama in such distasteful terms. Insult has not been part of my discourse and it will not be the way I discharge my duties as Director of the Danquah Institute.
The statement released to the newspapers and published on 28th October 2019, explained a principled disagreement with the former President’s characterization of the PDS agreement as “state capture.” In doing so, the story showed why the PDS agreement which allocated 51 percent for Ghanaian participation and 49 percent foreign participation is superior to the former President’s allocation of 20 percent Ghanaian and 80 percent foreign participation.
The release showed that, while there have been some public relations challenges with the PDS agreement, no aspect of the process that constituted it, amounts to “state capture.” On state capture, the release referred to a state agreement in which 80 percent of Ghana’s Bauxite was signed to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama when Mr. John Mahama was President of this Republic. That Bauxite agreement has everything in common with state capture, and not the PDS agreement whose procurement process began with former President Mahama and completed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
My role as Director of the Danquah Institute is among other things, the principled promotion of policy views that contributes to the growth and wellness of property-owning democracy in Ghana. As an Institute, our interest remains the ethical defense and promotion of values and policies that prioritize the best interest of mother Ghana. And I am committed to doing so with utmost objectivity and deference.
Richard Ahiagbah
Executive Director
Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]
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MAHAMA DID NOT CHOOSE PDS, IT IS THE NPP. PLEASE IF YOU DO ANYTHING WRONG, ACCEPT IT, CONFESS YOUR SINS AND YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN AND WE MOVE ON. ANYTHING UNDER YOUR WATCH THAT GO WRONG, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO TIE IN MAHAMA AND THE NDC. 'EYEAA MUMJAI SAA'.
Look at this ideeot too you will leave to regret you and peter amewu
I AM JUST IMAGINING THE TYPE OF QUALIFICATION SOME OF THESE JOURNALIST USED TO GET ADMISSION INTO THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS OF JOURNALISM AND THE KIND OF TRAINING THEY RECEIVED DURING THEIR COURSES. THE PERIOD OF TRAINING FOR THE CALIBRE OF ANAS AND CO. ARE GONE FOR GOOD IN GHANA'S JOURNALISTIC TRAINING. I THINK IT IS HIGH TIME THE TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITIES LIKE LEGON, CAPE VARS AND KNUST DETERMINE THE GRADES FOR THESE SCHOOLS OF JOURNALISM TO ADMIT THEIR STUDENTS AS WELL AS MONITOR THESE SCHOOLS OF JOURNALISM WHEN THEIR STUDENTS ARE IN THE TRAINING PROCESS. I AM SO MUCH DISAPPOINTED IN JOUNALISM GHANA.
For an Ewe to behave like this is unusual
It is very good Richard as clear the air. Some Ghanaian media houses or editors and online reporters are so shambolic, all they do is to paint innocent people black and present them for public insults. I kent fare la.
Ahiabgah, two piece of advice for you: a butterfly may fly but shouldn't deceive himself that he is a bird; no matter how long a log lives in the river, it'll not turn into an a crocodile
Richard is a very man and i personally admire him. some of dis media houses r shameful and irresponsible with respect to how de try misleading de public about comments made by people in govt or in opposition just to attract public attention. I pray and hope Mr Richard dis not insult de formal president as he said in his write up. every one is always entitled to his views when it comes to nationals issues and if u disagree with his view about de PDS scam give us a reason but not to insult or use bad words to describe him. l love Ghana.
AHIAGBA PLS BE CAREFUL SINCE UR AN EWE IN NPP! ASK KWASHIGA THEY WILL TELL U. SLOW DOWN AND RESPECT THE FORMER PRESIDENT EVEN IF THIS NPP GUYS FORCE U TO DISRESPECT MAHAMA. IF MAHAMA DID NOT DO ANYTHING FOR GHANA AT LEAST GHANA NEVER GONE FOR WAR OR ATTACKED BY ANY TERRORIST GHANA ENJOY PEACE SO PLS FEAR NPP AS YOU ARE LIVING IN IT AS A MEMBER.
Amen n keep him forever in opposition 🙏🏿🙏🏿
God bless John Mahama