Mahama’s Expose on His ill-Treatment Sends Chief Of Staff, Frema, on a Wild Goose Chase with Useless Documents

Following Former President John Mahama’s assertion he will re-look and review issues related to the emoluments of Article 71 office holders including ex–gratia payments if he returns to power, current Chief Of Staff, Frema Opare, has been on a wild goose chase in a vain effort to dent the integrity and image of the former President.
First came the unleashing of ruble rouser, Kwame Baffoe, alias Abronye on the former President; he came alleging the former President was paid GHC 14 Million as ex-gratia in 2013. After Mahama rubbished this claim, told the whole world what he received in 2013 was 200,000 which was his salary arrears, and after he went on to tell the world how the Akufo-Addo government has resorted to ill-treating him by denying him what is his right as a former President by the constitution, Frema Opare and her office have released several documents to the NPP’s social media team which they are sharing on social media like confetti but which has turned out to be useless documents as it does not disprove what the former President said.
Among the documents that the NPP social media team are distributing are internal memos AT Jubilee House indicating the decision has been taken to give Mahama and his spouse vehciles as the constitution demands.
Taking to his facebook page to mock the vain malicious blows been thrown at the former President, one of the former President’s aides, Stan Dogbe, writes;

“Ha ha ha!! I am laughing hard at the desperation on display from the Chief of Staff and the President’s Secretariat- releasing and publishing, carelessly, documents from the Ghana Presidency.
Please do well to release in good time, the ones that confirm the payment of GHS 14m in 2013 and another GHS 15m in ex gratia as was unintelligently spewed out earlier. Hope it comes tonight.
As for the circulation of internal Presidency memos, as though they were signed by JM; it is as though John Mahama came to steal vehicles from the Flagstaff House.
Is he not entitled to official vehicles as part of his out of office package, just as other former presidents ? Something he ensured was handsomely done to other former leaders?
Or because Nana Addo is choosing to vary his entitlements because he thinks he is the lord over all that he surveys, that explains the excitement to reveal that JM was given vehicles, after the fact?
Aaaah! What’s the story behind the release of the documents? That?
Hurry up, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Chief of Staff Frema Opare and release details of the person you’ve been paying JM’s Office rent to. It will be good to let Ghanaians know. Or?
And who has been receiving fuel from government in his name? Those are the issues he mentioned in response to the rubbish you sent your hatchet men out to spread or?
I am sure Madam Chief of Staff does not know that Nana Addo is not doing the 4 office staff of JM a favour with their raw monthly allowances.
That is a constitutional requirement, and which has arbitrarily being varied in the case of JM but without complain.
Check: staff of the office of the former presidents were paid monthly salaries, with official vehicles and other pecks. Just check. In fact, their offices were stocked and supported by the office of the Chief of Staff.
Unlike those zombies you are just handing over official papers to circulate, I was an active player and can speak to these issues even when I am asleep.
JM’s staff receive quarterly payments. No vehicles or pecks. That’s not the norm, but none has raised issues.
You Know why? Because of the demeanour of President JM to such things.
You are not doing anyone a favour, Nana Akufo- Addo.
President Mahama was clear in his response to the earlier Zombie’s claims! If you have any good responses, come and prove. Not these governance missteps and infantile reactions.
Remember, what goes around comes around.
You can come with insults and not intelligent responses. I am waiting”

Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the NDC further explains why the Chief Of Staff, Frema Opare, is on a wild goose chase with documents that are useless to the issue at stake in her desperate attempt to mar the image of the former President when he also took to his facebook page and writes;

“The desperate attempt by government and NPP communicators to mislead Ghanaians about the emoluments and privileges of former President John Dramani Mahama is shameful to say the least.
For the records, the former President in his recent interview with TV3’s Alfred Ocansey, was very clear about the specific bills and expenditure he has personally borne since he left office. Rather than rebut or respond to the specific issues raised by the former President, some NPP and government communicators have shamelessly, albeit in vain, resorted to the circulation of some official documents that have no bearing whatsoever on the issues at stake. It is therefore important to situate the discussion within the proper context.
In the said interview, H.E John Mahama made ten (10) important points that are worth highlighting:

1. He stated that the claim by the Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling NPP that an ex gratia amount of GHS14 million was paid into his ADB account in the year 2013 is an “absolute lie”. And that the only payment that was made to him by the Controller and Accountant General in 2013 was his salary arrears – an amount of GHS230,000.
2. He also stated, that the claim by the Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling NPP that he has received privileges and perks worth GHS15 million since he left office in 2017 is “absolutely untrue”. And that he receives only his monthly pension as former President.
   The former President went on to say that:
3. He pays the electricity bills for his household and office;
4. He pays the water bills for his household and office;
5. He lives in his own accomodation so the State does not pay him anything for accomodation.
6. The State has not given him an office. And that he rents an office space in East Cantoments, Accra which he personally pays for.
7. He pays for his own fuel.
8. He pays his own domestic staff.
9. He pays for his medical bills.
10. He pays his own air tickets and that of his assistants whenever he travels.
    Can our friends in the NPP and government stop shifting the goal post and tell the nation whether these statements made by H.E John Mahama are true or false? Given the fact that the emoluments and privileges of former Presidents are matters of public record, can government rebut any of these statements with evidence? When is government releasing official documents that confirm the payment of ex gratia of GHS14 million and GHS15 million to former President Mahama, as alleged by the irresponsible Bono regional chairman of the ruling NPP?
    The point has to be made, that at no point in the said TV3 interview did former President Mahama say that he pays the salaries of his own office staff. Therefore, the official documents on payment of salaries of office staff of former President Mahama by the State as required by law, being circulated on social media by some NPP communicators are complete red herrings being introduced into the discussion just to obfuscate the issues and confuse Ghanaians.
    Additionally, at no point in the said interview did H.E John Mahama say that the State has not allocated him any official vehicle. Our friends in government and the NPP cannot set their own questions and proceed to answer same. Thus, the memos on the allocation of official vehicles to former President Mahama being circulated on social media by some of their communicators are of no relevance to this discussion.
    For the records, former President Mahama was allocated four (4) used State vehicles when he left office in 2017 – two SUVs and two saloon cars. The two SUVs (Land Cruiser GXRs) are for the use of the National Security detail attached to the former President’s residence and office for his protection. These two SUV vehicles broke down in the year 2018 and the Presidency was duly informed. Interestingly, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government refused to replace them until 2021, after the determination of the 2020 election petition. The former President had to personally buy two (2) vehicles for the National Security detail assigned to him, which they used from 2018 until they were replaced in the year 2021 by the State.
    Few weeks ago, government contacted the logistics officer at the office of former President John Mahama to come for two (2) new saloon vehicles to replace the two (2) used saloon vehicles he was allocated in the year 2017. H.E John Dramani Mahama rejected this offer on grounds that the vehicles are still operational and serviceable, hence did not need to be replaced. Government subsequently called the logistics officer at the Office of the former President to come for an additional saloon vehicle to beef up the mobility of his accompanying National Security detail. This saloon vehicle was delivered to the office of the former President only last week. These are the vehicles that are the subject of the memos being circulated by NPP apparatchiks on social media.
    It is important to note, that all the five (5) State vehicles allocated to the former President are fueled, serviced and maintained by him and at his own expense.
    It is also worthy of note, that the former First Lady, H.E Lordina Mahama was not allocated any official vehicle almost five (5) years after she left office in 2017. It was only in the year 2021, after the Supreme Court decision on the 2020 election petition that she was allocated one SUV and one pickup.
    In conclusion, let it be placed on record that Former President Mahama since leaving office in 2017, has never complained about the provision, adequacy or otherwise of emoluments and privileges due him as a former President of the Republic, even though these are his entitlements under the law. But for the yet again strenuous attempt by the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, who has a knack for heaping all manner of lies and vitriol on the former President, he has never for once contemplated making a fuss out of these issues.
    Having been compelled to set the records straight, I can appreciate how the truth has inadvertently and inescapably exposed the continuous mistreatment, yet unguarded calumny against H.E John Dramani Mahama and his dear wife, H.E Lordina Mahama by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and their assigns. This notwithstanding, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-NPP government must approach this conversation with a sense of candor. They will not be allowed to create their own distortions and proceed to defend same.”

Source : Daily Post