President John Evans Atta Mills
Accra – The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Mr Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has stated that the Woyome Saga, which has dominated media discussions and analyses in Ghana for several weeks, would be crucial in determining the outcome 0f the Presidential polls in December.
Reacting to a report by the Economic Intelligence Unit to the effect that the Payment of about $52 million in judgment debt to Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome had damaged the credibility of President Mills in the eyes of Ghanaians, Mr Baako noted that ‘Woyome’ would become a major election issue when campaigning commences and could end up being the undoing of the President Mills administration.
He was speaking on Joy FM and Multi Tv current affairs programme, News File.
Mr Baako pointed out that the Woyome saga would not have been an issue if some government functionaries had been “diligent and vigilant”.
He said President Mills’ inability to stop payment of such a colossal amount to Mr Woyome despite intervening earlier, casts doubt as to whether the President was interested in such a serious matter.
“Woyome ought not to have occurred if there had been due diligence. Why wasn’t the President interested in the issue? Whether he( President Mills) likes it or not, he is directly responsible for it”, Mr Baako observed.
The highly esteemed public commentator said “there was no material basis” for anybody to have regarded Mr Woyome’s petition in the first place, adding that involvement of two high profile Ministers, Mr Kwabena Dufuor and Mrs Betty Mould Idrissu, does not augur well for the NDC’s electoral chances in December 2012.
Mr Baako concluded that those who had presided over the payment of the $52 million judgement debt to Mr Woyome had “questions to answer”, regardless of the outcome of the Presidential election in December.
Touching on recent calls by a section of Ghanaians led by the Founder of the Progressive People’s Party, Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom, for marching on Independence day to be discontinued, Mr Baako said that should not be an option.
He said he was surprised that people were questioning the essence of celebrating on Independence Day, saying the country had achieved a lot in her 55 years of existence.
Mr Baako explained that despite all her challenges as a country over the years, Ghana had been able protect it sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity.
He said in last 20 years, especially, Ghana had consolidated democracy and had “achieved a certain level of respect that had made her a shining Star in Africa.”
Therefore, he said, while while Ghana could cut down the number of children who participate in the Independence Day parade as well as the number of hours spent marching, scrapping the parade on that day should not be considered at all.
“What is so incurably bad about the parade that we must scrap it? The parade format must be improved, but I don’t see the basis for a srapping, Mr Baako stressed.
On the unveiling of Special Force Units of the Ghana Armed forces ( GAF )during the independence day parade, which generated a lot of controversy, Mr Baako said it was not wrong to display the Unit at the event as it was a “symbolic occasion”.
He said the creation if the Unit by GAF was a positive development that must be applauded by all as the West African subregion was now confronted with several security challenges including terrorism and piracy.
Mr Baako added that the creation of the Unit would not have been controversial but for Ghana’s “subculture” of ugly politicization.
