Outspoken politician, Dr. Tony Aidoo, says former President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed the country’s accountability test.
In a yet-to-be televised episode of TV3’s Hot Issues, the former Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands observed the Mahama administration failed to counteract the numerous corrupt scandals against his government.
This, he argued, contributed to the party’s defeat in the December 2016 elections, which he said, was more of a communication strategy fight. For him, the GYEEDA and SADA scandals among others blinded the electorates to the various infrastructural development of the Mahama administration because the NDC communicators could not challenge those with bare facts. “The effect therefore was that, the electorate was blinded relative to the numerous infrastructural projects that you [Mahama] managed to put up.
They became insignificant in the face of the propaganda that your government was corrupt, that you could not create jobs,” he observed. Dr Tony Aidoo Dr. Aidoo who is perceived to be critical of the NDC, a party he is a leading member of, indicated the communication machinery of the New Patriotic Party in the 2016 electioneering was more effective than the NPP. “The 2016 electoral campaign was one of pitching communication against communication, unfortunately for the NDC, the NPP propaganda machinery was much more effective,” he said.
“That machinery has been in operation for more than four years damning you [Mahama and his administration] for being corrupt and so on and so forth. The numerous scandalous cases, GYEEDA, SADA and so on did not augur well for the Mahama administration,” he added.
He observed the NDC’s communication team was “always on the defensive”, something he claimed he informed the then Chief of Staff about, and suggested a better option of “counter attacking”. “I did discussed this with the Chief of Staff and I said the NPP has pushed you to the position at which you are always on the defensive, it’s time you started counter attacking,” he claimed in the interview with Winston Amoah.
According to Dr. Aidoo, the usual justifications that parliament approved those contracts that smacks of corruption was ineffective, and that he would have done a better job if he was in charge at the time. “If I had been in charge, I would have published the bill of quantities for the public to see rather than relying on the idea that parliament approved these projects,” he said. The justification, he contended “wasn’t sufficient because they were challenging you on facts so you respond with facts…In effect we failed the accountability test”. Asked if the NDC caused its own defeat, he responded, “I suppose so.”
Source: 3news.com
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It is obvious that many whom have commented on this interview have NOT understood what Dr. Tony Aidoo is talking about. He is simply referencing the communication machine that brought NDC to power in 2008 against all odds. I am glad you are back Dr. Aidoo and indeed all you have said is fundamental truth regarding the loss of the NDC.
I guess this man just arrived from Netherlands and never had internet at his base. He is talking as if SADA was a hit job. The communicators couldn't defend the government because, it was true...
John Ford Dramani Kanazoe Mahama was simply greedy, corrupt and incompetent........ The evil NDC party will soon disintegrate....
Dr. Aidoo, have you just returned from the moon? Where were you during the electioneering campaign? Were you in this country or not? The truth is while Nana Addo was putting the NPP programmes across to the electorates, the NDC, led by Omane Boamah and Felix Kwakye Ofosu were decending heavily on Nana, Bawumiah and Samira with insults. They monopolised all the FM staions in the districts and linked them to Radio Gold and Montie FM, insulting Nana Addo, bawumiah and Samira day and night which angered most of the electorate.
Tony Aidoo you should just say Mahama and NDC are incompetent. That is the conclusion of Ghanaians. You yourself, you are a useeless joker. And you have to prepare for another surprise slap in town just like you got 16 years ago!
THE CORRUPTION OF MAHAMMA WAS BEYOND GYEEDA and SADA. TONY AIDOO, YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AT COCOBOD, SSNIT, IMPORTATION OF AMBULANCES PORT AND HARBOUR, EC AND MANY OTHER STATE DEPARTMENT AND INSTITUTION UNDER MAHAMA. IT WAS GARGUANTUAN. IT WAS NOT ONLY GYEEDA and SADA. CORRUPTION BECAME RAMPANT UNDER MAHAMA AND HIS NDC GOVERNMENT.
I don't agree with Tony Aidoo at all. The Npp had superior and achievable programs. Free SHS, one district one factory, one village one dam, independent prosecutor, restoration of Teacher/Nurses allowance, tackling dumsor, lowering interest rates, fighting corruption which was so glaring, eliminating create, loot and share through dubious judgement debt payment etc. The Ndc simply had a bad story no one wanted to listen to and no counter-attack could have saved them. The 8 wasted years of their rule will haunt them for a very long time to come. They messed the country up badly.
Dr. Bill of quantities are prepared by humans. I know a place BOQ are mostly in favour of contractors. So no wonder contractors Conive with consultant to cheat client which is government of ghana.
What attacking are you talking of. Ghana of today is not like Ghana of yesterday. In the face all the corruptions against the NDC you think Ghanaians are not discerning enough what was good for them. The Dumsor, high electricity bills, sharing cars to everybody including Akua Donkor, Nurses and Teacher training allowance, Insulting elders and religious leaders, Lack of capital for business and high interest rates, collapse of HNIS and a host of others. You see Ghanaians were not interested in your bill of quantities or your defensive or attacking strategies. Also the issues were not propaganda as you saying, they were real to Ghanaians. It is shameful that up till now NDC have no clue why the went to opposition.
Not true that NDC was always on the defensive. They attacked, only that they directed all their attacks at Nana Addo as a person. He cannot unite his party, he is sick, he is too short to be president etc. etc. They forgot that the electorate is now very discerning.