The president of any country must uphold the highest ethical and moral standards. As the leader and the number one role model in the country – the person everyone looks up to, the president must lead an exemplary life.
He must be incorruptible and beyond reproach.
But sadly and regrettably, President John Mahama does not possess the above qualities. His election was met with excitement by many Ghanaians who hoped that he would consolidate the gains made by his predecessor, the late President John Atta Mills.
However, since he took office, his administration has been plagued by one corruption scandal after another that embarrasses the country.
The country has not recovered from the multi-million dollars Smartys bus scandal. The Ford bribery scandal is still hanging over our heads. In fact, that case is still before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Yet, it appears the president has not learnt his lessons. Every day, he gets more and more emboldened to commit one corrupt act or another.
This time, he has embarked on a vote buying spree across the country.
This week, a video emerged showing President Mahama distributing cash to prospective voters. The video has provoked national outrage – and rightly so.
His conduct was distasteful and unacceptable. It was unbecoming of a president.
The Chief of Staff, who himself appeared shocked by President Mahama’s conduct, has tried in vain to defend it, saying that he may have distributed leaflets.
It is instructive to note that Mr Julius Debrah could not categorically deny that President Mahama distributed money. The expression “may have been†leaves him in a safe spot, should incontrovertible evidence emerge showing that his boss distributed money.
Be that as it may, the assertion that the president was distributing leaflets is untenable. Even a fool will not buy that.
The president distributed money to boost his second-term bid in contravention of the code of ethics of his office. It’s as simple as that, and it is indefensible.
Only the morally bankrupt Kofi Adams, will defend this by saying that the president has a right to share money to prospective voters on the campaign trail.
The president also appears to have told a pro-NDC newspaper that he only gave GHC50 cedis to an egg seller whose products were destroyed in a stampede. This is inconsistent with what everyone saw on the video, as he gave ,money to at least three people.
Our elders say that if fish starts to rot, it starts from the head. If a whole president can openly break the law with impunity, then what do we expect the youth in the country to do?
These are dark times in this country, and it demands that men and women of integrity stand up and be counted.
It is time for civil society organisations and National Peace Council to hold the president accountable and demand an immediate end to his policy of vote buying. Enough is enough!