A former Deputy Interior Minister has revealed that the meeting in which former President Mahama requested the controversial Cantonments bungalow was arranged by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the instance of President Akufo-Addo.
Mr. Kwabena Acheampong also confirmed on TV3’s New Day that was also carried live on 3FM 92.7 on Saturday that Mr. Mahama and the then president-elect Akufo-Addo “had a gentleman’s agreement” for the latter to live in that house.
“After the elections, Nana Akufo-Addo requested a meeting, through the Otumfuo Osei Tutu with [then] president Mahama…at this meeting [former] president Mahama requested to keep where he is staying and Nana Akufo-Addo agreed.
“This was followed with a letter from the former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah to the transition team…” But after hue and cry, Mr. Mahama became disinterested in the house at the No.3 Prestige Link, Cantonments in Accra.
The former president had requested to keep the house as part of his retirement package. He has lived in the house since 2009: as a vice president and president.
Mr. Acheampong noted that since the two agreed in principle, there was nothing wrong for President Akufo-Addo to change his mind and communicate same to his predecessor.
“If you no longer agree to it, you should not let it sound as if he was holding on to something he was not entitled to,” he criticised how the government handled the whole issue.
In his assessment, the former government official accused the Akufo-Addo led government of exhibiting “pure bad faith” in the bungalow saga.
Mr. Acheampong is hoping that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is bereaved in the heat of the brouhaha, would make his voice heard on the controversy later on.
“I am praying that after Otumfuo has gone through his mother’s funeral, he will come out and issue a statement on it, because we need to be truthful to ourselves as a nation,” he stated.
Commenting on the same issue, the NPP Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Agyarko would not touch on who called for the meeting.
He was however emphatic that what the two agreed on was “completely out of line”. He asserted, “I find it unpalatable; it was completely out of taste”.
