Politics

Afenyo-Markin Reveals How Prof. Mills and Mahama Rescued His Business After NPP’s 2008 Election Defeat

The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has disclosed how the late former President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills and then-Vice President John Dramani Mahama stepped in to save his transport business after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the 2008 general elections.

Addressing Parliament on February 20, 2025, Afenyo-Markin recounted that after the electoral defeat of his party, certain individuals attempted to sabotage his transport business, which involved multiple trucks operating between Awaso and Takoradi.

According to him, some individuals, seemingly motivated by political vendetta, sought to put his business at risk simply because he was affiliated with the NPP. However, he revealed that a shareholder in his company, who had close ties to the ruling government at the time, informed President Mills and Vice President Mahama about the situation.

“They immediately gave instructions that such actions were unjust and detrimental to the country. They made it clear that a businessman who had taken loans to purchase trucks should not be victimized due to his political affiliation,” Afenyo-Markin narrated.

The Minority Leader used this revelation to condemn the persistent cycle of political retribution in Ghana, stressing the need for a more inclusive and fair governance system that does not discriminate based on party affiliation.

“As a country, we must not continue this vicious cycle of ‘you did it to me, so I will do it to you.’ Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I said in an interview that sometimes the political class forgets that their mandate is to develop the nation,” he stated.

Afenyo-Markin urged politicians to rise above partisan bitterness and work towards national unity. “Since 1992, it appears we have not learned our lesson. Some of the injustices Ghanaians face due to political affiliation must end. But will extremists allow moderate centrists in our political space to do their work and promote justice and fairness in society? We, the voices of reason, must prevail over them.”

His remarks have sparked discussions about the need for political tolerance and fairness in Ghana, reinforcing the call for a governance system that prioritizes national interest over partisan conflicts.