NPP’s Yaw Opoku Mensah Criticizes Mahama Over “Opportunistic” Reparations Stance.

Yaw Opoku Mensah, NPP Communications Team Member

Yaw Opoku Mensah, a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, has launched a scathing critique against former President John Dramani Mahama.

Mensah accused the NDC flagbearer of political opportunism regarding his recent advocacy for historical reparations.

Question of Consistency:

Mensah argued that Mahama’s current posture on the reparations agenda lacks credibility and appears to be a calculated rebranding of an initiative that his own political allies previously derided.

He highlighted the foundational work laid by the current administration, noting that in February 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo submitted a draft report to the African Union (AU) which was subsequently adopted.

This effort culminated in Ghana hosting the Reparations Summit in November 2023, a move that solidified the nation’s leadership in the global discourse on historical justice.

Allegations of Hypocrisy:

According to Mensah, the same figures now supporting Mahama’s stance were vocal critics of the government’s efforts just a year ago, dismissing the summit as a “self-serving” attempt by President Akufo-Addo to gain continental recognition.

“The hypocrisy is staggering,” Mensah asserted.

He added, “President Mahama is seeking global attention from an agenda he once allowed his allies to ridicule. He cannot even muster the basic integrity to acknowledge where this movement began. That silence isn’t accidental; it’s calculated.”

Personal Branding vs. Statesmanship:

The NPP communicator went further, questioning whether Mahama’s renewed interest in the subject is driven by a genuine desire for justice or a quest for personal relevance on the international stage.

“This isn’t about justice for Africa; it’s about personal branding,” Mensah claimed.

He noted that “A genuine statesman would rise above party lines, recognize the continuity of national policy, and build upon it with honesty. Instead, we see a desperate scramble for continental relevance that relies on erasing the contributions of others.”

Call for National Unity:

In his closing remarks, Mensah maintained that the conversation regarding Africa’s reparations must transcend partisan interests.

He warned that reducing such a monumental historical cause to a “contest for credit” undermines the cause itself.

“True patriots don’t rewrite history for applause,” he stressed, adding “They respect it, build on it, and unite around it”.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi.