President of Citizen Eye Ghana, Mr Alex Tetteh, has called for a more objective discussion of the relationship between Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor and businessman Ibrahim Mahama.

Speaking to the press, Mr Tetteh said attempts to portray COP Donkor as a puppet of Ibrahim Mahama unfairly ignore her years of service and career progression in the Ghana Police Service.

“Lydia Donkor did not become a senior police officer because of Ibrahim Mahama. She has been in the police service for years and earned her position. She was promoted under the NPP as well. So why should her career now be explained by her relationship with Ibrahim Mahama?” 

Mr Tetteh said any concerns about COP Donkor should be based on her conduct in office, not her private life.

“If there is a problem with how she performs her duties, let people say exactly what it is. If there is misconduct, let them show it. But saying she knows Ibrahim Mahama is not evidence that she is controlled by him.” 

 A woman's private life should not become a career issue

Mr Tetteh said the controversy also raises a wider concern about the way women in senior positions are sometimes judged by their personal relationships.

“It is hypocritical to judge a woman because of who she has children with, who she has dated or who she is married to. Marriage should not become a sentence that limits a woman's career. Motherhood should not become a sentence either.”

He said a woman's private life does not cancel her professional experience or qualifications.

“We cannot tell women to work hard, educate themselves and rise through the ranks, only to use their relationships against them when they reach senior positions.” 

Mr Tetteh said people should be careful not to apply a different standard to women than they would to men.

“If there is a genuine concern about COP Lydia Donkor, let us discuss her work. Her private relationship should not become a shortcut for questioning her professionalism.”

Ibrahim Mahama did not make Lydia Donkor CID boss

Mr Tetteh rejected the suggestion that Ibrahim Mahama was responsible for COP Donkor becoming CID boss.

“Ibrahim Mahama did not take Lydia Donkor to become CID boss. She had already built a career in the police service and had progressed under different administrations.” 

He said the suggestion that Ibrahim controls COP Donkor also ignores the independence of Ghana's institutions.

“Ibrahim Mahama is an ordinary citizen. He is not the police, he is not the courts, and he does not control the security agencies.” 

According to Mr Tetteh, the justice system and security institutions must be allowed to carry out their responsibilities without being reduced to assumptions about personal relationships. 

The NPP Must Stop Envying and Attacking Ibrahim Mahama

Mr Tetteh said he did not see Ibrahim Mahama as someone who had a political dispute with the NPP as a party.

Rather, he said Ibrahim became the subject of intense scrutiny because of his wealth and his relationship with President John Dramani Mahama. 

He pointed to the seizure of Engineers and Planners equipment by the then Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah.

“His machines were seized by Simon Osei-Mensah and his businesses came under serious pressure. This is not the story of a man who has always had the state working for him.”

 Mr Tetteh also claimed that some NPP members have since reached out to Ibrahim Mahama after the party went into opposition to apologise for what they now recognise as unfair treatment and abuse of power.

“Some of the people who were involved have now reached out to Ibrahim Mahama and apologised. They now realise that some of what was done to him was unfair and that state power was used in ways that put pressure on him and his businesses.” 

He said the treatment, in his view, was intended to intimidate Ibrahim Mahama and slow the growth of his businesses.

“How can a person’s only crime be that he is the brother of the president,” Mr Alex Tetteh quizzed.

He stated that. in the past, presidents gave political and governmental positions to their siblings and close family members but "we saw no attacks against them, so why is a non-government appointee being targeted, attacked and abused?"

“The intention was to intimidate him and stifle the growth of his businesses. Today, some of those same people can look back and recognise that what happened was wrong.” 

Mr Tetteh also rejected suggestions that Ibrahim Mahama's wealth should automatically be treated with suspicion.

“People know the businesses he owns. They know the employment those businesses create. They also know the philanthropic work he does. We should not assume that someone became wealthy through wrongdoing simply because he is wealthy.” 

On how this can discourage people with proximity to power from investing in Ghana, Mr. Tetteh asked “are we trying to discourage people related to every president from working hard and earning a living?” 

He said Ghana should encourage entrepreneurs who are willing to invest their capital in the country.

“There are wealthy people who keep their money for themselves or invest outside Ghana. Ibrahim Mahama has chosen to invest in Ghana, create jobs and support people through his philanthropic work. Such people should be encouraged, not attacked out of envy.” 

Wontumi's apology

Mr Tetteh also spoke about Ibrahim Mahama's relationship with Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi.

According to him, Wontumi apologised to Ibrahim Mahama in an effort to avoid going to jail.

“Wontumi apologised to Ibrahim Mahama because he was trying to escape jail. Ibrahim forgave him and even tried to assist him with the case by recommending good lawyers, but the matter was too serious to simply be quashed.” 

Mr Tetteh said Ibrahim Mahama could not simply stop the case because he was a private citizen.

“People must understand that Ibrahim Mahama is an ordinary citizen. He is not the courts, the police or the security agencies. The justice system is robust, and our security institutions are professional. He could not simply order a case to disappear.” 

A caution to Maurice Ampaw

Mr Tetteh also criticised lawyer Maurice Ampaw for what he described as efforts to damage Ibrahim Mahama's reputation.

“I would caution Lawyer Maurice Ampaw to stop trying so hard to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Ibrahim Mahama. Trying to tear someone down will not raise you to Ibrahim Mahama's level.” 

He said the legal profession carries a responsibility to promote reasoned public debate.

“Law is a noble profession. If there is a legal issue involving Ibrahim Mahama, let the law deal with it. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, present it. But personal attacks do not make allegations true.” 

Their relationship should remain private

Mr Tetteh said Ibrahim Mahama and Lydia Donkor have known each other for many years and that their private relationship should not be used to question COP Donkor's professional independence.

“Ibrahim Mahama and Lydia have been friends and lovers since the 1990s. That is their private life. It should not become the basis for judging her professional career.” 

He said a personal relationship does not automatically mean that one person controls the other.

“If people have concerns about COP Lydia Donkor, let them talk about her work. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, bring it. But using her relationship with Ibrahim Mahama to question her professionalism is an immature approach.” 

Let the evidence speak

Mr Tetteh said public debate should focus on evidence rather than assumptions about people's private lives, wealth or political connections.

“You can scrutinise Ibrahim Mahama, you can question his businesses. You can scrutinise COP Lydia Donkor. But do it based on evidence, not lies and attempt to peddle falsehood through frivolous insinuations.”

He said allegations concerning Ibrahim Mahama's wealth should be treated in the same way.

“If somebody believes he acquired his wealth illegally, let the evidence be produced. Being wealthy is not a crime, and being the President's brother is not a crime.” 

Mr Tetteh said the wider lesson was that Ghana should support professional women and indigenous entrepreneurs while holding public officials and businesses accountable through the proper institutions.

“A woman's relationship does not cancel her qualifications. Her children do not cancel her experience. And being connected to a politically exposed person does not make her somebody's puppet.”

He concluded by saying that Ghanaians should Judge public officers by their work, businesses by the law and allegations by evidence and not hearsay.

He entreated politicians to appreciate greatness and not to tear it down.