A failing president and the ignorance of a chief linguist

"For lack of knowledge my people perish" so says the Holy book of christians (the Bible). Indeed, knowledge is also power and without it, one lives almost a powerless life.

It is a pity that some opinion leaders in our societies these days have sold their dignity to ignorance and dishonesty. The good ones are rather seen as bad because they always go for the truth.

What a pity? Have we become so deviant as a nation and people? ...all is not well with us. This is not Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana. This is not the Asanteman I know and outwardly, this cannot be the chief's spokeperson for Tepa Traditional Council.

I may not be right, but I am tempted to believe that, the stool of Tepaman is flawed with such people around it. I don't come from Tepa though I have my biological father's ancestory from Akwasiase, a town which is about less than 5km from Tepa.

With barely a decade ago, when Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem I, Omanhene of Tepa traditional council assumed office, the people of Tepa and its environments have indeed witnessed a high levels of development both socially and humanly.

That is a good sign of a perfect leadership.

Anytime the name of his royal highness is mentioned in the media, nothing other than chalks of developmental projects come into the minds of people. His good works have even earned him an honourary doctorate degree. May he live long to continue his good works for Tepaman, Ashanti and Ghana at large.

I do not intend to bring the royal throne of Tepaman into the gutters but the news got to me by surprise and I still cannot believe my ears heard exactly what the chief linguist said during that faithful day when His excellency John Mahama, the president of the republic visited Tepa as part of his working visit to the Ashanti region. The chief linguist of Tepa was reported to have "invoked curses on anyone who stands in the way of the second term bid of President John Mahama".

What mediocrity can push a man to say?

Did he (the Okyeame) really know the value of what he was saying?

Did he really visit his mental coffers before the opined such?

I'm tempted to believe that he was overidden by some white water (alcohol) he took earlier, if not I can not from the human point of view describe such.

Was he instigating the ancestors of Tepa against the various presidential aspirants or the masses who will in one way or the other contribute to the defeat of Mr Mahama?

We can not have such people in our midst and expect societal growth. The gods are not foolish like you think, Nana Okyeame.

If the gods haven't killed a man who have brought shame and defamation to the stool, then I'm sure "nananom" will consider your statement and plea as one from an "insane" person.

The most annoying of all is when you here NDC communicators defending such taboo from an opinion leader. Myself and I believe other millions of Ghanaians have planned to stand in the way of president John Mahama's second term bid so let the gods start killing us now. Yes now, because to me, they have millions to kill in less than 20 months to elections.

Killing a presidential aspirant alone is not worth it because "Agya bi wu a, agya bi tease". People will definitely walk into their shoes so we will still have people to block Mahama's way.

Mr president, I thought as a father of the nation, you would have condemned that statement even in front of the crowd for the linguist to have seen that, indeed he was dealing with the man of the nation, a man of love for his people and a man who is worthy of a presidentship.

I know you are not an Akan, but your indisputable familiarity with Asante dialect in most of your presentations and speeches leaves me to no doubt that, you understood the meaning of what the ignorant Okyeame said.

There is a saying that, "the elder does not sit for the dried beans to get wet during rainfall or he's equally a bad elder", your endless silence during and after that libation till now makes me believe that my president is just like that bad man who sit unconcerned for dried beans to get wet.

Mr president, some of your actions does not speak as a president. I am sure per your inability to condemn the Okyeame means you upheld what he said and therefore, you will be happy to hear that your competitors in 2016 elections are dying? ...this leaves me with no doubt that you really had a hand in our late President Mills' demise as speculated by others. Yes, I have buried my doubts!

Praying your competitors dead is not the main reasons we voted for you. You have failed from your swearing-in hour and you are still failing, are you not aware?

Can't you see Ghana is in a backward move?

Mr president, your various policies and interventions are bad to contain. Sit up and re-organize your entire leadership machinery because to a every well meaning Ghanaian, you are not far from the history of being Ghana's most failed president since independence.

Most of the military governments are even better to describe than your democratic governance which is believed to have been the best way of ruling and developments.

If this is what you call democracy, then Mr President, Ghanaians needs a military regime instead. I do not intend to undermine the constitution though but democracy with massive corruptions in all government institutions where per any little opportunities given to your appointees and close buddies, they make millions at the expense of the poor Ghanaian tax payer is worst than a military leadership where we get value for our taxes paid.

Your excellency, may you go back to memories and books and compare your leadership to that of Mr. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. Putting off the political cap, you will understand what I want to tell you.

I cannot reason for you but as a Ghanaian, I can tell you that, a total reshuffle or better still, an overhaul of your government will be the greatest thing to save your image.

Your kind of reshuffle, where you move a failing appointee from a current post to another means nothing but just for him/her to cause another failing institution.

Some of them needs to be thrown out of government to bring innovative thinkers and strategist on board.

The insults are too much to also bear. We as a people don't demand such from your cronies. Here too, I wish you should come out and condemn your party's communications director for his infamous "nothing good comes from Ashanti" comment. Nothing good? On what basis does he say that?

I have thought of it and one thing comes into my mind; Ashanti is believed to be the stronghold of your major opponent (NPP) either than that, I don't see why Solomon Nkansah should say that.

When we look at population-wise, Ashanti is the most populated region of Ghana so if nothing at all, we have the largest human resource capcity for the country and its a good thing rather.

Talk of the various natural resources, I'm without fear for contempt that Ghana virtually has Ashanti as one of her sources of these resources. From gold, cocoa, oilpalm, vegetables, fruits, timber, fish, meat, tourism, rivers, streams, clothes, maize, rice, yam, cassava and a whole lots. Are these what the NDC call as "nothing good?

I hope nothing but your (NDC) narrow voting population makes Ashanti as nothing for you.

Who cares, you can insult us as a people but remember, it is we the same "nothing good of people" that your party is planning to raise some one million votes.

Indeed, nothing comes from here because some of chiefs and opinion leaders have sold their God-given conscience to your political dishonesty. A typical example is the case of the Tepa Okyeame.

Again, your "nothing good comes from Ashanti" comment clears the waves of why every diabolic agenda of the NDC is pointed to the good people of Ashanti.

If not, I don't understand why your government have collapsed our Health Insurance system with the so-called capitation grant.

The collapsed school feeding programme and that of cocoa mass spraying can not be left out Mr president the people of Ashanti deserves better than shallow politics and insults.

I like this saying in Akan very much; "Efiewura antu a, kramo be tu" meaning if the landlord does not move out, definitely the tenant would have to.

We cannot undergo another term of massive create, loot and share and insults as a people. Some of us are ready to cause a change. I don't care who takes over but all I seek is good leadership.

My president, a word to a wise.......

Make some meaning from the cries of the innocent people and let's move forward as a nation.

Be a listening father!

God bless our homeland Ghana.

Writer: Richard Sarpong

Email: Risarp.Sr@gmail.com