John Mahama (NDC flagbearer); Dr Bawumia (NPP flagbearer)
I have been maintaining consistently that a president of a nation is an important position and therefore it requires a serious, committed, and forward-thinking person to hold such a position.
Much as the 1992 Constitution of Ghana prescribes that every sound adult Ghanaian can vie for the presidential seat, not every bona fide Ghanaian can hold down the position and deliver efficiently to the high expectations of the good people of Ghana.
Ideally, someone with a high calibre, vast life experience, a catalogue of suitable employable skills, a portfolio of relevant qualifications, tried and tested competencies and requisite knowledge should be a suitable candidate for the position.
Unfortunately, however, we are, more often than not, relying on lousy officials whose only preoccupation is to sink the nation deeper and deeper into the mire through unpardonable incompetence and unbridled corruption.
It would thus appear that we, Ghanaians, are possessed with a grovelling characteristic of a sordid mind which hates anything quality but rather prefers to worship mediocrity.
Thus, our leaders, having first-hand knowledge of our obsequious compliance, continue to take us for granted and keep offering perfunctory leadership.
I remember in the wake of NDC’s 2016 humiliating election defeat, some sympathisers argued somewhat impetuously that Mahama provided Ghanaians with some few developments, including the Circle and Kasoa interchanges, schools, and hospitals, and therefore it was quite unfair for Ghanaians to vote him out of power.
The overarching question we should be asking then is: is governance all about the provision of social amenities and infrastructural projects?
A few years ago, I thought I was dreaming when I heard that some NDC’s stone-pelting homicidal brats had decided to pelt the then Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu with stones for attempting to inaugurate one of the much-touted Mahama infrastructural projects in the Central Region.
According to the ill-informed leader of the NDC stone-throwing homicidal brats, since the NPP operatives somehow failed to acknowledge the said Mahama project, the NPP administration has no business completing and inaugurating the Government of Ghana’s project. How bizarre?
In fact, I could not end my arousing disgust when I heard the playful leader of the NDC stone-pelting bandwagon insisting somewhat naively that the NPP operatives can only be allowed to go near the NDC’s uncompleted projects if they render an unqualified apology to Ex-President Mahama. How unfortunate?
The fact of the matter is that we choose to elect a government to oversee our national affairs. And, we, in turn, are obliged to pay taxes to the elected government so as to run the country seamlessly.
In addition, the elected government has our unwavering support to secure prudent loans to support the day-to-day management of the country.
In effect, we (the citizens and denizens) pay for all the expenses pertaining to the management of the country.
It was for that reason that I was in acquiescence with former President Mahama for poignantly suggesting sometime in 2008 that it is an exercise in mediocrity for any government to take delight in infrastructural projects.
Somehow, Ex-President Mahama meant to suggest that every lousy government could easily undertake that role of governance. According to former President Mahama, the provision of infrastructural projects is as easy as ABC.
No offence intended, though, Madam Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) could put up more infrastructural projects if given the opportunity.
To be brutally honest, good governance is not all about the provision of amenities and infrastructural projects such as public toilets, schools, roads, water, and electricity, amongst others.
In a grand scheme of things, a good governance involves thinking outside the box, conceiving, and delivering crucial policies and programmes such as the Free SHS, Nurse’s Allowance, the Teacher’s Allowance, SADA, GYEEDA, NHIS, the Maternal Care, the School Feeding programme, the Mass Transport System, the Nation Builders Corp (NABCO), the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the Disability Common Fund, One Ambulance One Constituency, One District One Factory, and the Capitation Grant.
That notwithstanding, the loyalists NDC supporters would want discerning Ghanaians to believe that the erstwhile NDC administration provided exceptional governance by undertaking some infrastructure projects.
Truly, vague apprehension of patriotism exists in the minds of many Ghanaians, who prefer narrow party colouration to defend the national interests. How pathetic?
It is absolutely true that we have over the years been electing terrible economic managers who cannot see their backsides from their elbows and have only succeeded in sinking the economy deeper and deeper into the mire.
I do not intend to be condescending, far from it. But if governance is all about putting up infrastructural projects, then I will dare state that even my unlettered and untrained mother can perform exceedingly better than what the outgone Mahama administration did with all the copious resources.
Somehow, Ex-President Mahama and his teeming supporters are refusing to appreciate the fact that exemplary governance is not all about putting up infrastructural projects. But excellent governance goes beyond the provision of social infrastructure and amenities.
There is no gainsaying the fact that praiseworthy governance involves continuous improvement of socio-economic standards of living.
Nevertheless, it is well-stencilled that during his tenure in office, whenever the suffering Ghanaians complained about the economic hardships, former President Mahama and his vociferous communicators would ungraciously chastise the same people who gave them the electoral mandate.
Needless to say, the erstwhile Mahama administration failed wilfully to improve on the standards of living of Ghanaians, which partly accounted for their humiliating 2016 election defeat.
