President John Mahama
A few weeks ago, I rang my mother to find out how she was getting on with life in Ghana. However, our conversation inadvertently stretched into Ghana’s political landscape.
This piece is a retrospective commentary of the conversation I had with my mother which I would like to share with my dearest readers.
Our telephone conversation went like this:
Kwaku: Hello Mum, how are you doing?
Mum: Hmmm, I am not feeling good at all this morning. My body is really aching.
Kwaku: Have my sympathy Mum; I think you are feeling the intrinsic effects of aging.
Mum: Many thanks for sympathising with me my son.
Kwaku: What about life in general then Mum?
Mum: Eiiiiii, Kwaku, it has become extremely hard ooooo! The ‘dumsor’ is not going away, prices of goods are on the high and your brothers and sisters businesses aren’t flourishing at all.
Kwaku: I know Mum; I noticed all the hardships when I visited Ghana in March 2016; have my sympathy once again.
Mum: Many thanks for showing concern, Kwaku; are you also experiencing dumsor over there in London?
Kwaku: Dumsor? No Mum. I have not witnessed a single dumsor since I have been in the United Kingdom.
Mum: Really? Do you mean for the last three decades you’ve been in the United Kingdom there has not been a single dumsor?
Kwaku: Yes Mum; we do not have dumsor time table here.
Mum: Your President is doing well then; do you normally vote for him?
Kwaku: Yes Mum, our Prime Minister is performing alright. And to answer your follow up question, I do not normally vote for the Conservatives because I do not subscribe to their campaign messages.
Mum: But your Prime Minister is doing fantastically well, so what all the farce about campaign messages?
Kwaku: Mum, you don’t vote for the sake of voting; you weigh all the campaign promises before giving away your mandate.
Let me tell you Mum, I did not even vote for my MP (Kwesi Kwarteng) who belongs to the Conservative Party and has Ghanaian parents.
Let me tell you once again Mum, although I am one of the king makers in the Labour Party’s leadership contest by virtue of my Trade Union membership, I will probably vote for the incumbent Conservative Prime Minister, Theresa May in the next general election because of her unparalleled credibility.
Mum: Really? As for me four years ago I chose that tall and handsome guy.
Kwaku: Do you mean President Mahama?
Mum: Yes, I voted for him because of his handsome looks.
Kwaku: Hmm, Mum, why are you then moaning now over all the hardships? Didn’t you choose handsome looks over competence?
Mum: But I also chose handsome President Kuffour over Atta Mills.
Kwaku: Well, Mum, competence does not reside in ones stature.
Mum: But President Kuffour was tall, handsome and extremely competent.
Kwaku: You are right Mum. But you are also aware that we have useless tall and handsome individuals around.
For example, the biblical Goliath was also tall and handsome but was useless, for it took the midget, competent and intelligent David to floor him.
Mum: Well, Kwaku, so what is your point now?
Kwaku: Mum, my point is we don’t vote for handsome looks, we rather vote for competence, integrity and realistic campaign messages, for handsome looks won’t solve the existential dumsor and the ever sinking economy.
Mum: Well, Kwaku, I’ve got your message.
Kwaku: Mum, am glad you’ve embraced the message. Please don’t keep it to your chest; pass it on.
Mum: Kwaku, I’ll do.
Kwaku: Mum, remember you all have another opportunity to choose between handsome looks and competence.
Mum: Many thanks Kwaku for your illumination.
Kwaku: That’s alright Mum. Good bye and I will speak to you again next week.
How glad I was when I put the telephone handset down, for I managed to get the real message to my Mum, who will in turn, pass on the message to her dependents and other associates.
Compatriots bear in mind that you all have a second chance to put it right. Don’t vote for the voting sake, vote for competence, realistic campaign messages and integrity.
