Please Koku, pass this one on to Akufo-Addo!

As my new role as an ‘Unofficial Petition Volunteer’ to the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Koku Anyidoho, who has pledged solemnly to inundate the presidency with limitless petitions, I have an enviable task of suggesting cases to be submitted to His Excellency President Akufo-Addo for onward submission to the appropriate quarters.

While some of us do not want to acquiesce to the widely held assertion that politics is a dirty game, one would not be far from right for suggesting that the political terrain is full of propagandists and manipulating geezers.

We should, however, not lose sight of the fact that political opportunists and cozeners are not limited to Africa, it is a global phenomenon. However, in my humble opinion, it is our part of the world (Africa), where political insobrieties and gimmicks are obsequiously entertained by the citizens.

Perhaps more than anything else, this is so because we have a greater number of unlettered folks, many of whom cannot choose between impenitent tricksters and morally upstanding politicians.

Koku, if you may remember, somewhere in October 2015, the news went around that the erstwhile NDC government had spent a staggering $10 million to publish presidential diaries. Koku, it was, indeed, a profligate spending by a licentious administration.

However, Koku, the then presidential staffer in Mahama’s administration, Stan Dogbe hastily came out and explained: “no government under the NDC has spent a pesewa of the public purse to produce diaries. "Such dairies have always been paid for from corporate advertising proceeds, and the canvassing for such adverts is the responsibility of the company selected to produce the diaries" (myjoyonline.com, 19/10/2015).

Well, Koku, if millions of dollars were extorted from corporate bodies for presidential diaries without the proper accountability, then I suggest you send an urgent petition to the presidency for an onward submission to the Special Prosecutor to probe into the cash for diaries saga.

Koku, here is my brief annotation to the numerous corruption scandals in the erstwhile Mahama administration:

Koku, it beggars belief that despite the wanton corruption, the arrogance of power and the crass incompetence exhibited by the erstwhile NDC administration which resulted in massive economic meltdown, the NDC faithful would still have the moral authority to accuse others of non-existent corruption.

Koku, it is absolutely true that the opposition is obliged to put the incumbent government on its toes. But Koku, does the opposition NDC have to grumble and criticise for criticising sake?

Koku, given the bizarre circumstances, some of us cannot help but to giggle over you and your minions renewed zeal to expose and prevent perceived incompetence and corruption in the NPP administration.

Koku, it is, indeed, quite ironic that you are gleefully hopping around the globe (from United States to Luxembourg) with the view to detecting a perceived corruption by the serious and committed NPP government. How pathetic?

Koku, let us be honest, if you and your cohorts were that good at detecting and preventing sleazes and corruption, why did you go to sleep over the scandalous corruption cases involving the infamous Bus Branding, NCA, SSNIT, Brazil World Cup, Mahama’s Ford Expedition vehicle, GYEEDA, AZONTABA, SADA, SUBAH, the purported $300million debt incurred on the faded STS housing deal, the dubious Embraer 190 Aircrafts and hanger for the Ghana Armed Forces and over a US$100 million oil revenue loss between 2011 and 2013 as reported by the Public Interest& Accountability Committee?

Indeed, Koku, a large portion of the country’s resources went down the drain due to unpardonable mismanagement and the wanton sleazes and corruptions perpetrated by the officials of the erstwhile Mahama administration.

What is more, Koku, you may have to send another petition to His Excellency President Akufo-Addo to pass over to the Special Prosecutor to probe into the allegations that the erstwhile NDC government managed to pay dubious judgement debt amount purported to be around GH800 million. How bizarre, Koku?

Koku, apparently the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF) estimates that monies lost to corrupt and dubious transactions under the presidency of John Dramani Mahama amounted to GHC5billion.

However, the total of my calculations in respect of all the recorded corrupt and dubious transactions exceeds that of the PNF; I recorded GH7 billion.

Whatever the case, Koku, you may have to submit another petition to His Excellency President Akufo-Addo to forward to the Special Prosecutor to look into the wanton profligacy.

Well, Koku, it would appear that you lots are trying your level best to convince your aggrieved supporters of your consuming desire to recapture power in 2020, and hence the desperation.

Koku, isn’t it somewhat ironic that you and your cohorts have soon found your voices and squalling and scolding at the roof top about alleged sleazes and corruption in the NPP government?

Well, Koku, that is the beauty of democracy. You and your minions are within your democratic rights to whine and speak your piece and criticise the NPP administration as you see fit.

But all said and done, Koku, you ought to exercise a great deal of circumspection and consider criticising constructively and put forward alternative policies and programmes that will help move the country forward.

In ending, Koku, some of us, as a matter of principle, cannot end our arousing disgust anyhow and anytime soon over the erstwhile NDC government’s inborn predilection, the irreversible incompetence and the corrupt practices which nonetheless destabilised Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators.

K. Badu, UK.

k.badu2011@gmail.com