Prof. Joshua Alabi must learn to shut up

There is this saying from early ages that goes thus, “if the owner of the farm tarries unnecessarily in identifying a thief, the thief will conveniently label the owner of the farm as the thief”.

Prof. Joshua Alabi’s rather disingenuous, attempt at testing the waters of public anger to what happened at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), goes to expose him as someone, who is not a team player.

I read in quiet amusement at the facebook post of Prof. Johsua Alabi and the spirited defence put up by his warriors on facebook to the effect that, he knew next to nothing about the contract.

In another radio interview on Citi Fm, the learned Prof. said ““It was awarded before my board. The management went beyond the contract sum without recourse to the board; they came to the board for ratification and queried it. But then I really want to believe that the previous board really took into consideration the operations of SSNIT before awarding that contract”.

“The management also explained to the board that there was some unforeseen expenditure that occurred and that is why they went beyond their contract sum but then we queried it because we said they should have brought it to the board for discussion and approval before awarding it,” Prof. Alabi added.

In the interest of clarity, Prof. Joshua Alabi is a consummate politician despite beein away from the lime light, a former Member of Parliament for Krowo and a minister of state.

Aside from politics the man has done very well in academia, helping to establish the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) to be one of the preferred public universities in Ghana.

It is normal and we see it often in our political culture for politicians regardless of their status in the society to exhibit unconscionable attitudes and brazenly swap loyalties for personal mileage gains, and favour with zero regard for public perception of their personal integrity.

But for such an attitude to be exhibited by a Prof. who has studied and mastered the art of leadership is one thing I cannot excuse.

Leadership does not leave anyone behind. A leader does not shy away from trouble and leader is one that will assess the consequences of their actions on the collective interest of every single member of the group.

Prof. Joshua Alabi, has every right to defend himself against any allegation, all he has as an individual is his integrity, so no one will begrudge him, if he clears his name, anytime anyone or group of people attempt to drag his name in the mud.

But in taking actions to clear your name, you must ask yourself as the Lions do, is it fair to all concerned.

Kwame Peprah, was the Board Chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, until the demise of late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills. When president, John Dramani Mahama, was elected, he brought in fresh limps to help steer the affairs of the Trust. Fate smiled on Prof. Joshua Alabi and was made to head the Trust.

Logically, when the issue of the $66 million dollar software deal became public, the good Prof. should have called Kwame Peprah to ask him about it and how they should proceed, but to save himself and push everyone else under the bus, he quickly issued somewhat a statement and proceeded to be granted radio interviews exonerating himself and pushing everything on his predecessors and management of the Trust.

Both Board that supervised SNNIT for the last eight years, were all appointed by Presidents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Regardless of whatever grievances, arising out of ambitions, there is no justification to resort to hanging your own to dry.

The problem at SNNIT has far reaching consequences for not only the individual actors involved by the party (NDC) that, under whose regime the people were appointed.

It was expected that a colossus like Prof. Joshua Alabi, should have considered the damage the SSNIT scandal is doing to the party, before taken an individualistic stand to make him look clean in the eyes of the general public.

Advertising practitioners claim that perception is everything, with this hastily behavior people, will begin to think Prof. Alabi, is a selfish person, who is only interested in clearing his name.

What he has done is a betrayal of the trust members of the National Democratic Congress, who have been hounded since the New Patriotic Party took the reins of power in January this year. The party, must at any material time come first. If not what is the point in belonging.

Ambitions are very important, but they must not cloud our judgment, they must not betray a course, much greater than us.

The behavior of Prof. Alabi and the revelations at SSNIT that get interesting by the day, definitely will put the National Democratic Congress at a clear disadvantage over the New Patriotic Party in the eyes of Ghanaians and people like the Prof. must care.

It does not matter who leads the NDC into the 2020 elections, if the party is not strong on the ground with creditability and united, the loss will be more than the party suffered in the last election.

Prof. Joshua Alabi, could be said to be acting true to type of politicians in our time, having said that, however, I strongly believe that he wished to unburden his conscience, but that should not be at the expense of others.

Sometimes, silence is golden.