Re: Manasseh’s Folder: A critique of Akufo –Addo’s ‘Thank you’ tour

When a loud compliment is unnecessarily given, the receiver becomes proud and would think the little he has done is enough and really impresses people. With just a mere thanks-giving tour, somebody is seriously giving compliments to Akufo Addo as if he has hundred percent fulfilled all his heaven-down promises.

I couldn’t believe myself when I read an article written by one Multi- Media journalist going by the name Manasseh Awuni about the Akufo Addo’s thanks-giving tour yesterday, 31th December 2016. Two unpatriotic issues came in mind when finished reading the said article: Number one either the person wants recognition by Akufo Addo and in case there is a governmental position available somewhere such a person will see himself being filled or number two, the person just wants to be heard by Ghanaians that he is still available to bring pieces of news being important or otherwise for public consumption.

This journalist started by talking about health of Akufo Addo. Some of the quotes are: “They said he was too sick to campaign, but he campaigned.” “They said he was so sick that after campaigning for one week, he would be flown out secretly to Great Britain or elsewhere in Europe for medical treatment. But he endured the rugged roads.”

Really, I wonder how a mere journalist for Multi-Media turned a medical doctor overnight to examine Akufo Addo and concluded that he is healthy like a rock. A simple question to this journalist: how are you sure if Akufo Addo is not having a hidden disease? Akufo Addo being on his feet to campaign and won the election doesn’t mean he is not sick, only a medical doctor can confirm his health status and not a mere multi-media journalist. Though I don’t wish any sickness for the President-elect, it is only a medical doctor who can make a pronouncement on his health after a thorough check-up.

Another funny thing he brought out was, during the campaign president Mahama used a helicopter and Akufo Addo used a car, therefore Akufo Addo is healthier than president Mahama. Yes, Akufo Addo did not a helicopter to campaign but president Mahama did. The obvious reason being that president Mahama was doing two works simultaneously. One work as the president of the nation and another work as the presidential candidate of the NDC campaigning to win the election whilst Akufo Addo on the other hand was just concentrating on one work and that was the presidential candidate of the NPP campaigning to win the election. As a matter of fact, President Mahama wished to travel on his constructed roads to reach the electorates during the electioneering campaign but because of the two bombarded workings he couldn’t, this does not mean Akufo Addo is healthier even than president Mahama as the said journalist wants Ghanaians to believe.

Again this journalist didn’t end there, he came out by saying Akufo Addo did not rest his aching bones, neither he was flown to Europe for a medical care nor he sat down to supervise the transition after the campaign.

If Akufo Addo did not rest his aching bones, neither he was flown to Europe for a medical care nor he sat down to supervise the transition, these factors don’t necessary confirm that Akufo Addo is healthy and strong enough. Again only a trained doctor can confirm this and not a mere Multi-Media journalist who knows nothing about health.

Yes, everybody knows Akufo Addo embarks on so-called “Thank You” tour. Ghanaians need not to be told about this because since our independence in the year 1957 every presidential candidate who wins the general election embarks on thanks-giving tour. In fact, a thanks-giving tour is a thanks-giving tour irrespective of when the president-elect starts it.

The journalist in question, with his hallucination for recognition by the incoming government, stated that Akufo Addo was saving the national resources by embarking on the thanks-giving tour before swearing in. If he had waited to swear in before embarked on the thanks-giving tour, he would have got the national resources to use.

This is very funny, isn’t? The journalist did even question himself the current source of the resources for the Akufo Addo’s thanks-giving tour. Where did Akufo Addo get these resources? Was Akufo Addo working for the past eight years to generate these resources by himself? Are the resources from NPP purse? Are the resources from foreign entities? Are the resources for free of charge to Akufo Addo? Are they borrowed resources? Are Ghanaians going to pay the NPP or foreign entities for these resources plus interest. Remember nothing on this earth is free. Nothing goes for nothing. The journalist did not do himself good by finding out the source of these resources for the tour before concluding that Akufo Addo is saving the country’s resources.

Manasseh Awuni, the journalist didn’t end there, he took his arrogance and disrespect to our chiefs, catholic bishops, TUC leaders and other prominent leaders by warning them to stay away from the Flagstaff House having already met the president-elect. I wonder if he knows better than these our chiefs, TUC leaders and the clergy to decide for them. He didn’t end there, he went ahead with his disrespect attitude towards our chiefs by making fun of one chief by the name Nii Ayi Bonte. Does he even have respect for elders and his bosses at work at all? Nii Ayi Bonte is a chief and he deserves some respect but because somebody wants to achieve his parochial interest in the NPP government, he is being insulted and mocked by a young boy. Remember when you insult a chief, you have insult each and every person he represents as a chief as well.

Another funny thing he wrote was, “the victory of Akufo Addo has brought a psychological healing to Ghanaians.”

Yes, he is right, why not? a psychological healing to the NPP MPs and ministers who will be transporting drugs to the other part of the world. A psychological healing to Akufo Addo ‘s family who he sold their houses and businesses to finance his campaign. Akufo Addo is a man who got himself in a tribal bigotry by saying “yen Akanfou” “all-die-be-die” but he never apologized. Not only that, his Akeam friend, Yaw Osarfo Maafo also caught on a secret tape by saying those residents in the country without a regional possessed natural resources, none should become the president of the country, yet Akufo Addo didn’t condemn his barbaric utterance. Where is the psychological healing to Ghanaians you are talking about?

It is too early for anyone to give compliments to whatever Akufo Addo is doing now unless someone has a secret agenda for recognition and possibly milk from the incoming government and the president-elect. As a matter of fact, Ghanaians must get prepared to pay for Akufo Addo’s borrowed campaign and ‘Thank You’ tour resources plus every interest.