To a friend abroad

Dear J J Egbert,

I bring you warm greetings from the land of my birth. Ghana is a

prosperous land with diverse cultural heritage.

I will desist from any attempt to recount our rich history. In my next

letter, I would tell you the devastating effects of slavery,

colonialism, neocolonialism and corruption on my beloved country.

The effects are so glaring and pernicious even decades away. The black

and for that matter, Ghanaian is made to believe, he can't manage his

own affairs. This weird mentality was fought frontally by Dr.Nkrumah,

Nelson Mandela, Dr Martin Luther king Jnr, Robert Mugabe and recently

John Dramani Mahama.

Are we then surprised to see all these efforts by past leaders to keep

us on the path of sustainable growth and economic emancipation being

dwarfed by children and grandchildren of "y£ti y£ ho" ideology?

Our real state today is pathetic. It has not only exposed the lies,

but the inherent traits of deception from the primitive days of

slavery.

The government has developed a strange appetite for borrowing without

any physical project to show. Their communicators would quickly make

reference to free SHS, Nurses and teacher trainee Allowances.

Look! I am for free quality SHS. I believe it's a bold social

intervention which needs commendations. However, its current shape and

form is a mission on a path of failure.

Every rational government across the globe would do targeting of those

who really need it. Improve infrastructure, secure a sustainable

source of financing, improving the human resource capacity of teachers

etc.

J J Egbert, I wish to share with you current happenings in my country.

I remember vividly, my last letter to you was about the concession

speech of the past President. H E John Mahama. Today, I'm writing to

you on diverse of issues.

Firstly, my country has a 72yrs old as a President. Many were those

who said with his age, he has seen it all and knows it all.

Unfortunately, the speech by H E John Mahama that faithful night is

taking turns so quickly to my amusement. Prosperity indeed shall be

the best judge.

My country is witnessing the most lawlessness ever. Even the said

criminal entities have the effrontery to be threatening the life of

judges, nurses, teachers, market women etc.

The other day, H E John Mahama asked a harmless question. He wanted to

find out why we were made to pay a private company for an application

which exist on our phones already? Then comes the man, Dr Alhaji

Bawumia. He copiously read out a long thesis obviously written by same

guys who sold the 419 App to us.

He read out several factual inaccuracies but is not my interest to

expose him now. I still want to observe that cultural norm to desist

from embarrassing my kinsmen in public. I have an option of hauling

him before "Na-yiri" . His response was the exact description of a

parroting propagandist. He came to me as someone who i suffering from

identity conflict; ie a serial caller ranting on radio.

He needs help to migrate from his comfort zone of campaign talks to

real work of buttering our bread. Mr President enough of the talk!

I share in the convictions of H E John Mahama that the said Ghana GPS

app is a 419 scam. Period! An application which accepts xxx as a name

of an applicant and landed me in our neighborhood toilet when I asked

for a direction to the hospital is nothing but a shameful 419 scam.

Egbert, I read in the dailies that the "competent" 110 team could not

raise the needed bond due to several factors. 25% of what they finally

got was spent on transaction cost. Please! Don't ask me any question

because I am deficient in economics. Hon. Isaac Adongo has all the

answers.

Then comes the news of the failed 10 regional chairmen of the NDC

issuing a communique. What? In fact, it was the "sere kwa kwa" of the

week. Their actions were not only premature but a clear demonstration

of the imminent house cleansing fever. Hahahahahahha

Yes! a revolution is what the NDC needs. I don't really know the form

it would take but what I'm certain in mind is that, men of conscience

and integrity will stand.

The NDC as a political party should be interested in building its

base, taking its members through the healing processes and compiling a

credible register. They should be working on carving a new look. Ask

yourselves why it has become difficult to win elections in any public

institution? Why a party member will not feel the need to write and

defend the party?

The new face should start with polling station elections through to

the national executives. We have a collective responsibility to treat

the lame horse with potent medication.

The ordinary members of our party should own it. They should choose

their leaders at every stage. This and many more will save the NDC

from another humiliating defeat.

Remember the 2016 defeat was multifaceted. Our communication machinery

was a disaster, the youth wing was in coma. The party campaign

messages were not resonating with the masses. The perception of

arrogance, corruption, opulence, extravagance and open thievery was

loud everywhere. Certainty, a biased media landscape will blow it out

of proportion.

Best regards!

Yours ever,

Azeko Razak.

Youth Activist

anastazure@gmail.

0245519547