John Dramani Mahama
Some of us, as a matter of fact, cannot get our heads around as to how and why former President John Dramani Mahama would consider returning to the presidency given his abysmal performance during his tenure in office.
It is also quite ironic to keep hearing and reading the NDC faithful’s flimsy excuses that the loyalists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) maliciously lied about NDC’s incompetence and corrupt practices and deceptively pledged juicy, albeit unachievable Manifesto promises which led to their 2016 landslide victory.
With all due respect with no hidden condescension whatsoever, the teeming supporters of NDC must engage in a carefully considered reflection and accept the painful fact that their dreadful errors in judgement which unfortunately sent Ghana’s economy deeper and deeper into the mire, to some large extent, cost them the power in 2016 election and not the supposedly ‘wicked’ lies put out by their opponents.
The fact, however, remains that the rot in the erstwhile NDC government was as pervasive as the odour of garlic, which led to some diehard supporters emitting their displeasure and threatening to boycott the 2016 election.
I recall vividly how my long-term friend who had witnessed enough of the unpardonable mess in his beloved NDC government decided to walk out of the party.
My pal contended somewhat passionately that he had been defending and promoting the party’s much-touted ethos of probity, transparency and accountability for well over twenty-three years, but lost the zeal to continue, as the sleazes and corruption in President Mahama’s government reached immeasurable proportions.
My friend, however, maintained that the straw that broke the camel’s back was when President Mahama decided to behave as the benevolent Father Christmas and unjustifiably gave away large portions of Ghana’s scarce resources to apologists like Madam Akua Donkor of Ghana Freedom Party (two four-wheel-drive cars and a luxury bungalow estimated to cost a staggering $470,000) for no work done.
My mate’s beef stemmed from the fact that he had worked his socks off all those years for the Party to enjoy power, meanwhile, he had nothing to show for his efforts.
My pal was, therefore, incensed that parasitic creatures like Madam Akua Donkor were needlessly being showered with all sorts of melodic gifts.
Unsurprisingly, though, my friend abandoned his role in the NDC prior to the 2016 election and confided in me that he did not even bother to travel to his polling station on the voting day.
In fact, my best mate did not see the urgent need to vote for NDC and President Mahama, given the crass incompetence and the unpardonable corruption.
My pal was, indeed, distraught about the way and manner Mahama was handling Ghana’s economy.
You may believe it or not, in private discussions, my pal would seriously raise concerns about the bribery and corruption scandals such as the infamous Bus branding, the Brazil World Cup, SADA, SUBA, GYEEDA, SSNIT, NCA, MASLOC, the furtive Ford Expedition Vehicle, the Woyome’s 51.2 million dubious judgement debt, the Waterville’s $30 million wrongful payment, the Isofoton’s dubious payment of $325,000, among others.
My mate was, in fact, extremely worried about the GH200 million SADA funds spent on trees which were later burnt down and the guinea fowls that miraculously flew to nearby Burkina Faso.
In fact, a large portion of Ghana’s scarce resources, regrettably, ‘decanted’ into the drains due to the irrevocable mismanagement and the wanton corruption perpetrated by the officials of the erstwhile NDC administration.
But in all these, the loyalists NDC supporters would want discerning Ghanaians into believing that the erstwhile NDC government provided exceptional governance.
Truly, clumsy understanding of patriotism exists in the minds of many Ghanaians, who prefer needless praise singing to defending the national interests.
Let us be honest, the good people of Ghana, regrettably, witnessed so much duplicities, unbridled corruption, incompetence, nepotism, cronyism and frequent abuse of power in the erstwhile NDC government, and hence the vast majority of Ghanaians have permanently lost trust in the NDC.
But despite the obvious economic meltdown back then, President Mahama and his apologists kept trumpeting their vague rhetoric, political insobrieties and meaningless slogans-‘Mahama Tuaso’; ‘We care for you’; ‘people matter, you matter’; ‘we are transforming lives’.
Suffice it to stress that the good people of Ghana struggled endlessly to pay their utility bills and could not even afford their children school fees.
The well-meaning Ghanaians, therefore, took a conscious decision by reposing their trust in NPP to set them free from the NDC government’s ostensive economic enslavement.
And, rightly so, the good people of Ghana embraced NPP’s advantageous policies such as One District One Factory, One Constituency One million dollars, One Village One Dam, Free SHS, Tax deductions, among others.
But for the pernicious coronavirus, President Akufo-Addo and his government would have managed to fulfil all those promises.
Incredibly, back then, whenever the suffering Ghanaians complained about the economic hardships, former President Mahama and his vociferous communicators would ungraciously chastise the same people who gave them the electoral mandate for expressing their grievances.
Shockingly, the NDC’s ‘Babies with sharp teeth’ (as described by former President Rawlings) would insult every Ghanaian that would dare complain about their laissez-faire style of leadership.
The discourteous NDC brats did not even spare their party founder, Rawlings, for voicing his opinion over the rampant bribery and corruption in the NDC administration.
Yes, the disrespectful apologists kept upbraiding their founder, Rawlings, for expressing his arousing disgust over the rot in his party.
The NDC’s ‘Babies with sharp teeth’ (apologies to former President Rawlings) disgustingly abused the then flagbearer of the NPP and the current President Nana Akufo-Addo day in and day out.
The brats spewed all sort of wicked lies about the eminent lawyer. The good people of Ghana rightly became fed-up with the needless abuse the NDC apologists were directing towards the unwearied Nana Akufo-Addo.
Ironically, back then, President Mahama claimed to be a humble leader, a very patient leader, a tolerant leader. And yet it was the same President Mahama who lividly told Dr Bawumiah, the NPP’s presidential running mate for 2016 general elections and now the vice president of Ghana to ‘shut up and cease criticising him (Mahama) because he (Bawumiah) had not been a president before’.
Strangely, however, the much-touted humble, patient, and tolerant President Mahama was reported to have told the people of Ashanti Region that they are ungrateful and would never be appreciative even if all their roads are constructed with gold.
Consequently, the people of Ashanti Region ineffaceably stencilled such an unfair comment at the back of their minds and waited for an appropriate time to express their arousing disgust. Indeed, the right time was 7th December 2016.
The fact, however, remains that the NPP faithful did not lie their way into power but rather on 7th December 2016, the good people of Ghana remembered the day when the humble, patient and tolerant President Mahama told them to cease their “useless discussions” over the suitable burial place of our departed former President Mills.
What is more, whenever the good people of Ghana expressed their doubts over the much-touted numerous infrastructural projects, the humble, patient and tolerant President Mahama and his vociferous communicators would reply: “It is only those that are blind that do not see the good work of the NDC government.”
As a matter of fact, the good people of Ghana put the needless attacks on their mental sheets and waited for an opportune time to teach the clamorous NDC ‘Babies with sharp teeth’ a great lesson.
So, who said that 7th December 2016 was not the right time for the good people of Ghana to vent their spleen on the disrespectful appointees?
Of course, to constantly complain, speak and write about the appalling state of Ghana’s economy under the erstwhile NDC government which the party faithful blithesomely perceive as a benign, or an inconsequential issue, is to be regarded as a political extremist, or even as a notorious conservative, mischievously seeking to discredit their beloved party.
Nevertheless, some of us, as a matter of principle, won’t abandon our civic duty, far from it. But we will rather stick to our guns, be true to the faith, and, keep upholding and defending the good name of our beloved Ghana.
Whatever the case, one has to contain his/her emotional intelligence, show unconditional deference and composure, for, after all, sycophancy, partisanship and lack of patriotism have been our greatest nemesis.
You may agree to disagree, but the fact remains that our leaders, having first-hand knowledge of our hero-worshipping gimmicks, tend to take us for granted and continue to provide us with mediocre leadership and services.
Based on Mahama’s abysmal performance and Akufo-Addo’s excellent leadership, some of us can confidently state that the good people of Ghana made the right choice by electing the septuagenarian Nana Akufo-Addo and retiring the middle-aged John Dramani Mahama in the 2016 election.
k.badu2011@gmail.com
