Never underestimate these three things: (1) your opponents’ abilities 2) your opponent’s cunning; (3) your opponent’s greed. Never overestimate them either. – A Guide to the Corporate Machiavelli by V.
“Too known” was our sister, Achiaa based at Koforidua criticizing the behavior of members of her own “beloved” party. NPP that caused the party to lose overwhelmingly in the last elections – giving a gap of over 1.6 million votes between John Dramani Mahama (NDC) and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (NPP). You may say this was not the time to analyse the words of Educated Ghanaian English (E.G.E.) referencing Annor Nimako’s “Mind Your Language” or Kari Dako’s “Ghanaian English” instead of the Target English expression of “arrogant,” “all knowing” and “self-conceitedness”.
But the outcome of the last elections showed the NPP how not to display arrogance if they want to come back and be competitive in the political realm of Ghana – in the near or far future. Or how not to be “unserious” mocking A – plus and others with “Nyame Ahyira me… ahye wo: (God has blessed me… it grieves you).
We would not blame the NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. He showed great humility in his outings and that was what Ghanaians would savour. He conceded defeat even when the E.C. had not announced the results.
However, the same description could hardly be given to the vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) who disregarded the Solomonic advice of Otumfuo Osei Tutu and mounted the platform and had nothing better to say than “No President since independence had helped Ghana more than President Akufo-Addo; not even your Kwame Nkrumah”. We pray that our son learns to mount the ropes, before assuming a responsibility. The NPP perpetuated its doom; arrogance! arrogance! arrogance!
And members were not prepared to listen to any advice. Nana Addo would go to a public function and instruct chiefs to get up and “salute” him; he would ask a chief in the Volta Region who had requested support to complete a school building to use his own money to complete it (what insouciance!). Was the money the chief was requesting Nana Addo’s personal money? Akufo-Addo’s administration, insultingly blaming everybody else, but themselves whenever anything went wrong. And we can’t forget galamsey and L.I. 2462. (mining in forest reserves).
Some newspapers did not help matters! They would project the NPP, print obnoxious cartoons of NDC members and would not publish anything that “seemed” to draw the attention of NPP members to eschew excesses. What would they lose if a columnist decided not to write for the paper again?
So they thought and the result is there for all to see! Meanwhile, the alarming and derogatory story of the National Cathedral with a hole dug for $58 m was hanging on the neck of Nana Addo; the allegation of “family and friends “including Gabby Otchere Darko and Asante-Bediatuo running the show was all over the place and needed to be rebutted, the incidence of bloated contract-financing and corruption was rampant (the Cecilia Dapaah’s $1m under the bed and the ex-President still believing in her “integrity”).
And one would wonder about the authorship of the “Agyapadie Book” but exercise restraint for two reasons: ex-President Nana Addo says it was authored by “opposition’s assigns”. HopesonAdorye is facing a court action for GH¢10m – where would we stand if we were to be slapped with a suit of GH¢5,000! But we dare ask why would the opposition’s assigns write: “To our future made up of the present and the unborn, for whom this will of a nation, is being prepared. To our foremost King, Ofori Panin, the progenies spread across this world, for whom, and to whom alone, this sacred document is prepared.
As the heirs of Nana Apeanin Kwaframa, Nana Kuntunkununku, and Ofori Panin, our people were never defeated in the wars of old. We were nobody’s subjects, and yet, after 1957, we were made to live in the shadows of the descendants of people, who never defeated us in war while the Asante Kingdom was uplifted to put us in the shade. In relatively recent times, the struggles and works of J. B. Danquah to restore Okyeman to its original glory were thwarted. But he fought bravely to the end. With the arrival of Nana, we see the rebirth of a second J. B. Danquah who has come to the rescue…”
While pondering over these thoughts, time was inexorably marching on, and we said adieu to the episodic 2024. The minutes ticked away. Yiee – the yell at St. Paul’s Catholic Church at Amakom when the clock struck 12 midnight could be heard so many miles (or kilometers?) away. It was a time to shed tears, no; it was tears of joy – for God’s benevolence.
So, the prophecies – by fake prophets have failed! On New Year’s Day all the TV Stations had a lot to say. “Joy News” noted that “Ghanaians welcome the new year with excitement and optimism”.
On “Fire TV” people were “possessed” and were rolling on the floor: “GTV” had Valentia Tetteh announcing that the E.C. had declared NDC’s Elikplim Akurugu winner of the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency election.
The same news was on TV3. Michael Aaron Yaw Oquaye polled 50,669 while Madam Akurugu polled 50,967, Asiedu-Nketia, NDC National Chairman was on the air to question: “State honours on looters and murderers… Award people like Hawa Koomson,… Bryan Acheampong…? Awards should be reserved for people who have distinguished themselves…” On ‘Onua TV’ Zanetor Rawlings was on the air thanking her constituency Osu-Klottey for their support for her. OB-TV was showing the musical medley; “… Mede me honamnyinaa da w’ase (Thanking God for helping us to sail through the year safely)”.
On “Royal TV”, it was “prophetic time” Rev. Owusu Bempah had requested Ghanaians to fast from 6am to 6pm to avert a catastrophe that hung on Ghana. Opambour had also predicted the same. It was all doom and gloom. But the panelists had a different opinion. They asked: “Does God not have anything else to do? “They recalled Rev. Owusu-Bempah’s prophecy of the death of Chief Imam, Sharabutu, last year and its consequences. The Chief Imam is still alive and kicking.
Nana Ofori Twentwenkoma would not fast, because of his age, and also because he nearly died when as a young man he followed the predication of a priest to stay away from food for three days. And Prophet Fire Ogya urged Ghanaians to pray for Rev. Owusu Bempah otherwise some calamity would befall him. Rev. Nigel Gaisie was predicting that something untoward would occur in Ghana on 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th January, 2025. Which scenarios suggest this? Was it the collapse of Nana Addo’s bodyguard, Colonel Amponsah, during the almost 2-hour long pleonastic, garrulous braggadocio?
Rev. Gaisie again predicted that Ghana Black Stars would be in the 2025 World Cup, and that a Vice-President in Nigeria would become a President! Wei, you would exclaim! And Gaisie ended in the destoolment of an Akuapim chief. Bishop J. Y. Adu who had earlier predicted Mahama loss was on the air, claiming peace has not come to Ghana and he feared spillage of blood.
Like Rev. Gaisie, we “don’t want to say it all (for now)”, but warn readers:” Those whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad”.
