Nsurebetc a, mframa di kan. Mekaenamoantie. (Winds blow before it rains; I said it but you did not listen to me) – Campaign song for NLM-UP in 1956
SACRILEGIOUS, NAY CRIMINAL. The effigy of Nana Akufo-Addo destroyed? One need not be a fan of Nana Addo, to rue the impunity of this dastardly act.
Someone from Takoradi was on TV saying he would ensure that the statue was removed from Kwesimintsim in the Western Region and placed in Kyebi in the Eastern region, the home town of Nana Akufo-Addo. Whatever the motive, the collapse of the statue marks the “end of an error” (not era).
Then the sonnet of Percy Byshhe Shelly titled Ozymandias, King of Kings strikes us: “… My name is Ozymandias King of Kings, Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare. The lone and level sands stretch far away.” Nana Addo was aptly described as “tintin-tininti” and his followers adopted the same attitude.
Lack-lustre may be a “softer” adjective to describe the governance of Nana Addo. His government pushed aside all those who had the potential to oppose or criticize certain policies. Afoko as NPP Chairman, Kwabena Agyapong as NPP Secretary and Crabbe as NPP Vice-Chairman were axed for dubious reasons. The hard core membership of the NPP ignored Alan Kyerematen.
Nana Addo preferred a President he could make a poodle of. Lovable Bawumia was the unfortunate victim. Some NPP members were disillusioned, some of us were sacked from our job in 2009 under Prof. Atta Mills/Mahama administration. We were enthused when Nana Addo came on the scene in 2016. Initially, the going was good, until we got the nuisance tag around our neck – you would be avoided like a leper.
You cannot discount the great effort of the NDC. After going “hungry” for eight years they had learnt their lesson. Talk nicely to people; encourage the voters; pursue the NDC agenda; do not display arrogance; be modest; do not insult anyone .. but critically monitor the Electoral Commission boot-for-boot; do not show belligerence as before be wary of what led to the ex-First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings leaving the NDC to form her own NDP …
The NDC may forget about everything, but what about the $58m hole dug for a National Cathedral?
Destiny must have had a hand in it; it is noteworthy that of the three arms of government: Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, two (Executive and Legislature) are led by two personages coming from areas beyond the Volta River. You may recall what Krobo Edusei said when Dr. Hilla Limann became the President of Ghana in 1979: “it’s your turn.”
We are told the NPP is now doing soul searching. Good for them; to delve deep into the cause of their failure at the just-ended polls.
So, they did not know? Nana Addo parading as Napoleon Bonaparte. Telling people from a Constituency, Kwabre East, that gives great votes “the thumb belongs to you; you can use it to vote for NDC!”: Arrogance! Haughtiness! Pomposity! but we thought, Prof. Mike Oquaye could be excused from the Committee to get enough time to re-evaluate his academic work typically his “Politics in Ghana: 1982-1992.
Corruption? Why not! You may give the allegation tag, but do not be surprised that Nana would, acting like a “clearing agent” coolly remark as he did in Cecilia Dapaah’s case, write “love” letters to confirm his belief in their integrity”. And for eight years, one person would remain a minister. Don’t talk of “reshuffle” if you don’t want to be labelled envious: what about “we have the men”?
Whilst some of our counterparts have good reason to tune in to BBC, CNN and Sports sections of Radio and Television Station only, we would watch local stations: GTV, TV3 (Newday), Onua TV (Maakye), XYZ, Royal TV (Atesem), Woezor, Pan Africa, UTV, Wontumi, Adom, Joy news, Joy Prime, GH One, Kessben, Angel TV to listen to people’s views and form a reasonable opinion over local issues. We would not miss Johnnie’s Bite on TV3 to follow “sensible” arguments like “Let the retirees Go.”
We would not miss Captain Smart’s programme either (save for the insults). They would draw our attention to issues of grave national concern
We would ask how “national” was the National Awards? So, nobody from the NDC deserved an award? Honourable Okudzeto Ablakwa drawing our attention to the sorry plight of the people of Tongu who were traumatized when VRA opened the sluice gate and the wide area got flooded.
Such a noble Ghanaian does not deserve an award? Because Okudzeto Ablakwa would “dig” to find out and reveal the “rotten” chamber of our party, including the ex-President (Nana Addo) expensive trip in rented aircraft while our Presidential Jet would be rented to Liberian President.
So, the newspaper would not publish our solemn advice in an article “Media War?” And we do not recognize Togbui Afede who would refuse to take his ex-gratia as a Member of the Council of State! Even though that was his constitutional entitlement!
And so, the party our fathers built with clear mandate/ objective: democracy = ka bi, na me nka bi (talk your mind, let me talk my mind) was reduced to praise – singing, hero – worshipping so that in the end we would repeat the words of Minister Kwaku Boateng: In Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s time, we were “gaping sycophants” at the Commission of Enquiry after the 1966 coup. The roles of Chairman Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi), Dr. Prempeh (Napo) leave much to be desired.
And Afenyo-Markui would make matters worse by his theatricals in Parliament. Whom is he trying to please with all the show in Parliament? He must have thought that his case could be safer at the Supreme Court than in Parliament. He would portray the “holier-than-thou” attitude of NPP MPs loving Honourable Speaker Bagbin more than his own NDC and criticize President Mahama of his “tot-tot” disclosure of Ministers.
- T. Hammond would not use his grey hair to argue his case sophistically instead of resorting to belligerence. Was it a good omen for his people at AdansiAsokwa to retire him the way they did? And Nana Addo would bully chiefs to rise up and salute him!
And NPP die – hard thought Ghana was going to burn with their 88 MPs. How “patriotic” could the New Patriotic Party be? Praying for “dumsor” and the failure of the NDC so that Ghanaians would turn round to accuse NDC of not living true to their mandate.
Does anyone have to tell the various executives to resign? It is obvious that their efforts yielded abysmal results. Good Lord, the victims of the banking action (‘haircut’) are wailing, the 98 NPP MPs who demanded the resignation of Ofori Atta as Finance Minister are lamenting: the woes at Bank of Ghana are mounting (what led to the huge debt?). Thank you Akyem Trio, (not: Akan) Gabby Otchere Darko, Asante Bediatuo and Ofori Atta. Like Rip Van Winkle, we go to sleep for (20) years – or get awakened if we shear off our old skin.
