Dr Mahumu Bawumia
If you have ever worked as a farmer’s son like me, you will appreciate how painful it is to have a thorn in your flesh. It is particularly more painful if you are unable to remove it no matter how hard you try and you are made to go to bed with the thorn still embedded in your flesh. When Bawumia’s name popped up as the running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo in 2008, the NDC did not take it seriously. In fact, they did not care because the guy was relatively unknown since he had not been on the limelight as far as the politics in Ghana is concerned.
That was the stupidest thing the NDC did. Like a KGB secret agent Bawumia came out from the crowd and warmed himself into the flesh of the NDC who took him for granted.
His mild and captivating smile gave him away as a guy who will not hurt a fly and we all felt head over heels in love with him. We did not know that within him is a powerful mercury that was ready to bubble. The first time I encountered Dr. Bawumia, I looked straight into his eyes and in them I saw a guy full of confidence and very knowledgeable. His giggles can be very infectious and very unpredictable if not deceptive.
When Bawumia first hit the road as a politician coming out from the cold, the NDC as usual started their swansong. “He is a novice”. “He can’t withstand the swift current of Ghana politics.” “He has no constituency” among others. Then the guy revved up his engine number nine and changed gears. He started biting hard, exposing the NDC. This economics whiz-kid, tutored the ignorant NDC on the state of the economy, exposing their lies, misinformation and propaganda.
That was where they came to the reality that they had bitten more than what they could chew. Since then things have never been the same again. The lectures upon lectures that Dr. Bawumia organized put the NDC off guarded so they chose the path of mischief. That too was not a reasonable move to make because the more they tried to put him down the more he straightened up.
Another mistake that the NDC did and continue to do was when they decided to direct their attack dogs like that chap called Felix aka Abakrampa Goebbels to fire Dr. Bawumia from all cylinders. Their actions incensed the guy who delved into his arsenal of economics theories and accelerated his expose.
Even though Dr. Bawumia’s picture will not be on the ballot paper, the NDC are concentrating all their efforts on this meek, mild and fine gentleman. The reason is that they know Dr. Bawumia is leading the onslaught against their lies. In fact, they have the funny feelings that when they attack Dr. Bawumia, he will stop but foolishly as they are, they have not realized that the more they attack the more the guy develops the skin of a crocodile. He is as constant as the northern star, unbreakable and irrepressible.
My dear reader now you know why the NDC communicators do not talk of the age of President Akuffo Addo again? It is because today they have an old lady who is almost 70 years old as compared to the 57-year old running mate of Nana Akufo-Addo in the person of energetic and vibrant Dr. Bawumia. You now see why God does his things? All too soon, Mr. Mahama is over sixty years and older than Dr. Bawumia. So what has age got to do here?
The truth is that age is just numbers. In the Guinea, eighty-three-year old Conte is ruling albeit through a controversial 3rd term agenda. What will the NDC say if NPP communicators start to use the age of their Septuagenarian running mate against them? Propaganda has its limit. I am yet to see Dr. Bawumia releasing the pitcher within him. For the past twelve years, he has been the dove among wolves. He uses his captivating and infectious smile as a weapon against his political enemies who bark, yield and run amok. The government and the NPP for that matter should as a matter of urgency give Dr. Bawumia maximum security. The NDC, led by Mr. Mahama has a plan “B” which may include assassination. Defeat is staring them in the face and so they will try something funny and fatal which will turn the apple cart upside down. In the run-up to the 2016 general election, Dr. Bawumia had near fatal road accident on his way from the North. He was saved by the seat belt. We are yet to know what caused the accident but what we know is that the NDC supporters went about jubilating. In recent memory when the whiz-kid became ill and was flown outside to seek cure the same NDC supporters came out with several conspiracy theories.
Some of them callously predicted his death. We should remember how people, were deliberately crushed to death by tipper trucks loaded with sand and gravels and neither have we forgotten how former Vice President EkowNkensenArkaah was wickedly crushed to death in his Mercedes Benz car when he was returning to his residence in Accra. We are yet to know the vehicle which was used to do that dirty job, not to talk of the driver of the killer vehicle. We have barely one month to the crucial general election and this is the time these blood thirsty hounds will like to activate their killing machines.
I do believe God is in full control but when it comes to dealing with evil-minded persons like the NDC people, one should take his destiny in his own hands while praying unceasingly. The Akans say when the person who has eaten a crab before tells you that he can eat calabash, you have to believe in him. Desperate and intemperate John Mahama has already served notice that he will not accept any flawed results of the up and coming general election. It stands to reason that if he loses he will go haywire. He has his own definition of a flawed election and he will surely put his “Plan B” on the table.
But will he succeed? The answer is no because if he tries anything which is unacceptable, he will be exposing his supporters to danger. That is why I like the meaning of “Bawumia” in Mamprugu, “They have heard It” Indeed we have all heard what Mahama has said and we are prepared for the worse. When the NPP did not accept the 2012 general election, they went to court. If John Mahama seeks to go violent as an antidote to his so-called flawed election theory, the Supreme Court of Ghana is still operational. Supporters of the NDC, particularly the youth should wise up and refuse to join any violent move called by Mr. Mahama. Recently when one of his sons was celebrating his birthday, Mr. Mahama bought him a state of the art Mercedes Benz. He told Ghanaians that his wife Lordina Mahama is not joining the campaign to bring him back to power because she doesn’t wants lies. As for you as member of the NDC, your mothers like lies and so they are campaigning for Mahama to come back to power to enjoy life with his wife and children “Nkwaseasem!!!
Meanwhile, the same man is telling you to go acquire a motorbike and use it for Okada in order to get your daily bread. The man is playing smart but he is not clever enough. As for me, my son is out there in the Whiteman’s country pursuing the Golden Fleece. You can go and fight for Mahama and die. You will be called a hero. After all, the NDC has created a Heroes Fund to cater for your funeral. As for my brothers and sisters in the Zongos where the NDC draws it hooligans to do the dirty work, they should not worry because the NDC will build mortuaries to keep their bodies.
By Eric Bawah