John Mahama
There is something interesting but sometimes funny going on in the camp of the opposition NDC.
There is a feeling among them that because Ghanaians booted them out in 2016 for incompetence and failure to deliver on their social contract with the people, there is the likelihood the electorate would deliver the same verdict in 2024 and torpedo the ‘breaking the eight’ agenda of the ruling NPP.
So one realises that the NDC leaders would tickle themselves and laugh that power is within their grasp next year.
It is mainly because of the present economic challenges that the NDC is always dreaming of wresting power from the NPP.
No wonder till date, the NDC has not outlined any major policy initiative as its platform for Election 2024. With less than a year to the polls, it is now dawning on John Mahama that his so-called rescue mission would not be “cool chop” and now urging his supporters to work hard for power.
The NDC shot itself in the foot to settle on a candidate whose credibility is at stake in so far as corruption scandals are concerned. There is so much cotton wool “around” certain delicate parts of John Mahama, but he wants to jump over a blazing fire.
We can hazard a guess that the Mahama ticket no matter who he picks as a running mate would be a hard sell to the Ghanaian electorate.
Mahama is simply a walking contradiction without any credible strategy to convince Ghanaians that his NDC team and his good self have learnt any lessons and are now capable hands to handle the country’s development challenges.
The impossibility spirit has found a comfortable home in John Mahama and his NDC.
As usual some media people, academia and civil society would come to the aid of Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram, who styles himself as present day anti-gay and lesbian campaigner and uses unprintable words on those opposed to his views.
While he has adopted the hardline stance against LGBTQI, in Parliament and religious circles, he opposed anti-gay campaigns in 2014 saying everybody’s rights must be respected regardless of the person’s sexual orientation.
Our elders say it is only a fool who does not change his or her mind. But as a public figure, Sam George owes us an apology in view of his acerbic retorts to people who hold contrary views to his and others private member’s bill to outlaw gay and lesbian rights.
Our worry is that the NDC and its members have double tongue, one with which they speak while in government and the other for opposition propaganda.
Mr. Sam George, if you have any more credibility on anti-gay rights, let us hear from you about your position while the NDC was in power. Don’t forget, that was the period when John Mahama was accused of allowing a US gay activist, Andrew Solomon to launch his book and host him in his house.
Obviously, Sam George’s defence of gay rights then was an exercise to whitewash the engagement of his master Mahama. Listening to John Mahama on the campaign trail, it is clear that it is Same Old Mahama (SOM) on the prowl, that must be carefully watched. With Same Old Mahama, comes Same Old Story (SOS).
We all know what it means if someone sends an SOS message to you. What it means is that that person is in danger and needs to be rescued. Rather than Mr. Mahama telling Ghanaians that he is on a rescue mission, the NDC flagbearer needs to be rescued from his abysmal past records and consistently inconsistent agenda of staging a comeback which is nothing short of attempting to put old wine in a new bottle.