The Akans have a saying that the cripple thought he was disturbing his mother when he refused to learn how to walk but he did not know he was disturbing himself.
What many of my cherished readers do not know is that I was once a sailor in my salad years. I know the advantages of working together on board a ship to keep her afloat when she faces bad weather and I know how to work together to salvage a ship when she meets stormy weather. If you have ever sailed on the Atlantic Ocean on a stormy day, you will understand what I am saying.
Sailors don’t blame each other when a ship faces danger. We have the feeling that we sink together or shout”ship ahoy!!!” together with joy. It is not a matter of each for himself, God for us all.
For the first four years in office, the President and his team worked so hard to earn the respect of not only Ghanaians but the whole international community.
Investors flocked in and projects were sprouting up everywhere. Nurses and teachers who had stayed home for many years without being employed were employed and private companies were performing very well thereby, employing more Ghanaians.
In the face of the introduction of the Free SHS and its accompanying high cost, workers were paid at the end of the month. Day students that were in the various SHS were fed during launch and the School Feeding Programme which nearly collapsed during the NDC era was revamped.
The National Health Insurance Scheme came back to life. In fact, the President and his able team proved to Ghanaians that with determination and hard work, everything was possible. In no time, Ghanaians forgot about the four-year dumsor that they went through during the wish to-be-forgotten days of John Dramani Mahama and also forgot the hard times the nation went through under the Mahama administration.
When arm robbers nearly took the nation at ransom and went berserk even during broad day light, the government was able to subdue the hooligans in a record short time.
When the President decided to go for the second term, no one in the NPP dared challenge him because everyone knew he deserved it, having performed so well.
The “Four More for Nana” slogan was swallowed hook, line and sinker by Ghanaians so he was given the opportunity to steer the affairs of the nation for yet another four years in other to complete his unfinished mission.
The ship was sailing smoothly until it came face to face with a stormy weather called COVID-19. Boarders were closed, there was a lock down and business started to collapse. Schools were closed down and the nation was traumatized. In fact, the whole world turned upside down and there was an economic meltdown in the world.
People died and it looked as if Armageddon had arrived. By the grace of God, we survived. Just when we were picking up the pieces to rise up again, Russia invaded Ukraine and war broke out. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The world is still in the quark mire and nobody knows when the tempest will cool down.
Now that nomination is about to be opened for people to pick forms and contest as flagbearer of the ruling NPP, listen to what some contestants and their supporters are saying?.
There was this supporter of one of the aspirants who said a ‘Muslim can never be the president of Ghana’. I learned he has since apologized but the harm has already been done. The guy did not think before opening his mouth. That supporter was clearly referring to Dr. Bawumia, the Vice President who has the intention to contest for the flagbearership position. When I heard that comment, I decided not to take him on in this column because he doesn’t deserve the honour to be treated in this serious column. It will be like the way an ignoramus glorifies a fool. I, your irrepressible Earth Angel don’t treat fools so gladly.
And there is this one who also goes about promising that he will create jobs for the youth because he is rich and has been able to employ more than one thousand youth in his various companies.
He too doesn’t understand the deference between private enterprise and governance. Being rich doesn’t make you a good president. President Kufuor was not rich and neither was President Atta Mills.
Nana Addo did not use his own pocket money to introduce the free SHS and the many projects that his government has built. He did not withdraw money from his bank account to pay the teacher/nurses trainee allowances.
The presidency is all about planning, foresight and ability to make dreams reality. Donald Trump, the former President of America is undoubtedly one of the richest persons in the world but Americans voted against him.
If you were a cabinet minister in the current government and now that you want to become a flagbearer and you tell delegates that given the nod, you could turn the economy around, you must re-think. The delegates are asking: “If you have the magic wand to turn things around, why did you not use the same magic wand to help the government you were serving?”
So, you see why the sages say the one who is telling lies thinks the listener is a fool?. As for the delegates, this is the time for them to harvest and so whatever you tell them, they will clap but after receiving whatever you give them they walk home discussing your message. Some of them even insult the aspirants after listening to them and collecting the booty.
President Akufo-Addo said something at the NPP National Delegates Conference held in Kumasi last year which still resonates in my already disturbed mind.
Listen to him, “It is for the NPP to lose the 2024 elections because my government has performed so well and deserves to continue”.
In other words, he was telling the NPP that if the party puts its house in order and continue to work hard, the NPP will win the 2024 elections. The NDC is chronicling whatever the aspirants are saying and will use it against the party during the electioneering campaign so they should think before they address delegates.
Delegates should wise up and refuse to be influenced by money for the party to go to opposition. They should always be guided by what ex-president Kufuor told the party; “If you are a messenger when your party is in power, you are more important than a General Secretary in an opposition party”.
As for Kufuor, his name will be forever written in gold because of his wisdom and his political pedigree. Think, my dear powerful delegate. Opposition is hell. (Apology to Mr. Ekow Spio Garbra).
By Eric Bawah