Yesterday is not ours to recover. But tomorrow is ours to win or lose
LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Love him or hate him, Osafo Maafo earns our respect for the prompt manner he wrote a beautifully-worded apology letter to our criticism for his recent utterances. On 23rd June, 2022, we wrote in DAILY GUIDE: “NPP-Difficult To Defend”. Why would anyone, and a senior adviser as such, make any remark to the effect that Eastern Region chiefs contributed to the struggle for independence in Ghana; at that time, there were no Asantes! … We are not chasing the elephant into the bush, we want to steer it home…”
On 24th June, 2022, Enimil Ashon wrote in the Daily Graphic under the heading “Osafo Maafo Taking NPP To Opposition”. “I still cannot believe that l read right. The Osafo Maafo I know is too wise and too honourable for certain words to come out of his mouth… he is quoted as comparing the contributions of Akyems and Ashantis to Ghana’s independence struggle…”
He could have been overly arrogant, temperamentally haughty and unrepentantly supercilious. Instead, he showed great remorse and unprecedented pacifist approach and issued a concise, up-to-the point, well-written letter of apology on 1st July, 2022.
In a ‘press release’, Honorable Osafo Maafo stated: “My attention has been drawn to circulations of excerpts of a conversation I had recently with some colleagues relating to the roles of various ethnic groups in the pre-colonial independence struggle… Despite the nature and circumstances of the discussion, I concede that I erred, and that these comments caused offence and well-deserved criticism. I must state that the comment was never intended to stir up ethnic tensions between Akyems and Ashantis. Ethnic tension is not a thing I want for our country or the NPP. I therefore wish to offer my unqualified and sincere apologies for these comments…”
We repeat this story we have told before: the headmaster of a school somewhere arranged a staff meeting. On that day all the teachers were present save the headmaster. Another meeting was scheduled, at which he attended. When the meeting started, the first question was, “Why did you, as headmaster, fail to attend the last meeting? The answer was: “I am sorry”. The second question: “You arranged the meeting and appointed the time, why didn’t you attend the meeting? “The answer was: “I am sorry” The third questioner: “You made us wait a long time for you, why?” Oh, that is why I have said I am sorry. After sorrow, what again? “The headmaster could not be bothered about the fact that “sorry” and “sorrow” are etymologically unrelated. While “sorry” originates from Old English” sarig” meaning “pained” or “distressed” (physical pain) “sorrow” comes from Old English word” sorh” or “sorg” related to German “sorge” or Dutch “zorg” (feeling, mental grief).
As a senior adviser, Osafo Maafo might have had an input in the latest decision by the government to go to the IMF. What is wrong about that: we are a member of the IMF and why can’t we go there, if we find our economy in dire straits? What is wrong in acknowledging your mistakes? Agreed: some went overboard in criticising NDC for going to the IMF. Let us do a “mea culpa” and move on!
What is the President afraid of – doing a ministerial reshuffle? Ramblers sang: “Won a adepa ba wokye di no, eka ba a won ara na wokye tua! (Those who enjoy the goodies, pay for the debt). Six years as a minister, and you look down on your counterpart who did not carry a nice face. Is this the “first- class” team?
And why close the toll-booths so abruptly? No matter the good intention of the action, people’s mind should have been gradually drawn to be “ad idem” with the government’s. Little drops of water, they say make a mighty ocean; and no matter how paltry the income earned therefrom, it would have contributed to the government’s kitty.
It is the same way this government “rushed” to close the internal Customs barriers along the highways. People have no idea of goods cleared at the Tema or Takoradi Ports or Aflao or Elubo declared to be going in transit, thereby paying no taxes (duties) and get the goods turned round for home consumption.
Customs may jubilate over meeting their target and that will mean “bonus” for them. But a critical question will be: couldn’t they have achieved more? Let them look again at valuation, especially at car park; let them re-examine the numerous exemptions – as for example granting exemption of a M/Benz saloon car that is brought together with dumpers (duty-free) for carting rubbish.
Where is the home-grown policy for sustainability?
We cannot advise the President on what he must do; he already has a wide plethora of advisers.
Our friend Honorable Kennedy Agyapong need not throw his hands up and cry with the argument that with the NPP going to the IMF for balance of payments support translates into NPP handing over the governance of Ghana to the NDC on a silver platter without voting! No, you don’t judge a government’s performance by just one act. What about the other acts, too numerous to mention? What haven’t we seen before? Don’t even mention them, because NDC’s flagbearer, John Mahama tells the world that Ghanaians are easily forgetful; they will have forgotten in 2023, before the 2024 elections.
Be BOLD-admit your failures, tell Ghanaians ‘mea culpa! Confront the issues as people with balls; don’t give excuses; don’t compare, especially don’t compare events antecedent to Mahama going to the IMF with Akufo Addo’s. Forget about the ridicule and the taunts – did you think governance was easy, smooth and without hiccups? Be honest with Ghanaians, don’t try to behave like Squealer – turning black into white or Baba Jamal, seeing goats and calling them cows.
Let the government sit straight and do an introspection: don’t behave like Nana Akomea and Kwesi Pratt on Peace FM on Tuesday (05/07/22) comparing “intelligence” and hell breaking loose over the word “tantrums”. Listen to all, including those you think are critics, like Dr. Amoako Baah.
Is it too much to ask the government to cut costs: cut down excessive expenditures? cut down foreign trips (and when officials return, exchange their foreign currencies at the government-approved forex bureaux which can be monitored; don’t patronise the black market); review the free SHS policy – let people who can afford it, pay their wards’ school fees; a parent must be ready to support his kids in school and feed them; cut down the size of government appointees; take a second look at the “ex-gratia” awards, not only to members of the Council of State, but also to parliamentarians, CEOs, et al. (Togbe Afede has given a positive lead, let others follow). Remember that no government can solve all of Ghana’s problems in “one fell swoop”. Clean your government, and clear all those suspected to be corrupt. Deal with recalcitrant MPs like Adwoa Safo. Don’t talk of economic vicissitudes in Spain, Lebanon, Turkey or even U.S, U.K. and Belgium. Let other people, like the Catholic Bishop of Keta, talk about the National Cathedral. Let others talk about the E-Levy.
In politics, take a cue from Andy Ronney: “Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.”
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Africanus Owusu-Ansah