Former President John Mahama
And it came to pass that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) sought to make a mountain out of an anthill on the political space; of course, for want of an issue to hold onto in their mischief against the ruling party and government. They flopped and miserably so in the end the President’s speech bringing a closure to it as it were.
For them to think that Ghanaians would not be able to get the truth of the matter and of course the accompanying documents as concrete evidence that nothing was amiss, was a piece of nonsense they should not have banked their hopes on.
They continuously raised the decibel of their accusation to deafening levels: eventually archival documents which were otherwise stashed somewhere in the shelves of the Defence Ministry and others were unleashed onto the public space their ‘restricted’ status notwithstanding. They had no case; it turned out.
The unfounded charge against the President was grievous requiring a response just so his compatriots would hear his version of the story. In spite of the sense in his speech, his political opponents who could definitely not have patted him on the back anyway described it as haughty and insulting. We disagree and think that they are only living up to their true selves – mischievous and politically diabolic.
A President of the stature of Nana Akufo Addo, a patriot and a son of a founding father, would not take a charge of selling out the sovereignty of his country. The response was therefore commensurate with the charge.
They should not have expected him to be smiling or even laughing after being regarded as a sellout, a person without conscience by a political grouping whose stock-in-trade is a household knowledge.
He was only responding to the issues raised in the NDC charges and could not have minced words. Reminding his critics that he was only following precedence set by his predecessor could not amount to an insult. Did it? Of course not.
As for those benefitting from American largesse as President Akufo Addo told Ghanaians, they are many. When such beneficiaries get unduly agitated when they hear anything American, they can only pass for hypocrites.
The George Walker Bush Highway and the millennium challenge benefits which former President John Mahama relished as did his compatriots, originated from the USA. Shouldn’t we therefore be sincere in the manner we criticize?
We cannot and should not deny critics the opportunity to do so when issues crop up. Such criticisms should however be grounded in truth and sincerity. When it is not and the motive to score political points is the driving force with dust incessantly thrown into the eyes of the people, there is cause for concern.
Perhaps this is another opportunity for former President John Mahama to respond to his successor on the subject under review. We reminded him earlier but he is yet to oblige the people of Ghana. We would not mind a tweet on the issue.