Mahama’s mistakes being “Repeated”

Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana

Some of the least “crazy” events which got former president John Mahama kicked out from office are the same events being re-incarnated by the current administration under President Nana Akufo Addo. The very few things that got most of the floating voters annoyed prior to the 2016 General Elections have been resuscitated again.

Despite the fact that key policies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) such as Free Secondary Education, One District, One factory and others have been implemented, Ghanaians as we always say “we don’t eat policies and infrastructures”. If it were so, then the “Circle Paradise” Mahama built for us which was labeled the eighth wonder of the world by some NDC communicators, would have been the deciding factor for most floating voters.

Former president Mahama was noted for various rhetoric such as “I have directed”, I have asked” and so on and so forth. But what are we seeing today? “I am committed to transforming the economy”, “vigilantism will be dealt with and so on and so forth”. Is the latter in any way different from the former?

Maybe not all politicians know this. When the ordinary people see government’s convoy, regardless of the number of cars, most people get annoyed whether they voted for you or not. They could be cheering you, but angry within.

Recently, the former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Professor Stephen Adei expressed shock and disappointment on the number of state vehicles in Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s convoy. He said “it is not fashionable for government officials to travel with 16 four-wheel drives escorting him” and says ‘he will go on one-man demo over Bawumia’s 16 vehicle convoy” (myjoyonline.com).

If care is not taking, Dr. Bawumiah will gradually incur that same “wrath” some Ghanaians had for the NDC. Prior to the 2016 elections, the energy, enthusiasm and the confidence exhibited by Dr. Bawumia seems to have vanished and things many thought were over are now with us.

What made Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte shun convoy, rode bicycle to meet the Dutch King? Sometimes, our politicians should feel for the ordinary people who gave them the mandate. If a government official travels with two vehicles and few police escort, what is the big deal? Will their reputations be down after all?

Another event that is destroying our nation is the politics of equalization. Whiles the opposition appears to be hypocrites in their reactions to current events and blowing their trumpets, communicators of the current government must bow their heads in shame. Not long ago, they spoke against politics of equalization and today the exact things they spoke against are being glorified by them.

There were notably elderly men around me, as soon as they saw Felix Ofosu Kwakye, Hon. Ablakwa on TV, they quickly tuned their set off. The reason? Not good to state it hear, “aha ye kwan ho”. That is the same attitude some communicators of the NPP are doing now.  

As an ordinary Ghanaian with just a mere first degree, I would have loved to see custodian sentence impose on the “Delta Force” members who stormed the KMA court to free their colleagues. This is a highest criminal offence and putting a mere fine of Ghc1, 800 is disappointing. A person steals tilapia or any foodstuff and is given two years as against this dangerous offence against a judge; this casts a slur on our democratic credentials as a country. It would have been much better to enjoy life under a military rule than being in a democratic state and experiencing this.

A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba Dr. Ahmed Jinapor has stated, “the position [Ghana’s Ambassador to South Africa] is huge because of xenophobic nature there. You need somebody to be able to deal with these key issues”. This comment emanated from the Ghana’s Ambassador to South Africa Mr. Ayisi Boateng who has stated that NPP members are his priority and has since not shown remorse.

The DCE of Denyira Obuasi in the Central Region, was immediately sacked following his comments on Major Mahama’s lynching. Sometimes in-house disciplinary actions may not help the masses. Possibly, the era of one-term presidency has now eaten deep into the skull of Ghanaians. The least said, the better.

https://www.modernghana.com/news/813679/mahamas-mistakes-being-repeated.html