He came to the scene at a time that the people really needed an end to the ‘ back and front pass’ that the governance system of the country had become. Like the Jew Jesus Christ , JJ risked his life to bring some stability to the governance system of the country.
His fashion style endeared him to the three region ‘abatakari’ wearers at the north. The ‘abatakari wearers’ and the ‘akple eaters’ gave JJ unflinching support for his twenty year rule.
Then it was time for him to leave after his second term ended under the 1992 constitution. He would wish even if he left, his wife would take over. He believed his wife could do the job even better than he did because she had helped in taking all the decisions for the past twenty years. But the people were not ready for that: even those in the ‘akatamanso’ party could not be convinced to accept it.
Then he pulled his last card. He made that declaration to bring the book long but politically naive tax expert to take his place. A public announcement of such nature closed the door to all nesting any dream of taking over from him.
As for the prof, they could exploit his political inexperience to control him behind or even suggest’ ‘ ‘naanaa’ to be his running mate.
That idea couldn’t materialized. Meanwhile, the ‘Kukurudu’ brothers had won election for eight years. Led by their ‘Akyem’ supposed law ‘guru’, they decided to find all means to kill the dream of the one who came from nowhere to make them redundant from the job they had been divinely cut out for. JJ was largely humiliated because they saw him responsible for delaying their dreams of taking after their fathers in keeping the command of this country to themselves.
In opposition, JJ had a compelling reason to show the ‘kukurudu’ brothers that he wasn’t a thing to do away with. Even though his father couldn’t be traced anywhere near the respected founding fathers of this nation, he had payed his dues with his own life in 1978 to earn respect for himself and the family.
He needed to get his ‘sweety’ there to make this agenda possible. But the prof on attaining the presidency had become uncontrollable. He seems to be grooming a new crop of ‘akatamanso’ which did not suit well for JJ and wife. The prof wasn’t naive after all. The attack became intense on him till he was whisked away by his maker.
To satisfy constitutional provisions, the ‘abatakari paper’ man took over. He did not depart from his immediate boss’ agenda to groom a new crop of ‘akatamanso’ which also did not sit well with the founder.
In addition to pursuing his boss’ agenda, the ‘abatakari Paper’ president actually went ahead to carry on his own agenda of making sure that the ‘abatakari’ people felt it was their time. They had supported the ‘oyibo akple eater ‘ for twenty years and now it was their time. It became something else. Every new appointment bore a certain name. This development irked the ‘kukurudu’ people. First it was some bastard who ruled us for twenty years. Now, it is one of the descendants of our own slaves who is ruling us. One of those who pound our fufu and axe our firewood that is ruling us. This cannot be accepted.
Then came the master plan to get ‘abatakari president’ out of office. Even though he is a little refined and doesn’t chew kola he doesn’t deserve a second term as the others. First, let us get his own brother to bring his name and everything he does into disrepute. If we do it ourselves, his people would think we are ethnically motivated.
Secondly, we cannot do it without JJ. Let us try and accord him with respect. Let us pay him a visit. The pictures carried it. It was a visit to an elderly state man. JJ accepted the friendly offer from his avowed enemy for convenience. He accepted to be a friend to the one who humiliated him by asking him to carry his own luggage to board an aircraft just to get rid of the ‘abatakari president’.
They say the enemy of your enemy is your friend. The other day I read on the internet about someone telling how ungrateful the ‘akatamanso people’ were for not supporting naana’ presidential ambition. He made his case by citing US democrat choosing Hillary as presidential candidate even after the husband. I have also seen a whatsaap video of a man expressing his anger about post NDC defeat. He talks about how some persons who had not witnessed the coups that brought NDC into being having hijacked the party. Recently, someone posted some picture of JJ’s children on Facebook and making some assumptions about why JJ did not campaign for the ‘paper man’ and whether it was because there was some marriage arrangement in the often between JJ and his long time enemy.
What some people hated about some people in the past is what they desire to become today. The ‘ boom boom’ man’s daughter has been elected into Parliament on Ga land. The ordinary people I guess have looked beyond who comes from here or who had done what to vote.
Jesus Christ died in some part of the middle east. His fame and name is now almost owned by a representative in Europe.
Now that it is an open secret that JJ by some action or inaction helped the ‘short man’ to get into power, I think he has payed his dues to them. I think they would reciprocate his support for them in the just election by respecting his legacy. JJ has earned a respectable place in the eyes of the ‘ kukurudus’ for himself and his unborns. It is expected that in the near future, should ‘naanaa’ or any of his children decides to stand on NDC ticket, there wouldn’t be any vicious attack on this agenda; at least from the ‘ kukurudus’. Even if there is any opposition, it would be friendly.
The way I see it, now that the ‘paper man’s’ dynasty has been terminated at conception, with a peace pipe smoked by the avowed enemies, it has become a one-way baton change for the rulership of this country.
It is either ‘Akyem’ or an Ashanti or the new proud member of the ruling class: the Rawlings.
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