At the last town hall meeting I penciled down your sentiments and concerns. I paid attention to the details and made sure I carried my reporter’s notepad with me. I heard you loud and clear. And I must say you couldn’t articulate the issues better. All the concerns you expressed are of national interest. They touched nerves. And I view them as pressing issues that need urgent care.
Yes, I heard your calls for change and I witnessed your votes for change. Now change is here it is time to marry her or make her your significant other. A bond with change will definitely engender marked growth. It would help Ghana put on her most beautiful garment. It would make her shine once again and begin to lead as she used to.
However, change has come with a certain mentality—a new set of rules: Rules that many of you would feel reluctant to yield to. The reason is we are used to doing things our own way. And not until we wean ourselves from such negative attitudes we would be changing government/administrations s every four or eight years but with no meaningful impact.
Change is difficult to put up with either positive or negative. Change is something that sweeps us from our comfort zones. She would ask you to do things her own way. Change would ask you to adapt her style. Change can be controlling and annoying.
Would you leave Sodom and Gomorrah if change wants to redevelop the place?
Would you stop littering, loitering and hawking in the streets if change offered you an alternative?
Would you treat public work as your own?
Are you ready to eschew tardiness, care free attitude at public offices and schools?
If you found someone dipping his long hand into the national kitty would you report?
Would you be a whistleblower if you suspected your boss is siphoning state funds?
Would you report a neighbour if he illegally tapped power or electricity?
I trust your calls for change were sincere. I believe you called for a positive change: A change for better economy, a change for a cleaner environment( better still proper sanitation), a change for quality education, health services and housing, a change to purge corruption, a change to end ‘Dumsor’ and many more.
Are you ready to work with change, given all the discomfort she brings?
Would you take not, neither receive bribe from anyone?
Well in my world everything happens because I make them happen. Things happen because you hope for them and you have faith that they will happen. You may sometime have to wait for a long period of time like good old Father Abraham. Or be like Biblical Joseph who was thrown into a pit by his brothers, imprisoned for no criminal offence but later became Prime Minister in a foreign land–Egypt.
Sometimes change can ask you to do things that may seem odd. The walls of Jericho didn’t fall because they planted dynamite in them. The people had to have faith and believed in what God had instructed them to do. They were asked to walk around the wall for seven days and blow their trumpets on the seventh day. It’s all God’s mega plan. Indeed he that waits on him without swaying like bamboo in a storm stands to gain.
So let’s blow our trumpets by changing our same old negative practices. Let’s make joyful noise with the vuvuzelas. Tell your friend to tell his friend’s friend. Ring the change bell. It would sound better if you start it from your end.
See, when I told my audience that I had invited former presidents John Rawlings, John Kufuor and John Mahama to officially meet with President Akufo-Addo most of them didn’t believe it would ever happen. How is that possible? One of them said to me.
Some of them thought I was joking. How could you bring three super giants to this venue?
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m happy to let you know that three of our nation’s former heads of state are joining us here this morning to discuss matters of national interest. All the three Presidents are currently in the Green Room enjoying some ‘kokoo and massa’. We are also blessed to have another proud son of Ghana, Busumuru Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary General) who will act as a special observer at the same time bring his immense diplomatic experience to bear on this civil discourse.
I have got just one question for all three due to time factor:
What would you change Sirs, if you had the chance to comeback?
I think former President Rawlings would like to start
“You know I constructed the Kanda Highway during my tenure. And I think at the time I had the political capital even to change Nima thus relocate them. You know residents in Nima were paid off to be resettled in Madina during Osagyefos time. But they refused to move. And I think today it’s one of the biggest slums we have in our city. I see that as an indictment on my two administrations—military and civilian regimes. “
Honourable Busumuru I noticed you wanted to say something. “Yeah, just wondering Mr. Rawlings why didn’t you do it? What hindered to your desire to do so?’”
“Kofi I regret, I couldn’t do it especially during the revolution time because it would have been easier. Three wouldn’t have been any resistance whatsoever. It was all doable. What can I say I think I failed in that regard?”
Next is President Kufuor:: “ I strongly believe that we can make our cities’ streets appear cleaner—- devoid of chaos, hawking, loitering and littering if we allow the city councils to work per their by-laws without putting unnecessary pressure on them. First of all, I think all the mayors appointed to oversee our cities probably have what it takes to get them look good or better. But political expedience has denied us that chance to do what’s right and fitting. I feel bad to say my administration couldn’t solve the problem.”
And you President Mahama: “They say opportunity once lost can never be regained. I blame myself today for not heeding the advice of my attorney Tony Lithur. I should have also listened to former Majority Leader Alban Bagbin. I think the two gentlemen had the soothsayer’s eye. My administration built the Circle Interchange; we built the Legon Medical Centre, we built the Ridge Regional hospital and many more. But we failed to listen to the cry of the masses. “
The average Ghanaian was suffering, the economy was bleeding but my aides told me we were winning and everything was fine. We were in comfortable lead… So if I had another opportunity my government would be a listening government.”
Thank you all Sirs!
I will let Mr. Kofi Annan to bring his closing remarks.
“I will entreat to you all to think Ghana first. Always remember we have one Ghana. And if we plan well, do things well, and change our attitudes the change we hope for will manifest. To you President Akufo-Addo, you have three former presidents to consult and seek counsel. Listen to the people and let honesty and accountability work. Rome wasn’t built in a day we can do it if we make change work. “