In Ghana, and Africa as a whole, our conducts are mostly guided by the hackneyed majoritarian African culture of respect.
Thus, in Ghana, the acceptable norm, is one must always seek to discharge his/her emotional intelligence and show deference at all times in order not to upset the banal African concept of respect.
So, it becomes extremely worrisome when an elected president chooses to chastise his subordinates for expressing their grievances over the issues that affect their lives.
Verily, President Mahama comes across as a cheeky person. Let us remind ourselves that we (Ghanaians) have been taught to respect the dead. So, I, for one, was extremely dumbfounded when after the death of Professor Mills, I heard President Mahama impoliticly suggesting: “God in his own wisdom has taken the old man, Professor Mills away to pave the way for youthful Mahama to take over the mantle”. How bizarre?
Subsequent to that infamous pronouncement, President Mahama went to the Northern region and declared that it was about time ‘Northerners’ took over the mantle of Presidency, because they (Northerners) were fed up serving in the Vice Presidency post.
In fact, President Mahama can be best described as a careless talker, for he more often than not, fails to anticipate the dire consequences of his unmeasured pronouncements.
Take, for instance, even though President Mahama promised prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections that he was going to put money in Ghanaians pockets, he shamefully turned his back on the electorates after winning the ultimate power.
Consequently, Ghanaians rightly questioned President Mahama over his failed promise. President Mahama then bizarrely turns round and replies: ‘there is no president on this planet (earth) that will physically put cash in people’s pockets’ (See: ‘No president will put money in your pocket’-Mahama; atinkaonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 13/10/2016).
Besides, President Mahama failed abysmally to provide the jobless youth of Ghana the jobs he promised in the NDC’s Manifesto. The youth wondered why. His Excellency President Mahama shockingly retorts: ‘where are your employable skills and qualifications? So don’t you lots know that you lack the requisite employable skills and qualifications?
Shockingly, however, President Mahama has decided to make known his so-called numerous infrastructural projects to Ghanaians through a discredited ‘Green book’.
Nevertheless, it has been established that some of the projects that President Mahama has delineated in his Communist Green book of propaganda are often non-existing.
Tell me, if this is not a sign of a president who does not respect the people who brought him to power, what is it then?
Actually, President Mahama has been carving a niche of sarcasm for himself over the years.
For example, last year, in one of his press conferences, President Mahama strangely went ahead frolicking by giving needless epithet to the acting chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay.
President Mahama sarcastically referred to the gentleman as ‘OPANA’, (literally means ‘trouble maker’).
, But then again, it is on record that apart from the humongous corruption allegations that were bothering the late President Mills; he was also worried about the persistent shenanigans of his appointees, including then Vice President, Mahama.
Apparently, sources have it that late President Mills (The ‘Asomdwehene’) did not somehow appreciate Mahama’s acerbic tongue.
According to the sources, late Mills was disgusted with his Vice Mahama’s sheer impertinent boldness and the persistent monkeyshines.
And more so it was not only the late President Mills who was appalled about Mahama’s relentless shenanigans, other decent people in NDC like Mr. Martin Amidu showed concerns as well.
For example, Mr. Amidu has revealed that in 2010, he told the late President Mills and the then Chief of Staff that if the late President could advise his appointees to reduce corruption, abuse of office and arrogance for the remaining two years, the NDC would win the 2012 elections hands down.
Unbeknownst to many discerning Ghanaians, President Mahama is extremely disrespectful and belligerent in nature. Thus I find it really difficult to understand why he is being labelled with the appellations: ‘Humble, respectful, peacemaker etc. I do not think President Mahama deserves those cognomens.
Well, the preceding assertion may seem disputatious to many of his apologists, however President Mahama’s recent condescending comments on Alhaji Dr Mahmoud Bawumia really exposed his hypocrisy.
If you may recall, in one of his recent ‘changing lives’ speeches, President Mahama sarcastically suggested that Bawumia has not been a president before and therefore cannot ascribe incompetence to his government.
Amazingly, President Mahama went ahead and uncharacteristically opined that only our two former Presidents, Kufuor and Rawlings have the pedigree and therefore may criticise him.
Apparently, according to our President’s reasoning, the rest of Ghanaians do not have the right to criticise him and his government because we have not been president before.
Obviously, such thought process is extremely unconscionable and undemocratic and therefore does not fit the lips of a supposedly respectful president.
I recall not long ago, President Mahama went to Kumasi and labelled the entire people of Ashanti region as ungrateful lots. He referred to Ashantis as ungrateful lots who would never even be content with gold plated roads. How bizarre?
As a matter of fact, it was extremely disrespectful on the part of a supposedly humble President to insist that all Ashantis are unappreciative.
I recollect in one of the Parliamentary sittings, President Mahama had the cheek to insult Ashantis indiscriminately. He openly said: “People of the Ashanti origin have problem with letters L&R”. In other words, Mahama was implying that Ashantis are useless in pronouncing words that have letters L&R.
That was indeed an impertinent boldness from a supposedly respectful President! Do the good people of Ghana call such an inveterate tribalist as humble and respectful?
Moreover, in the wake of the public discourse on the suitability of the proposed burial place of our departed president Mills, President Mahama incoherently stated that Ghanaians who took part in the debate both on radio, television and even in their private homes and work places engaged in a “USELESS” discourse.
That was uncharacteristic of a President who is being tagged as humble, respectful, God fearing etc.
As a matter of fact, President Mahama has an inborn propensity for abusing those who show divergent views to his.
I remember during a debate on the STX Housing deal, President Mahama, then Vice President, abused our Members of parliament who opposed the deal.
He told them: “BALONEY”. In other words, President Mahama was implying that the Parliamentarians were engaging in “foolish discourse”. How bizarre? Humble indeed!
I also recall when the Attorney General’s office charged Kennedy Agyapong with Treason, Terrorism & genocide and former President Kufuor humbly appealed for calm, and suggested that we should avoid ‘killing a fly with a Sledge Hammer. President Mahama replied hastily and lividly: “We will kill a fly with a Bulldozer”.
Honestly speaking, that incoherent remark can only come from the lips of a bellicose, but it should never come from the lips of a supposedly respectful, submissive and peaceful President.
Again, during the Launch of the NDC government’s Green Book volume 2, the then Vice President, Mahama, shamefully discriminated against visually impaired people indirectly.
President Mahama impolitely said: “It is only those that are blind that do not see the good work of the NDC government”.
Well, what can I say here; I am really struggling to find euphemistic language to condemn the preceding insolence. In fact, President Mahama was really indiscreet. With such a discriminatory statement coming from no lesser person than the President of the nation, I can dare state that President Mahama is indeed disrespectful. How on earth can a President, who is being tagged as humble, respectful and God fearing abuse disabled people in that way?
With all due respect, Mahama’s ceaseless sarcasm is out of this world. He is simply not respectful. Indeed, he does not have a single respect for Ghanaians. He is only a pretentious geezer, who is bent on manipulating the unsuspecting Ghanaians.
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