Change is indeed coming! Perhaps 2016 is just a year of change. First was Nigeria, then USA and most recently not even the banning of internet and international calls could stop the wind of change from blowing away Yahya Jammeh in The Gambia. The wind of change is in full swing! Yes, call 2016 a year of change and you are absolutely damn right. In the next few hours change must happen in Ghana too; for democracy and for posterity and prosperity.
First and foremost, the change must happen to reclaim independence for all Ghanaians irrespective of any sectional colouration and to return Ghana to true democracy. This change we crusade for is an agenda for jobs to the many hopeless unemployed youth teeming across the length and breadth of this country; for repair of the collapsing NHIS especially for the “freely” free maternal care services to return; for a better and much affordable education for our future leaders; for our national transport systems to work again; for agriculture and businesses to thrive and many others.
The activism of the youth of this country is pivotal to the desirous change we need. We must be the focal point, leading the charge and crusade for that change. We must be the point of reference for the future generations after the change. We must live the change we yearn for. Yearning for change means urging out the votes and supporting the change to the end. We must show our outrage disdain against not just the flourishing corruption enterprise in the government but in addition the impunity that it’s accompanied with. Very often we remember the “Big Six” with fond and deference, what do we want the next generation to remember us for? 2016 voters will either be remembered for their ruthless abhorrence against corruption or for condoning it and with impunity. Anybody who votes for NDC is an accomplice of corruption and guilty of the impunity, by association. This election is bigger than just party colours or whatever ties; it’s the surety for the future of Ghana. Tomorrow is another independence day for Ghana. Mr. Mahama the president has demonstrated that he is neck-deep in corruption. Even he himself cannot vouch for his own incorruptibility and integrity. In short, Mahama and corruption are intertwined.
Nana Akufo-Addo is a lawyer by profession, and he’s trained several topnotch lawyers in Ghana. He’s achieved virtually everything and anything there’s to aspire for. But he still wants to burden himself with the onerous responsibility of leading mother Ghana. He wants to pride himself with the enviable legacy of a visionary Akufo-Addo government. He’s not corrupt, never has been nor will ever be. He seeks your mandate on December 7 not to fill his pockets or enrich his family and friends. Beyond January 7, when Nana Akufo-Addo busies himself with providing competent leadership there’s one competent gentleman to think through prudent economic policies that will propel Ghana to stardom among her peers. That man is Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia! He’s an economist par excellence and a top chartered banker, with distinction. His accurate and unparalleled analysis of the economy of Ghana has earned him the epithet “economics prophet”. Others say he’s the economic soothsayer of our time, but he’s actually an economics doctor. He’s always diagnosed our economy with certain accuracy and prescribes the best dose for our ailing economy. He’s also recognized in the glitterati of the economics world. Above all he’s a rare responsible politician; identified more as a technocrat, with honours.
Mr. Mahama, on the other side, is a communication expert. So trust him to sweet talk you into trouble. He’ll say what pleases your ears but do whatever he wishes. Unlike Nana Akufo-Addo, Mahama has nobody to point to as his mentee or next-of-king, sort of. And Lee Kuan Yew, 1st PM of Singapore, would say, “In a different world we need to find a niche for ourselves, little corners where in spite of our small size we can perform a role which will be useful to the world. To do that, you will need people at the top, decision-makers who have got foresight, good minds, who are open to ideas, who can seize opportunities like we did… MY JOB REALLY WAS TO FIND MY SUCCESSORS. I FOUND THEM, THEY ARE THERE; THEIR JOB IS TO FIND THEIR SUCCESSORS [my emphasis]. So there must be this continuous renewal of talented, dedicated, honest, able people who will do things not for themselves but for their people and for their country. If they can do that, they will carry on for another one generation and so it goes on. The moment that breaks, it’s gone.” Hon. Atta Akyea, for example, is one well-known mentee of Nana Akufo-Addo who eventually succeeded him as MP. Can we say the same of Mahama?
It matters not a jot in the end than Ghanaians (shareholders of Ghana) dictating the direction and path to which we wish our country to journey along. A path of slavery or salvation? Let’s cast out the corruption that’s galvanised Mahama and his cohorts to same degree that the average Ghanaian’s hope is bled dry. Even the most peripheral political observers know how most NDC government officials suddenly come to live in their own isolated world of conspicuous consumptions. Corruption is now endemic like an epidemic sweeping through every nook and cranny of this country. Like a monster in daycare centres. In fact what spooks much is not only the milking of our resources to the beck and call of some handful vampires, but Mahama’s resolve to bribe his way to retain Ghana’s most revered throne. A giver and taker of bribe cannot lead us again.
They say, once bitten twice shy. After personally inflating costs of private presidential jets and having himself under the scrutineer-watch of his boss Prof. Mills, Mahama was later gifted a Ford Expedition car by his Burkinabe-contractor-friend (Kanazoe) for sending a delegation to the latter’s father’s funeral. His very latest attempt to bribe Chairman Abdul Fatawu Bugri Naabu to denigrate and rundown Nana Addo, albeit exposed, was to give credence to their ethnocentric ads on TVs and radios. Especially that, “…they (NPP) have always seek to marginalise the north, lord over northerners…” How hilarious! We can connect the dots here. Mahama’s determined to corrupt our institutions and every dissenting Ghanaian as long as that keeps him in the flagstaff house.
We may have a short memory, because even life is too short. But we still remember the presidential jets brouhaha; we know still the office that oversaw the Sad SADA Story. The GYEEDA scandal. The Smarthy’s Bus branding thievery. Kanazoe Ford saga. The independence brochure shame. The rot is simply deep-seated under incompetent Mahama government. Yes Mr. President, we have eternalised all these in our short memories. Don’t forget! We remember the toll of deaths your darling dumsor left behind us too; the number of jobs it ravaged and the insecurities it greeted us with under your incompetent leadership.
Peace and justice is necessary for the development of this country. Nana Addo fought against Acheampong’s Union government from within and Rawlings’ Military regime, without, to bring multi-party democracy. Nana Addo conceded defeat to late Prof. Mills after a closely-fought election in 2008 resulting in the most slimmest of margins (some 30, 000 votes) without calling for a recount. His conduct after the 2012 election left Ghana, Africa and many forgotten corners of the world awestruck.
He said, among others, “I accept that what the Court says brings finality to the election dispute… Everything in my bones, in my upbringing and in what I have done with my life thus far makes it imperative that I accept a decision made by the highest court of the land, however much I dislike or disagree with it.
I am saddened by the verdict and I know that many of our supporters are saddened too. However, for the sake and love of our country, we must embark on a path that builds, rather than destroys, to deal with our disappointment.
I appeal to all members and supporters of our party, the NPP in particular to accept the verdict of the court. Even in our disappointment we can take pride in the way we have conducted ourselves. Even in our disappointment we can take pride that the NPP has again led the way in deepening Ghana’s democracy… I intend to take some time out of the hurly burly of politics, get some rest, reflect and then announce whatever decision I come to in the not too distant future…
The whole world has watched us in wonder and admiration. Our reaction to this judgment will be watched keenly in Africa and beyond and will set a precedent for generations to follow.
It is now up to all of us Ghanaians to put the dispute behind us and come together to iron out our differences, ease the tensions among us, and come together to build our country.
There are myriads of problems facing us as a people. This is the time for us all to come together and work to find solutions to the challenges that confront our people.
To my party, the NPP, I say we have a lot to be proud of; there are more than three years left in this political cycle to be a worthy opposition, and also position ourselves for the battle of 2016.
Today, let us wish our President well and thank the Almighty for His mercies to our nation. The battle continues to be that of the Lord’s.
God bless Ghana.”
As my friend Manasseh Awuni Azure would say, when Nana Akufo-Addo speaks it’s difficult to pick a soundbite because there are simply loads to choose from. I couldn’t agree more with him. As for Mahama, we know you cannot be peaceful and a tribal bigot at the same time.
Ending with a quote by Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, “The only path to progress is to change things that are not working.” Mahama and NDC is not satisfying our wishes and aspirations as a people. Let’s change for progress!
God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong!
The writer is Mohammed A. Razak Wumpini. He’s a former student leader of the University for Development Studies, a youth activist and the CENAB-Ghana Coordinator of Northern Region. You can reach him via [email protected] or via phone on 0249240121/0200927958.