As there has been a transition of power from the NDC of which I led to your leadership, the words of of William Shakespeare comes to mind as he once wrote in his book “As You Like It” that “all the world is a stage and the men and women merely players:they have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts”. All too soon my term of office has come to an unexpected end. Well , I did not see this coming but there comes a time that one has to accept his fate. A time when one should concede defeat when the populace says so.
But for the constrain of time, I would have said what I intend to say In this write up at the State of the Nation Address.
Once again, I congratulate you on such a massive win of this elections. Unlike 2012, you had your facts straight this time around. This is so because in 2012, your policy of free education dwarfed your other salient policies in your manifesto . The ordinary Ghanaian who is too busy to read a party’s manifesto thought that free education was your one and only policy. This made the banker who is not In need of free education to vote against you. Likewise the lecturer teaching at the Tertiary level did not also see it beneficial to rocket you into the helm of affairs because that policy couldn’t bring Instant money in their pockets.
The results of December 7th elections thought me a whole lot of lessons. I have learnt that Ghanaians will never appreciate efforts but results. It is clear that Ghanaians will always appreciate results because much efforts were channeled to the energy sector making dumsor to come to an end at the tail end of my administration. Till then, all my efforts were not appreciated.
Santaya in the “life of reason stated that” those who cannot not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. This was our plight since we also repeated Same mistakes. My administration saw the projection of our flashy monumental infrastructures all across Ghana but little did we know that the people of Ghana needed money first in their pockets but not infrastructures. It is crystal clear that we failed to learn from the past as a government. The intoxicating syrup of power could cause one to forget so easily when on top of affairs. It’s just like a student who tries very hard to get an answer to a question only for the student to forget the question when he finally gets the answer. To be in the helm of affairs seems to be an unending journey. Trust me, it can come to an abrupt end within a twinkling of an eye. Within a split of a micro-second, the powerful can become powerless for the powerless to become powerful.
In most people’s opinion, I was not a happy man during the transition ceremony. But what do Ghanaians expect from a leader who made history in the political scene of Ghana by serving only one term and is taken out of power by the citizens? In all, I think it’s the nature of Ghanaians to yearn for change after a stipulated period of time. There was a similar change in the 2008 elections. Nonetheless, this year’s yearning and eagerness for change was unprecedented. A person who has passed through the mill : having been grinded and molded by such a massive defeat has two choices to make. To become arrogant or sober but I chose to be humbled and sober by the decision of the good citizens of Ghana. I have contributed my quota to the betterment of our dear country with my monumental infrastructures and I leave the judgement in the hands of posterity.
There were some things i should have known of which I should let you know as a freshman in the in the position of the presidency of Ghana.
I should have known that facts would be chosen by the ordinary Ghanaian over cheap propaganda. At the end of it all the ordinary Ghanaian will be able to discern right from wrong, reality from fiction and lies from palpable truth.
I should have known that inexperienced appointees was the surest way to dig my own grave. I should have listened to the citizens when they complained bitterly of young men with no technical experience in my administration. They wake up overnight and decide on what to tell Ghanaians In order to fuel their already blazing inexhaustible anger. I should have known that young inexperienced ministers would tell teacher trainees to go and burn the sea if they can’t accept the cancellation of their allowances.
I should have known that changing of corrupt officials to different positions was uncouth and highly frowned upon by the Ghanaian fraternity. Many Ghanaians could not understand why a rich but poor country like Ghana which is crawling out of its own internally generated mess could fly money all the way to Brazil. I should have known that, not allowing Ghanaians to see the report of the investigations that were carried out was tantamount to taking me out of power. Ghanaians couldn’t “think far” of the misappropriation of state’s funds all in the name of a gargantuan service to the nation. We should have heeded to the voices of the masses when they chanted for the corrupt officials to be deposed and made to face the music.
I should have known that cheap propaganda and character assassination will only amount to making its victim famous thereby helping him to gain the sympathy of the masses.
I should have known that misplaced priorities could lead us to opposition. The people in Kotokuraba in the Central Region could not see the essence of the magnificent building to be used as market while they still remained peasant sellers in the market . The people of Ghana could not understand the building of an airport in Ho since Ho to Accra is just a two hour drive. Meanwhile the suburbs of Ho needed more than just an airport.
I should have known that the outrageous amount that went into the bus branding was heartbreaking while roads in some towns were In a deplorable state. Mention can be made of the dusty nature of the road of Sampa in the Jaman North District and the dilapidated nature of the Berekum road which only leaves its Indigenes soaked in dust thereby forcing the people of such towns to be enemies of “white shirts.”
My unexpected demise has made me to ask too much from the state. This not withstanding, posterity will one day hear of me.
In the meantime, improve upon my rights and make right my wrongs.
THIS SPEECH IS BIRTHED FROM EXPERIENCE.
Echoes of a former president.
This is what I think will be the final words of John Mahama to Nana Akuffo Addo.
*THE WRITER IS EFFAH ELVIS, A STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST*