Charity, they say, begins at home. The Golden Rule also states that: “Do unto others what you expect others to do unto you”. The President is the father of the entire nation. His pronouncements are proclamations that carry enough weight. Therefore, it behooves any principled President to exhibit exemplary leadership qualities. It would be morally wrong for the President to abide by the tenets of “Do as I say, and not do as I do”.
Walter Pater once said that you cannot tell a man the truth. You can only put him into a position in which he can discover it for himself. Such a situation reveals truth to the one who desires truth. It conceals truth from the one who does not wish to see the truth.
When John Knox was standing for his principles against Queen Mary, she demanded whether he thought it right that the authority of rulers should be resisted. His answer was “If Princes exceed their bounds, madman, they may be resisted and even deposed”.
Like Simon Peter in the Holy Bible, the President always acts on impulse. Again, like Simon Peter, it is the President’s mistake that again and again, he acts without facing the situation and without counting the cost. A great deal of President Mils’ failure is due to acting upon an emotional moment without counting the cost.
Sanctimonious effusions by the President: President Mills went to Kotoka International Airport, raised up his hands and “appealed” to CEPS officials to conduct a body search on him. It took more of a “coercion” rather than persuasion for one “brave” official to step forward to perform his patriotic duty to his motherland. That was that. Since then, nothing concrete has been heard of government appointees/delegation being subjected to rigorous body checks as ordinary mortals and insignificant beings like my humble self would be made to go through. This drama brings to mind an episode involving ex President Chief Matthew Aremu Okikiade Olusegun Obasanjo when he was writing his final examination for the award of a degree. He was the only candidate in the examination hall and had his body guard outside the hall. Which invigilator would dare question the ex-head of state if he engaged in any examination malpractice? None! One commentator humorously remarked that the person seen outside the examination centre was obviously there to supply the ex-Head of State with “expo”.
Another Presidential Fiat or Fatwa: And what was it? That- watching of Television in offices during working hours has been banned. Not even when the Black Stars are playing a football match? As if that was not enough, there came the mother of all prohibitions – No Government appointee, Ministers inclusive should travel to South Africa watch the Football matches being played in the World Cup. There was no exception. From the highest papacy top the lowest clergyman, all were affected by this edict.
Back to PNDC Era: This reminds me of those edicts which were issued in the early days of the PNDC administration. One day, one PNDC Secretary would tell us “make we no eat roasted corn”. The next day, another would tell us “make we no suck ogogore”. The following day, another one would tell us not to eat suya. Next, another Secretary warned us to eat fried or roasted riped plantain at our own peril. In fact, we lost count of such edicts. And this is exactly what the Mills administration has resorted to.
Yes, this is hypocrisy of the highest order: I have not much to say about the numerous prohibitions or Fatwa emanating from the office of the Head of everything in the country – President Mills. But I have something very much to say about his hypocrisy. And as we all know, hypocrisy is the highest form of deception in the world. Why should you tell me to patronize made-in-Ghana goods while your taste for foreign goods is inelastic? Why do you give me cassava leaves and pretend it is kontommire while you eat salad? Why do you force me to eat made-in-Ghana rice by banning imported rice, while you have the imported rice hoarded in your silos? Why do you ask me to pay so much for the NHIS but when I go to the hospital, I am given prescription to go and buy the drugs from pharmaceutical shops being operated by proxies of top government functionaries? But while you are telling me there are enough qualified medical practitioners in the country, you travel out of the country with your family anytime one of them sneezes or even have headache? Oh why, why, why do you do that to me? Please, do tell me!
Let us be honest to ourselves, our conscience and our country, at least for once. Isn’t it hypocrisy of the highest order for the President to issue an edict and be the first person to fall foul of such edict? In the Bible, we read that Herod’s daughter danced so well that it pleased him. He promised to give his daughter whatever she asked for. The daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist. We read that although it displeased Herod very much, but because of his promise to the daughter, he gave instruction for John to be beheaded and his head given to his daughter.
But when it comes to our elected President, he says one thing and does the opposite. Numerous examples about his double standards abound. He says Atta Mills will drastically reduce the price of fuel products but increases it by geometrical progression, above the reach of ordinary Ghanaian. He increases tariffs on essential utilities like water and electricity by more than 89% and introduces new ones on every commodity that has a name.
Mills is witch – hunting his political opponents: President Mills tells us that there will be no witch-hunting but his actions and utterances show just the opposite. Those facing trial for the murder of Issa Mobilla are handed over by the outgoing NPP Government to the incoming Mills’ administration. But Mills Government allows the Ewe member of the group to escape from justice while the remaining two from other tribes are being prosecuted.
Mills’ NDC has no regard for Gas: There was a ban on drumming and noise-making by the Ga Traditional Council, but because the NDC Government has no regard for the Gas, because it claims the Ga Mantse was installed during the NPP administration, and so there is the tendency for his sympathies to go to the NPP, Mills NDC Government exhibited its arrogance and disdain for the Gas when it brought in musicians to sing and play their instruments at high pitch during the so called one hundred anniversary of Dr Nkrumah’s birth and dared enforcers of Ga traditions and customs to do their worse. This thing happened right before our very eyes. Let no one challenge me if it did not happen. Does this portray Mills and the NDC as people having respect for the customs and cultural practices of the Gas? Absolutely, No!
Mills slighted Okyeman because of Nana Akufo-Addo: The President attends festivals and other functions in many Regions, especially, the Volta Region which he regards as his second home. But when he was invited to the opening ceremony of Okyeman University at Bunso - an invitation his office had acknowledged and accepted, the President, without any reason refused to attend, not even delegating somebody to represent him. Ofosu Ampofo attended in his personal capacity as Regional Minister and he was duly invited. The President did this to slight Okyeman because the immediate flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hails from the area. This shows the vindictiveness and intolerance for people of different political persuasion.
Is the President a devout Christian? The President decided to turn a blind eye to the criminal activities of Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, the NDC MP for Asawasi and then Minister for Youth and Sports and rather turned his vindictive searchlight on the two top officials from the Ministry of Sports for daring to tread at places where angels at times fear to go. He issued a presidential fiat that the two officials should be sacked from the Civil Service. But because our God Father hardly sleeps, the President was humbled by the courts. The real culprit, Muntaka was exonerated by the President, who professes to be a devout Christian with the utterance that that was not the first time that ministers had travelled out with their girl-friends. And the President professes to be a Christian! May God have mercy on us! This is reminiscent of the late I.K.Acheampong infamous utterance that “how many people flirt with their wives only?” But can the President give one example where a Minister, apart from Muntaka has travelled outside the country with his girl friend or concubine? He cannot because such a thing has never happened in the recorded history of this country. Yet, the president professes to be a devout Christian and the Churches, the Clergy and the Imams have kept silent on it
The President flouts his own edict: But let me return to the main issue of this write-up. The President said no member of his administration, no matter how highly placed that individual is should travel to watch soccer matches in South Africa. But he was the first to jump into the next available plane to South Africa to watch football matches. Is the President, by his action, not setting a very bad precedent for others to follow? And if he should go to South Africa for the purpose of watching Ghana’s first match on Sunday 13th June, 2010, why should he leave the country on Wednesday, 9th June, 2010? Were there other activities on his itenary which were not disclosed to the discerning public? What was so pressing that the President had to leave the country five clear days before Ghana played her first match? Was it to ensure a higher per-diem allowance?
I listened to John Abu Jinapor the other day during the Newspaper Review Segment of Good Morning show telling listeners that an organization was sponsoring him to go and watch the World Cup matches in South Africa. When asked whether that would not be in contravention of the Presidential fiat, he said he would obtain permission from the presidency before embarking on the trip. Does that not make mockery of President Mills’ directive? Why did the President not state that one could flout his directive subject to presidential approval?
From the way things are going, there is the possibility that Ghana might play some of her matches during official working hours. What would happen in such a situation? Are workers going to be prevented from watching those matches? Who is going to enforce such a prohibition order? And what would be the sanctions imposed on such troublesome, disrespectful, incorrigible demon-possessed scallywags who would have the effrontery or temerity to flout Almighty President Mills proclamation? Nothing! The edict simply is unenforceable. The President, by coming up with such a proclamation has reduced such presidential edicts to mere wife tales or Ananse stories.
Charlatans in Government: Under Mills Presidency, we have seen charlatans masquerading as decent people assaulting our national till with impunity and daring us to confront them if we are the true sons of our fathers. We have seen the worst type of sadism, intolerance, insensitivity, depravity, arrogance, thievery, and out right disregard for human values. But where can we experience all these negative traits except in Mills Government?
The Founder has spoken: Greedy bastards, stupid fools, empty heads, money-grabbing whores, political businessmen, arrogant fools, stupid bastards, thieves and rogues, pompous and arrogant and last but not the least, a mere nobody. Yes, these were the very adjectives the founder of the NDC and ex-President Rawlings used to describe Mills appointees and those holding the President hostage. The above descriptions are a true reflection of the feelings and opinions of generality of Ghanaians about the President’s appointees. The NDC as a party has touted the strong credentials of their founder anytime he comments on national issues. Why should we not believe him now? Though their founder and ex-President Papa Rawlings did mention names, I am not going to do so for fear of Rose Atenga Bio arraigning me before the courts under the obnoxious law of causing panic among the citizenry. But surely Papa Rawlings did hit the nail on the head. Who will contradict him? None, I believe!
Vision 2012 is the answer: To take us back to the Ghana our fore-fathers fought for, where there is respect for human life and value, I urge all patriotic Ghanaians both within and outside the country to marshal their forces together and like the songs of the Negroes spirituals, take the necessary steps to vote this incompetent and clueless government full of miscreants and deviants out of power. Delay is dangerous. Do not mortgage the life of your children, grand and great grandchildren to perpetual slavery by retaining Mills NDC in power.
Vision 2012 to take Ghanaians to our El-Dorado: To this end, spread the gospel of VISION 2012 which has the aim of restoring the dignity of every Ghanaian under the Presidency of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo to other Ghanaians. Therein lies your destiny and that of your descendants.
Daniel Danquah Damptey (danieldanquah_damptey@yahoo.com)