“… A Brighter Future,” Ahead Of Present Opaque

On the night of the New Year’s Eve, the good people of Ghana went into a vigil
and passionate prayers were said, voices were raised and requests made.
Believers called on the good Lord to deliver them from the evil’s bondage just
as He delivered the Israelites from the bondage in Egypt through Moses and led
them to the promise land.
It’s true that “His Love for us is boundless and bountiful.” Even in the face of
the NDC government’s ill-results, the entire country celebrated the Yuletide in
ecstasy.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his New Year’s message of HOPE on Saturday Jan 1,
2011 strongly rekindled the Ghanaians lost hope, confidence and affection for
the country. The passionate message delivered clearly demonstrates the political
contender as a seasoned political leader on Ghana’s soil. Hard-charged Akufo
Addo used the platform to demonstrate the potential power he has gained by
mobilizing the people of Ghana behind him. He sounded more national than
partisan. He really “Believes in Ghana.” This message elicited a comment posted
by Bismark, Sunyani, through Myjoyonline Website, “Yes this is the man we have
to follow. These are words of wisdom and peace that brighten the future of our
dear nation, Ghana. Nana, ayekoo. Long live Nana.”
He kept his pledges specific, his rhetoric grounded – and his swagger to
himself. Akufo Addo can deliver a rousing speech if he wants to – it’s in the
blood. He kept the message simple and straight. He’s prepared well to act with a
lightning speed. He’s filled with extraordinary intelligence. He knows what he
wants and took time to school the entire nation. He delivered an eclectic mix of
political ideologies. The New Year message was delivered with grace, class and
majesty, and there is hope for Ghana. He is the one we need to right the wrongs
and clean up this mess and bring us back to prominence.
Go, Nana!
It was also an awakening call on the Osu Castle to get ready for an unbearable
political pain and hard work. Nana best chance of prevailing against the
incumbent is to move quickly – whiles the country is in economic and political
stress.

He humbly showcased his silver bullet in his political gun – a populist voice –
that is amplifying the voices of the ordinary denizens. This reminds us of how
distant the self acclaimed “social democratic” government has been distant from
the people who voted it into office. It is mind-boggling. They should spend less
time patting themselves on the back and fix the “broken economy.”
“Much of what is expected of a leadership is doable: good governance, good
schools, good health, good security, good transportation system, skills for good
jobs and good pay.” What the presidential timber mentioned above are all in
shambles – nothing good could be written about – all are virtually in
retrogression. President Mills does not measure up the standard Nana Addo set.
He spelt out exactly how he means to accomplish this turnaround in Ghana’s
current politics.
The law and economic professor have bludgeoned the whole nation into economic
stress and woes in the last two years. Wild promises made still remain
unfulfilled. President Mills has shown that he’s a political acrobat. He keeps
his balance by saying the opposite of what he does. We humbly urge him to follow
through his campaign pledge.
In the public lecture of former president Rawlings on the occasion to mark the
29th anniversary celebration of the 31st December Revolution, he brought the
whole podium down to his feet, and raised his bashing whip on President Atta
Mills and his top government officials. He said officials are usurping the
authority the authority of the president and doing their own things to the level
of appointment without reference to the president. He went on to say that,
President Atta “Lonely” Mills lacks wise advice and counsel. It’s now a public
knowledge that, President Atta Mills is not actually in charge and control. He
lacks the requisite leadership skills. The country’s president does not even
know the people within his own government. Do you need a job? Go and see
Professor Awoonor, he will find you a political job without sweat. “Worse still,
the president failed to act on the few occasions his attention was drawn to
instances where his authority was usurped.”

Meanwhile President Mills has earlier on endorsed his predecessor’s, Rawlings,
bashing and describes it as worth bashing because ex-president Rawlings is once
his boss and he’s more experienced.

Former president Rawlings and many NDC supporters are in agreement as to how
President’s Mills tenure has gone down as one of the most difficult periods of
time in the history of the nation. He became the captain of the ship when it was
gently sailing. Now he has zinged the ship into a storm. The presidential shoes
are too big for him to fill in. He’s too soft for the presidential mandate and
does not possess the navigation skills to walk his talk. Mills has become a
common punchline not only to the opposition but his own political backyard. His
presidency faces not only budget deficit, but also a competence deficit, and an
integrity deficit and a trust deficit. Nothing President Atta Mills touches with
his ‘hands’ seems to work. He doesn’t fit in his own party. He looks like
trouble. Just as Lucky Mensah said in his latest release, “Enkoyie.” This
literally means “it is not going well.” He came into office like a fiery lion
and now acting like a disgraced lamb. He thought governing is like taking a
candy from a baby.
What Ghana sees now is a self-styled drum beating and lip service of government
proclaiming that everything is moving on as it should when everybody I know has
seen nothing. The confused NDC government in the last two years in office has
disgracefully confused the people they ought to and promised to serve; it’s
their ship to run now. They should keep in mind that politics is people. Too bad
the presidency is so taken with itself and its own brilliance and it is often
too blinded by the spotlight it perpetually shines on itself. The people now see
a veil of secrecy surrounding the government. The Goebbels around Atta Mills
needs to talk less and listen more. He hasn’t spent his time listening enough.
He and his purchased lackeys told that Ghanaians the country was running fine –
words they will be eating into their last two years in office. They should eat
their words.

NDC government has stifled all efforts to make the country fly. President Atta
Mills lacks the can-do spirit to consolidate on the rich resources of the
country to move it forward. This revelation is quite worrisome. The truth is now
in the pudding. He’s a smooth-talker, snake-in-the-grass politician leading a
soon-to-be-bankrupt nation into oblivion. Now the country is ‘enjoying’ 30% fuel
hikes and unbearable tax increment.
We hope that by 2012 the whole country will not join Grace Ashey and sing “Agye
se Awurade Ba Mu,” literally meaning a situation which demands God’s divine
intervention. What the country underwent the last two years and if not altered,
will call for the above gospel song.
Yes. “There’s hope for a brighter future.”

Jerry Amponsah (Sabbato)
Communications’ Group
NPP, New York.