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Opinions of Friday, 15 July 2016

Columnist: Dailyguideafrica

Dele Momodu is abusing Ghana's hospitality

President John Mahama with Dele Momodu President John Mahama with Dele Momodu

Our hospitality is being abused, indeed stretched beyond its seams by a favour-courting foreigner in our midst.

It is a convention that foreigners steer clear of local politics wherever they find themselves.

Breaching this convention is enough to earn for defaulting foreigners outright deportation or applicable sanctions.

A man called Dele Momodu, who has joined the campaign wagon of President John Mahama with an amazing gusto, appears to have forgotten himself: he is engaging in local politics in a manner which is inconsistent with existing conventions or standards.

Were he discreet in his newfound sleazy pastime, this commentary would not have been necessary. Not so when he openly associates himself with the campaign efforts of the President.

His activities would not be tolerated in the Nigerian space when an identified player is a foreigner, more so a Ghanaian.

When that happens, the age-old rivalry between the two former members of the colonial stable would be reignited.

One factor stands prominently for the Dele’s obsession: to use such subterfuge to reach out to the President and his team.

It is paying off handsomely as he is said to be enjoying privileged courtesies at Ghana’s international airport and other places.

We are surprised he was not named in the campaign team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

As for other connections his support for the President is earning him, these can only be conjectured given the preferences of the Number One Gentleman.

Even as he plies his lobbying tactics, we would rather Dele does not insult our intelligence as Ghanaians because we would not tolerate that at all.

It is not for such a character, who appears not to have learnt adequate lessons from his PDP experience, to tell us how to manage our politics and our relationship with the President. Worse things are happening in Nigeria.

He has been spotted passing rather sweeping and demeaning remarks about Ghanaians as though he is a perfect gentleman devoid of blemish.

President Muhammadu Buhari is waiting for him in Nigeria.

Let him return to Nigeria from sojourning and open himself up for the probing machinery of the former military chief if he thinks he has no skeletons in his Nigerian cupboard.

Let him manage the connections his sycophancy has earned him and enjoy the spoils.

That is his luck but seeking to run down his hosts as a bunch of good-for-nothing lot is something we would not tolerate. No!

We understand the Nigerian political ambience and would not sit down to be pushed around by a Nigerian member of the President’s campaign team.

He is yet to get over Goodluck Jonathan’s electoral defeat, sentiment he shares with his political host whose bidding he is prosecuting without his thinking cap.

How sad!