Did the president joke?

A great distraction preventing focus on the deluge that the technocrats at VRA have unleashed on the lower Volta River communities has broken up. Some people have been saying that President Akufo-Addo's statement about votes in his now infamous speech at Mepe was just a joke; ostensibly in an attempt to reduce the
severity of what was a faux pas. This has caused some to respond that, even if a joke, it was made at the wrong time and place, and thus a gaffe. They too have a point.

Some of our university dons have waded in with their verdicts. I would not credit them by mentioning their names, as I believe they could do better. I am therefore wading in with my analysis. I contend that the President descended to foot soldiers and GhanaWeb yobos levels by adding that statement about votes in his speech in the manner he did it.

I side completely with the position that it was not a joke. President Akufo-Addo did not joke at all; he was dead serious. Dr. Letsa’s quick attempt to take the venom out of it with his lighthearted interpretation and tone saved the day. What I saw and heard was vintage Akufo-Addo in his brazen and defiant demeanour.

Now, in the philosophy of language, depending on your mood and perception, you may call that honest, forthright, haughty or arrogant demeanour. It is up to you, dear reader.

Yes, it was a flippant statement, what the book will call "insouciant" not a joke per se which fell flat. He even indicated his lack of concern, considering the situation, by saying so, that it was not his concern, that's the matter of votes.

Why should that not be his concern, as it was important enough for him to raise it? Why raise it at all, and then dismiss it nonchalantly? Well, he had a reason to raise it.

But first, a look at what insouciant means, since Twi is now the lingua franca of even the so-called educated Ghanaian elite. (The jingoists will come after me for this digression into another vexing thing I had to mention because I saw the army officer and others speaking Twi to the Ewe victims. I was waiting for them with my nails-studded club when they tried to deport me to Togo).

"What is someone who is insouciant?:

() adjective. free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant. So, he shrugged his shoulders at the thought that votes should determine his response to the flood victims.

“But, that is not my concern,” he said. Fine. It should not be. Now, the President was not in the country when the disastrous event started. Before he came back, his handlers would certainly have informed him about it, the criticisms of the government's lukewarm response, and what Wontumi reportedly said in response to the outcry which was trending heavily.

It is thus his concern and responsibility to make sure that, we the affected communities and the rest of the general public are reassured that Wontumi's statement, if true, is rebuked by the President. If not true, inform us that he checked but it was just a vicious rumour (one of those annoying NDC fake news), so we should disregard it.

Yes, he heard what Wontumi allegedly said and was concerned enough that his whole statement touched on that. The “Father for All” Ghanaians speech in the beginning addressed that admirably, and I scored him “perfect” too.

But when he came directly to addressing the votes and the contentious statement attributed to the semi-illiterate Wontumi whom the Asantes could only find suitable to elect as regional chairman, (for a tradition who used to mock the CPP DCE Kwame Kwakye of Awisa of blessed memory), he missed the road.

Saying that he was President for all Ghanaians was enough if he had no intention of rebuking Wontumi or whatever, as a money swine we must disregard, the others who think they can be President, which includes a stark illiterate. Becoming cocky with a pointed rebuttal to the critics rather was patently wrong. He should rather have disassociated himself from what Wontumi allegedly said and left it at that. Or, ask that people should ignore the circulating statement. That would have scored him maximum points.

In any case, besides being an unwarranted statement, it was a misleading, categorical statement which implied that he and the NPP did not get any votes at all from the affected communities.

"You don't vote for me". Really??? Can we examine the polls from the 2020 elections to see the percentage of the votes he and the NPP got from there, as there are indeed NPP supporters in those communities too? He
disregarded their votes. That was insensitive, and some would say, disrespectful and/or insulting, to them.

Secondly, the logic of you must vote for me to enjoy government support inherent in the statement is unconstitutional and gross. He is not doing the people's charity by turning up at Mepe. No favours at all! He was performing his duty. It is taxes, not votes, that provide relief aid, and the people in those communities are also paying the multiple taxes imposed on goods and services by their government.

His statement qualified to be classified as a faux pas, as he truly did not weigh the implications. For someone who has shown a complete lack of emotion when tidal waves inundated communities from Ada to Aflao when just a Twitter post would have sufficed, his foray into the calamities befalling the lower Volta basin certainly deserves the outcry it has received so far.

Only hypocrites or those trying to genuflect to the President as the Queen Mother of Mepe, will try to defend it. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of such people and hypocrites in the NPP and Ghana.

The President should not be seen descending to foot soldiers, GhanaWeb yobos and Wontumi Levels. Unfortunately, he has been caught with his pants down again!

What a President!