Opinions of Friday, 12 February 2021

Columnist: Raymond Ablorh

Ghana under Akufo-Addo; a cemetery of conscience

President Akufo-Addo President Akufo-Addo

Fellow Ghanaians, let us not be hypocrites. Let us not pretend we don't know what has gone on since 2017. NPP members told us everything prevailing in the Flagstaff House.

From the beginning, A Plus told us plainly about what Eugene Arhin, Asenso and others were doing at the Presidency. Kennedy Agyapong lamented the ills there openly in pains.

Many others told us privately and publicly. So, why are people pretending Arhin's is news? Perhaps we didn't know how much these guys may have accumulated within this short time.

Go to Dansoman and see what Lord Commey, Director of Operations at the Presidency is putting up there. He has even arrogantly named the Astro Turf they used our taxes to build at Loso Park between Russia and Sukura after himself: Lord's Wembley Park. They are just doing what they like.

And, if Eugene has done all this in four years what do you think those higher than him have siphoned?

Those I feel pity for than myself and Ghana as a country are those footsoldiers who gave their all and fought so hard to bring them to power only to be abandoned.

Many of them cannot afford to buy government scholarships at ghs15,000 to ghs30,000 to school outside. Are the scholarships for rich people and their children?

Many of them were sacked from their galamsey consignments, some imprisoned, their excavators seized and given to party functionaries to exclusively galamsey to destroy the very environment others were imprisoned for.

What happened to Ekow Ewusie's case? You have forgotten? As soon as he mentioned some big party people's names and said he wouldn't go down alone he was left alone.

We saw Charles Bissue taking TIPS IN BUNDLES so presidential staffers and other party footsoldiers called it, TIPS. They said all that money was tips he took. Tips from prospective mining operators. Think carefully about this.

Have you ever thought about where all the gold that was siezed from the operations is? Or, is it for those who seized it?

So soon, have you forgotten about AB Adjei's contracts sales and his account figures?

And, I can tell you that what came to light that you read or heard is but a tip of the iceberg.

While very little Ghanaian children are kept in dehumanizing conditions in schools like refugees' children in your towns and villages; while they told you the country has no money and borrowed more than any administration ever did, they enriched themselves and lived opulent lives.

You, many of you footsoldiers may be more intelligent and more hardworking, but, you have got nothing to show apart from party paraphernalia. Is that what you insulted others for being very critical of your preferred administration?

If yes, then, you are a very cheap bird-brain of thoughtless party loyalists.

The Whiteman enslaved our ancestors; he colonised them; impoverished them while he lived opulent life like our leaders are doing today. Our forefathers fought him until he left to govern from outside through our "new chiefs" in the neocolonialist system.

The struggles, the blood poured, the bones broken and the lives wasted cannot and should not be in vain. But that is exactly what generations after generations have done; wasted all the efforts and pains of our ancestors; the Nkrumahs and Danquahs.

Next month, we will be celebrating our independence, the independence we are collectively rendering useless.

In 2016, when Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo came to beg us to try him, is this what you expected? Is this what they told you that they were coming to do?

While you occupied the streets and other places, did you do it for few lawyers to end up being the Tony Lithurs of Nana Akufo-Addo's administration, take huge legal services contracts with the Ochere-Darkos while they pretended they are fighting for you and Ghana?

Is this what we insulted, disgraced, condemned and voted against John Mahama and his people for?

If John Mahama and his people were thieves then, this day, I tell you fellow Ghanaians, we have armed robbers at the Presidency now. The Kennedy Agyapongs and A Plus told you long ago. And, now you can see for yourself.

Never mistaken the silence of our clergy and traditional leaders to mean they are all happy about the prevailing massive state capturing and corruption. Those who have not been compromised are very worried.

For those who have been compromised or whose hatred for others or love for the incumbent would not permit them to voice out, they have always been like that. They are as corrupt if not more than these thieving politicians.

This is not what we fought independence for. This is not what we sent John Mahama and the NDC out of power for. Is this what you expected, NPP members and sympathizers?

Do you not expect conscientious leadership; one of integrity and undiluted commitment to our collective interest from Nana Akufo-Addo?

Then, why are you using the corruption we condemned to defend what is going on today? If you could live comfortably with corruption would you vote against corruption in 2016?

It is obvious that the little hope left that Nana Akufo-Addo called hopelessness and promised to bring us hope has been killed completely. He lied to you. They came to enrich themselves. And, that is what they have been doing since 2017.

Do you call this CHANGE OF HOPE? If yes, then, Hope and Hopelessness; competence and incompetence; mediocrity and excellence are synonyms.

This is not to say their opponents are better. That is what hurts them most when citizens criticise them. But, dear Citizens, cast your minds back and forth and ask yourselves:

Are we better off today than you were in 2016?

Is Nana Akufo-Addo fighting corruption better than John Mahama fought it?

Had Stan Dogbe's wife revealed these properties would we have thought twice about it before castigating him and calling on Mahama to deal with it?

There is a good reason Martin Amidu went silent after the death of Rawlings. He has lost hope. Many have. I have. It is as if all men and women of healthy conscience are dead in this nation.

Ghana is now a cemetery of conscience. But, let us not give up completely on Ghana.

President Ablorh.