Opinions of Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Columnist: Maxwell Okamafo Addo

Mrs. Akufo-Addo, watch your tongue

Governance has little to do with religion, region or rumor. It has to do with vision and competence. The wrong knives will never be able to cut that truth about who you want to destroy.

Admittedly, we cannot as citizens yearning for a decent country expect the president’s wife to remain a mere ‘housewife’ who is neither seen nor heard in the public space but perpetually consigned to the privacy of her home and marital responsibilities.

That will be an absurd expectation which is not practicable anywhere in the world, not even in the most advanced democracies.

The real challenge i want to espouse to the “wannabee,” Frist Lady -Wife of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo is the perennial abuse associated by her against President Mahama, demonstrating an aggressive dramatic behavior in order to achieve and winning power by all means possible in 2016.

The nomenclature “First Lady” and the title “Wife of the President” or “Wife of Presidential candidate” should become a distinction without a difference.

The Wife of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo should also know that the reasons why Nana Akuffo Addo was rejected at the polls for various reasons. Between then and now nothing has changed in the fundamental reasons, for which he was previously rejected that existed then, still exists today.

The essential attributes of Nana Addo that caused his earlier electoral rejections by Ghanaians that existed then; still exists today All attempts by his handlers have been in overdrive trying to package him, so that he becomes presentable to the Ghanaian masses that existed then. Still exists today.

The discerning Ghanaian mentality not to vote for someone with i was (Born to Rule) attitude and take over Nkrumah's Ghana that existed then, still exists today.

All attempt designed to cow President Mahama ,blackmail the NDC and lay the ground for the rejection of the election results even if it is free and fair is their agenda and it won't fly.

Rebecca Akuffo Addo wife of the NPP presidential candidate should know that currently the husband very hard to sell and except the majority of Ghanaians have become intellectually disabled and lacking in common sense it's most likely going to remain so! The change Ghana needs has to come from genuine nation builders like Mahama.

I see that nothing has changed in the essential attributes of Nana Addo that caused his earlier electoral rejections which I think he must bow out but today, we know that Nana Addos character and persona has and remains a problem for very good reasons.

It is not for nothing that his handlers have been in overdrive trying to package him, so that he becomes presentable to the Ghanaian masses.

Also looking at the age of Nana Addo clearly, will not be in the interest of Ghana if he emerges President. At this juncture, we need to emulate progressive countries like the United States and United Kingdom which have never elected a president above 70 years of age since the inception of democracy in their countries. So far the oldest person ever elected as the US president was Ronald Reagan at the age of 68.

The Wife of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, is spreading false hood and accusing the Mahama-led government of misusing oil revenue.

According to her, the profligate expenditure of government appointees and members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is enough prove that they have tampered with the oil funds.

Addressing a congregation of the Amanfro Central Pentecost church in the Central region, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said the government cannot be trusted with any state funds. I am amazed to see that Rebecca Akuffo –Addo is either ignorant about what was really going on in Ghana or she was hiding the facts from her audience in church.

This is a vicious campaign to stop President Mahama from working. This campaign is being run from the Nana Addo’s basement.

They fear President Mahama. They cannot assail his competence and experience. They cannot assail his commitment to democracy. He has personally sacrificed more for democracy than all the NPP hierarchy combined. They fear his ability and decency style of campaigning on issues and not insults.

When the truth offers them no solace, they resort to lies. They seek to ambush the man under cover of innuendo and untruth. But their aim is off and their knives are wrong. In the end, what they use to injure him will turn to point against them. Such is the outcome when one engages in malice.

All they are seeking is to prevent a person who is perhaps Ghana’s most able and versatile politician, strategist and policy maker. For perhaps the most gifted politician of his time not to seek national office.

I just want to caution her that the problem of Ghanaians is a collective problem and not fabrications and lies.And as a people it requires all of us to solve it, so we must work harder than before, and must be ready enough to sacrifice a little more for Ghana, wear back our fast-eroding senses of patriotism.

That is why I would want her to follow the footsteps of the spouses of her husband's predecessors who became presidential candidates and Presidents in order to complement their efforts in nation building.

Whilst the First and Second Lady's Lordina Mahama and Matilda Amissah Arthur respectively are increasingly teaming up to promote education, health and women's rights in the country. , Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo is accusing the Mahama-led government of misusing oil revenue.

As we are seeing historically they have shifted the role of the First Lady and Second Lady from domestic responsibility to a much more programmatic orientation. They spend much of their time in philanthropic work, particularly with widows and orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and quality Health care delivery.

For the records first Lady of Ghana has built a reputation for herself is a member of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS in 2002. OAFLA was created by African First Ladies to advocate for increased awareness and mobilize resources for HIV/AIDS on the continent.

Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo should take a look at the stabilizing roles that the First and Second Lady's play in the life's of the President and the Vice President, in the area of Humanitarian services and ensure that they remain grounded because as we see in Africa today governance can be a challenging – especially in societies where citizens expect their leaders to do everything for them.

The First and Second Ladies of Ghana are dedicated to the successes of their husbands. Every problem comes to the desk of their husbands, and they take the criticisms and successes of their husbands to heart.

Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo also cited the crippling economy and the unbearable hardships as clear examples of mismanagement under the Mahama-led government. Another term for President Mahama and the NDC, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said will lead Ghana into the abyss.

Adding that the only alternative she noted is for Ghanaians to vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP to salvage Ghana from total collapse. All I want to say is that it’s well with Ghanaians that is also a lie.

Mrs Lordina Mahama is championing 21st century causes such as early childhood education, the fight against HIV, Cancer, Maternal deaths and confidence-Building for women.

Beginning from this edition, we will be taking an in-depth look at some of the laudable initiatives they have championed and how they have been the rock of stability to their husbands, instead of going to church to spread falsehood. We begin this edition with Her Excellency – Mrs. Lordina Mahama the First Lady of Ghana who have a deep compassion for the less privileged.

As the President buries himself with the mechanics of governance, his wife – Mrs. Lordina Mahama, the First Lady, has an NGO known as the Lordina Foundation – a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Non-Political and Non-Profit making charitable organization ,with advocacy for the mobilization for the promotion, protection and realization of Women's human rights, the elimination of all forms of repugnant practices as well as violence against women and the enhancement of their living standards, through Family Life Enhancement Initiative.

Through the laudable efforts of her project – , she has brought joy where tears had once been a daily diet, she has given hope where hopelessness had been an abiding companion, and she has restored a sense of self and endless possibilities where despondency had once held sway.

Through the NGO she has visited those who have been afflicted with the medical condition and ostracized by family member's calling them witches has been championing the cause of the widows, those who have been ostracized socially due to medical conditions the less-privileged and the indigent in the state.

The widows who sometimes are left to deal with situations that can be described as double jeopardy mourning the loss of their husbands, and fighting for survival have benefitted immensely from her generosity and kindness.

Mrs. Mahama has visited the witches' camp at Gambaga and interacted with the inmates, and donated food items to and assorted items including bags of rice, quantities of cups, washing basins, hundred pieces of clothes amongst others, for their upkeep.

She is putting up a Skills Training Centre being constructed by the Lordina Foundation at Gambaga, to empower the vulnerable and women with economic skills to become self-employed.

She has rendered a lot in the health sector service for a long time and she has vividly manifested a motherly and leadership role in Ghana for which she is referred to as the “Mother of the nation” in short “Mama Lordina".

Some of the beneficiaries of the First Lady's humanitarian gestures are the Tamale Children's home. Supply of equipment and supplies to some hospitals in deprived communities in the country, Donation of Ambulance To Bole Hospital through the Lordina Foundation, donated assorted medical supplies to the South Tongu District Hospital at Sogakope, has presented an ambulance to the Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra with the aim that the ambulance will ensure speedy transfer of patients to and from other health facilities.

She has visited the Saltpond and Apam hospitals in the central region, and donated assorted medical equipments, has done a (7) District medical outreach programme to donate medical supplies and equipment to the District Hospitals in the Northern region. The beneficiary hospitals were Baptist Medical Center at Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi District, Walewale Hospital in the West Mamprusi District and the Savelugu Hospital in the Savelugu/Nanton Municipality, Tolon/Kumbungu District Hospital and Yagaba Kubori District Health Centre.

The items donated included, hospital beds, mattresses, and catheters, drip stands, breathing circuits, syringes and walking aids.

May she continue to work in the interest of our women and may the bond between her and the First Lady continue to grow. She is a typical example for many women and children to follow as they have done so much and have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that they are role models to our many young women and children in our society.