My Dear Nana,

I know you don’t want to be receiving letters from perceived pests like me at this time. But even you will admit that sometimes what I say makes sense. I am therefore taking the liberty of sending you this letter in the hope that you will read it or at least one of the boys will see this and bring it to your attention.

We met on the road to Agona Swedru on 13th December 2008. Indeed, I never realized it was your convoy until I got to Swedru where I made a stop at Teacher Ofori Boahene’s place. He was my Sunday School Teacher and he has a shop on the main road. It’s a religious duty to stop and pay homage to a man who used to beat me with a drum stick in Sunday School. I have a duty to point out that you were not in a 24-vehicle convoy or anything of the sort. I counted about six (6) SUVs and no real police escort. The lead car I suspect is a security detail and it was the only vehicle with some warning lights on. No sirens, no lead police bikes. If I had known that it was your convoy I would have handed over this letter there and then. As it happens, I could not and here we are!

Nana, you and I go back a long way. I have watched up close and personal, your contribution to the development of Ghana, our motherland. Since you unlawfully appropriated an asset of mine ages ago, my life has also moved on. It’s rather ironic that you, Uncle Fiifi and I have something in common. You will recall that our most recent encounter was in church, when you paid a visit, early in the campaign. Those were buoyant days. These are admittedly, unexpectedly tough times for you. We all understand and appreciate the really severe fright Uncle Fiifi has given you. But I don’t worry, because it’s all good.

I just wanted to offer a piece of unsolicited advice. You are in this mess for this simple reason: the party refused to live by the very principles it was founded upon and everyone abided it until the near disaster on December 7, 2008. For a party that campaigned on a platform that the NDC did not follow the rule of law and was prone to arbitrary and unlawful deeds, there was little reason to use the same NDC as your counterfoil. Why Jake for example will justify appropriating a ‘mercy shelter’ with an ‘Ebow Tawiah indemnity clause’ still baffles me. The NPP has been sloppy, real sloppy!!! I know you know it but in times like these, you have to keep gritting your teeth and hope to deal with all the people who have created this mess when you are in the house that Yewura built. There are bad nuts in the party. They look, act like politicians of yore. There are people who have turned the law on its head and acted brazenly without regard to law. There are people who have become so arrogant that they act as if they are super citizens. The people saw. The people kept quite. The people thumbed up all those issues on December 7, 2008!!!

You were a man who would not countenance such disregard for law. The NPP has now become like the NDC in many respects and that may be a logical reason for the way the party was unable to achieve its dreams at the polls December 7, 2008. I give you another example of the sore you carry. In the lead up to the December 7 polls, there were stories that an MCE who had a vested interest in a company that had won a contract to clamp, tow and fine offending vehicles in a city’s CBD had issued a fatwa to the effect that the CBD was a ‘no fly zone’. Unknown to the drivers, this company takes the bulk of fines and only a fraction goes to the Assembly. Nana, how can such a person retain the post and mount your platform. Some of the people who mounted the platform spoke as if ‘before they get up, they do not know what they are going to say; when they are speaking, they not know what they are saying; and when they have sat down, they do not know what they have said”. A liability to your birthright!!!

You recall that Jake said on the platform at Kasoa when he was introducing you that you have never smoked or drank. Can you imagine what you will have done to your personal credibility if immediately you took the mike you admitted that you had smoked before and drank before but that was all in the past? You abided that statement. Contrast that with Obama in America. He admitted that he smoked but he was working on it. And everyone know how completely strong a man must be to let go of those little pleasures. It is those little things that may have snowballed into the gathering storm. When my people see that, will they come out to vote? Then another bad mix! Pre-mix fuel distribution was apparently given to party cronies who became middlemen and made their “dough” at the expense of the fisher folk. Will they come out and vote? No! Now the party has lost the entire coastline from Aflao to Shama! Yet another sore to buttress my point, Sir. A beautiful program like school feeding is left to the encircling vultures who so fleece the programme that by the time the caterer gets funds, only 10 % is available. Inevitability, the food is so bad that many don’t appreciate it. Even Courage and Peace think twice when Her Ladyship brings some of the school feeding diet home for them.

It is my humble view that you need to take personal charge of the campaign. Take a leaf from Uncle Fiifi’s house to house. Go to the people! Look them in the eye and admit to them “there’s been mess but I will clean it up even if it involves my people”. Please keep perceived sinners out of sight/sound. My only ‘niggly’ is that your present predicament bears an uncanny semblance to the last days of the NDC in 2000. The NPP’s claim to fame was its distinction from the NDC. God may be doing a “Nebuchadnezzar” on the NPP. In 2000, NPP came to power on the wings of Aseeho and a message of change. How ironic that on December 28, 2008, NDC will also be on a message of Aseeho and change. If Aseeho + change = power, then you have a right to your nightmares. The race now boils down to you and Uncle Fiifi. If you don’t convince people that you will not be like the party which has closed its eyes to blatant wrongdoing, you may miss out and then you will finally have to voice out your frustrations with Yewura, the man many suspect has done little for the party though that issue has become a veritable “ehye wo bo” as its stuck in over three (3) million throats, choking people who are unable to voice it out save a buffoon like me. Now you know that strategic mistakes have been made. Now you know that you will have to allow the law to work to get credibility, if you should win.

Some of the people around you are working flat out because they know that if this slips, by Yeshua Amashua, their bums are toast! Only Yewura and the Chief Apostle don’t seem to get this! Keep working hard. Many people may be holding you to ransom during this run-off period but I know that under your rule, the law will be applied fairly and equitably and you will not broach such brazen disregard for law.

Nana, God has worked a miracle in this election. Ghana needed it and He has delivered a parliament where impunity cannot reign. The NPP lost the road map. You have to assure people that you have the original! Work hard O, because I am looking forward to compensation for all the pain you caused me ages ago. I wish you well because Ghana is the ultimate winner, whether weather. The issue now is about strength of character. If you win, will you allow the wanton chop- chop? If Uncle Fiifi wins, can he deal with “Ambodzin” That’s the question!!!

Not too long ago, one of your close compatriots who holds a very senior position in government told me that I will never get a job in this country. I had not gone asking for a job. He must have been influenced by my forthrightness. I have now grown to know that the love of God abounds and He is the one who makes provision for us all. Integrity is priceless. I will continue to speak my mind as best and as civilly as possible. Please assure that when you win, you will make integrity fashionable again. For too long, instead of honouring the people of principle, we have collectively crippled them and broken their spirits, just for daring to do the right things. In my little corner, I will impact my land with the talents Chineke gave me. This is the only land we can walk about freely. If we keep doing what we are doing, we will get to the promised land in our life time!!! I believe. Make others believe!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and madam. I know this was not the Christmas you anticipated. But you are strong and equipped to deal with the situation. Nana, I wish to write more but I must end here. I have another letter to write to Uncle Fiifi too. Chineke be with you!!! Run a campaign of hope and you have a chance. Endorse the campaign of fear and you may lose your message and the Holy Grail!!!

Why is this gospel song ringing in my head ….“onyame ei, afei na mate wa'se…?”

Sincerely Joe Aboagye Debrah Esq. www.osimidiaries.blogspot.com