Opinions of Wednesday, 31 March 2010

Columnist: The Royal Enoch

President Mills Needs Our Help

I am sick and tired of people blaming Atta Mills for all the bullshit, which we as a people keep bringing upon ourselves. Some people have been giving Atta Mills a very hard time ever since he became our elected president. According to some, Atta Mills isn't acting like a president. Now, I don't know exactly what these people mean by that. I hope that these people aren't expecting the president to mingle in every husband and wife problem, or are they? It's so infuriating to hear when others ask; why is the president not doing this, why is the president not doing that? For their information; the presidency is not a multi-functional occupation. Further, a president cannot be expected to be omnipresent. Therefore, for some to expect an omnipresency from this president is just stupid, to say the least. Just the other day, the former spokesperson for former president Kufour made an unsavory remark on the president's health, which to me was utterly uncalled for. According to this fellow; Mills's failure to attend some critical international assignments is due to poor health, albeit untrue. Even if it is, does it mean that the president cannot send his vice president? Also, how does the president's so called poor health affect his ability to think?

See, what we need to understand is that the welfare of this country isn't the burden of one particular individual. It's the burden of each and everyone of us. Therefore, we shouldn't expect something from somebody, which we cannot deliver ourselves. We shouldn't ask Mills what he could for us. He should ask him how we could help him to get things done. After all, the presidency isn't a one man show, you know? The presidency involves each and every one of us. Also, the countless problems and challenges facing this country isn't an NDC, NPP or CPP problems. These challenges and problems are of our own making. We should, therefore, stop pointing our fingers at each other, and start working together. We owe an allegiance to this country, irrespective of political party discipleship. Everybody knows that there is a breakdown in our civil law because Ghanaians have refused to act civilized. Now, anybody with a common sense would tell you that this breakdown is as a result of madness. In this case, a therapeutic solution to cure this madness would be most advisable. Sadly enough, this incivility has been politicized as if there is a political remedy to this incivility.

Constructive criticisms should have their place, but not insults. Unfortunately, the president has become the target of all kinds of insults ever since he volunteered to help this country. Those insulting the president seem to have forgotten that he is also a human being with feelings. Every insult hurts. And all for what? if I may ask. Is it because insulting the president would make our lives feel better? Honestly, I fail to see how our insults could guide him. In my opinion, a leader could only inspire if he/she is counseled and not ridiculed. Besides, old man Mills means Ghana well. If anything, our best wishes for the president to succeed with his mission should be in order. The presidency's success would be Ghana's success if it succeeds, and not NDC's success. Also, the presidency's failure would be Ghana's failure if it fails to succeed. So, let's help the president to make Ghana a success, shall we? Every hand makes a burden lighter to lift. We shouldn't forget to remember that we are all in this together. Let's hold ourselves as a people accountable so that we could demand an accountability from our representative body.

Anything further from this would be an act of hypocrisy.