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Opinions of Sunday, 16 November 2014

Columnist: Akwah, Nana

The Politician Should Know - Ghanaians Aren’t Stupid

The Government is crying wolf, wolf, and wolf! At the same time trumpeting its litany of unparalleled development, bravo!

Nana Addo led NPP are liars. Listen to the Deputy Minister, an inconvenience to the government.

My clarion call, focus, Ghanaians, focus! The heat is upon them; their dogs of war unleashed. It is time to cry havoc. The “Mercenaries” or “The Dogs of War” of the Government are on the loose. They suppose we are stupid.

Well, they are supposed to be a giant but elegant dog – a kind of gentle giant if you will. The thing we always talk about is that, the Ghanaian is really a moderate energy breed. Are we sure?

Governments and Politicians are fond of deluding themselves into believing that they can say things and the people will for all time believe them. It is not true? You cannot fool the people.

The Communicators of Government should understand that the people aren’t brainless or unintelligent; they may not always tell you what they feel. They may not always communicate how they think about issues nevertheless they understand. They know what is going on and they can get to the bottom of all the propaganda that the government throws their way. They are knowledgeable about how to fit the propaganda complex puzzle together.

We have been reading about the many scandals within the government. We read or have read about these scandals in both print and electronic News. The citizens have heard when the business community was urged not to advertize with Media House perceived to be unfriendly to the Government.

Also, we listen in to the attacks from the political platform on Media House perceived to be unfriendly to the Government and have seen more exposures of controversial deals in our country. They know that these stories were followed by surveillance of these media houses. They see a pattern and they can put the pieces together.

Most Ghanaians have had enough of this government. As you go around the country, you can get the impression that they are offended by their government, the shameless acts that are being committed by those who act in the name of the government.

The people are not fools as the politicians may perceive of us. The public see right through a situation. The people are not going to say much. Nevertheless, they are dismayed at what is happening in this country.

They may be passive now but will definitely show their protest and disgust when the time comes to cast their votes at the next election.

In 2008, the NPP thought that it had the elections sewn up. On the contrary, it had neglected the people and suffered.

Many supporters of the NPP stayed away, for the reason that, while they were not prepared to give their votes to the opposition party, they did not also want to give it to the Party/government.

On the other hand, the supporters of the opposition (NDC) were galvanized to vote the NPP out of office.

Three things galvanized them. The first was the perceived widespread and unchecked corruption that was being reported in the media. The second were revelations which came out in the National Award against President Kufuour’s. The third was the government failure to reduce the price of petrol and address the effusions surrounding the presidential palace that was built.

The NDC has learnt nothing from that experience. It is still taking its supporters for granted. It believes that once it harps on the fact that the opposition is frustrating the government and blocking key developmental projects that its supporters will turn out in their numbers the next time elections are called and the NDC will be returned to power.

One of the things that I have learnt in this life is that the ordinary or the common man has a keen sense of what is right and what is wrong and who is being treated fairly and who is being wronged. The citizens know that advantage is being taken of workers/labor. They are not fooled by the charges and attacks on those seeking answers to this monster called “corruption” swallowing the country.

The politician forgets that they people have seen through all of these things. They know right from wrong and they side with those who are wronged.

They may not come out to protest but they know when advantage is being taken of others. The citizens of the country have had it up to their necks with this government. Ghanaians are fed up with the corruption in the country and a scandal-ridden government.

Most concern supporters of the NDC are fed up with the Mahama led government. What pushes them back into the arms of the NDC is the alleged and distorted ethnic insecurity. But after the advantage that they see being taken of NPP, these supporters are going to once again do what the “Supporters” of NPP did to the NPP in 2008.

The NDC must know that their supporters are not going to vote for the opposition. They are going to stay away from the polls as the supporters of the NPP subjected their Party to before.

They are carefully looking at what is unfolding in the country and the insults that the government is throwing their way by its excuses for not exercising power of control over rogue elements within the administration.

Those in Government are advised “people who disagree aren’t stupid”.