To a friend abroad

Dear J J Egbert,

I bring you warm greetings from the land of my birth. Ghana is a
prosperous land with diverse cultural heritage.

I will desist from any attempt to recount our rich history. In my next
letter, I would tell you the devastating effects of slavery,
colonialism, neocolonialism and corruption on my beloved country.

The effects are so glaring and pernicious even decades away. The black
and for that matter, Ghanaian is made to believe, he can't manage his
own affairs. This weird mentality was fought frontally by Dr.Nkrumah,
Nelson Mandela, Dr Martin Luther king Jnr, Robert Mugabe and recently
John Dramani Mahama.

Are we then surprised to see all these efforts by past leaders to keep
us on the path of sustainable growth and economic emancipation being
dwarfed by children and grandchildren of "y£ti y£ ho" ideology?

Our real state today is pathetic. It has not only exposed the lies,
but the inherent traits of deception from the primitive days of
slavery.

The government has developed a strange appetite for borrowing without
any physical project to show. Their communicators would quickly make
reference to free SHS, Nurses and teacher trainee Allowances.

Look! I am for free quality SHS. I believe it's a bold social
intervention which needs commendations. However, its current shape and
form is a mission on a path of failure.

Every rational government across the globe would do targeting of those
who really need it. Improve infrastructure, secure a sustainable
source of financing, improving the human resource capacity of teachers
etc.

J J Egbert, I wish to share with you current happenings in my country.
I remember vividly, my last letter to you was about the concession
speech of the past President. H E John Mahama. Today, I'm writing to
you on diverse of issues.

Firstly, my country has a 72yrs old as a President. Many were those
who said with his age, he has seen it all and knows it all.
Unfortunately, the speech by H E John Mahama that faithful night is
taking turns so quickly to my amusement. Prosperity indeed shall be
the best judge.

My country is witnessing the most lawlessness ever. Even the said
criminal entities have the effrontery to be threatening the life of
judges, nurses, teachers, market women etc.

The other day, H E John Mahama asked a harmless question. He wanted to
find out why we were made to pay a private company for an application
which exist on our phones already? Then comes the man, Dr Alhaji
Bawumia. He copiously read out a long thesis obviously written by same
guys who sold the 419 App to us.

He read out several factual inaccuracies but is not my interest to
expose him now. I still want to observe that cultural norm to desist
from embarrassing my kinsmen in public. I have an option of hauling
him before "Na-yiri" . His response was the exact description of a
parroting propagandist. He came to me as someone who i suffering from
identity conflict; ie a serial caller ranting on radio.

He needs help to migrate from his comfort zone of campaign talks to
real work of buttering our bread. Mr President enough of the talk!

I share in the convictions of H E John Mahama that the said Ghana GPS
app is a 419 scam. Period! An application which accepts xxx as a name
of an applicant and landed me in our neighborhood toilet when I asked
for a direction to the hospital is nothing but a shameful 419 scam.

Egbert, I read in the dailies that the "competent" 110 team could not
raise the needed bond due to several factors. 25% of what they finally
got was spent on transaction cost. Please! Don't ask me any question
because I am deficient in economics. Hon. Isaac Adongo has all the
answers.

Then comes the news of the failed 10 regional chairmen of the NDC
issuing a communique. What? In fact, it was the "sere kwa kwa" of the
week. Their actions were not only premature but a clear demonstration
of the imminent house cleansing fever. Hahahahahahha

Yes! a revolution is what the NDC needs. I don't really know the form
it would take but what I'm certain in mind is that, men of conscience
and integrity will stand.

The NDC as a political party should be interested in building its
base, taking its members through the healing processes and compiling a
credible register. They should be working on carving a new look. Ask
yourselves why it has become difficult to win elections in any public
institution? Why a party member will not feel the need to write and
defend the party?

The new face should start with polling station elections through to
the national executives. We have a collective responsibility to treat
the lame horse with potent medication.

The ordinary members of our party should own it. They should choose
their leaders at every stage. This and many more will save the NDC
from another humiliating defeat.

Remember the 2016 defeat was multifaceted. Our communication machinery
was a disaster, the youth wing was in coma. The party campaign
messages were not resonating with the masses. The perception of
arrogance, corruption, opulence, extravagance and open thievery was
loud everywhere. Certainty, a biased media landscape will blow it out
of proportion.

Best regards!

Yours ever,
Azeko Razak.

Youth Activist
anastazure@gmail.
0245519547