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Midterm elections in the United States of America (USA), occur halfway between presidential elections, which occur every four years.

Midterm elections are sometimes regarded as a referendum on the sitting president’s and/or incumbent party’s performance.

The 2018 United States elections were held in the United States on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.These midterm elections took place in the middle of Republican President Donald Trump‘s term. Thirty-five of the 100 seats in the United States Senate and all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives were contested. Thirty-nine state and territorial governorships as well as numerous other state and local elections were also contested. In the elections, the Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives and made gains at the state level while the Republican Party expanded its majority in the Senate.

According to pundits, the midterm election in the US, showed the declining popularity of the ‘special needs’ president, Donald Trump.

In Ghana, we do not have midterm elections, and so as voters, we do not have the opportunity to assess the performance of our leaders, we have to wait every four years to do that.

It is the reason why, many people, who have observed elections in Ghana, have advised the electorates to make better and informed choices at the polls, because when they make a mistake, as in the case of Nana Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), it is a fatal choice, you will leave with for four years.

Before I proceed further and avoid the temptation of being said, I am insensitive, I need to extend my deepest condolences to the family of Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, the Member of Parliament (MP) of Ayawaso West Wugon, who went the way of all mortals on November 21, 2018.

His death, has come at a time president Akufo-Addo, has done almost half of his four years mandate. With a bi-election in the offing, it is safe to say that, it would be a midterm election for the president and the NPP.

The bi-election would be referendum on the performance of the man who cuts the picture of a passionless and reluctant president.

The president has reminded as sadly that, a snake cannot give birth to a tadpole, he is living in a never ending and never moving forward of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition.

This is a man who won the 2016 election, through a combination of bizarre machinations—including lies, over promising and tagging the John Mahama led administration of corruption.

President Akufo-Addo, after the overwhelming victory, wasted no time in leaving egg on everyone’s face. That is the stock in trade of the New Patriotic Party.

He has managed to convince nearly everyone that, he is another mistake that happened to Nigeria. The man just seems unwilling to grasp the mantle of leadership.

A leader, is supposed to set the tone, shape and pace of governance. So far with Akufo-Addo, there is neither pace nor shape, just tone and what a horrid tone it is. His Ghana beyond Aid mantra, has taken on the noise of a corrupt dirge.

And yes, corruption bar has been raised beyond unimaginable level, it has become a daily affair. Like many of the lofty promises, of one this one that, we are currently witnessing one day, one corruption.

Ghanaians are disillusion, the level of despondency is so high, they don’t know what to expect tomorrow. There is rising cost of living, despite the much touted micro-economic fundamentals, Ghanaians are spending twice on basic needs than they used to do in the past, despite the supposed success of the Planting for Food and Jobs, prices of foodstuff, keeps escalating.

The government is sinking the country in debt, they have borrowed in the less than two years of this administration, than we have ever seen in the history of this country. I hold the view that, borrowing is not bad, is what you do with it that matters.

We have borrowed our whole life to fund consumption, when the real sector, which is the productive sector, has not seen much improvement. The government of Akufo-Addo, is also following the tangent of past government, who have borrowed to consume.

The free Senior High School programme, which has received more accolades than any single policy, was hurriedly implemented.

Education, should not be a subject for politics, every sane humanbeing recognizes the importance of education, but if not well implemented, as we are seeing, we will be setting the future leaders of this country up to fail.

We live in a global village, and so they will be competed with their counterparts in other parts of the world, as they say, one should think globally and act locally, we should be thinking about making our students global giants.

We cannot continue to lag behind, we need examine the free SHS policy and must not be with left with politicians to thinker with it.

If mistakes were made in the hasty implementation, which are inevitable, the government has plenty of time to correct same and keep moving.

President Akufo-Addo, has scores himself high marks, he claims he has than in 18 months, what the National Democratic Congress could not do in eight years, he says, he has employed nurses and restored their training allowance, he says he has restore teacher trainees allowance, he says the NDC, will stay in opposition for a very long time, he says he has implemented Free SHS etc.

The Ayawaso West Wugon by-election, will determine, whether the president has his hands on the pulse of the nation, it will determine his popularity and will be a precursor to the 2020 general elections.