Simply Garrulous!

President John Mahama is not only a communications expert, he is worryingly garrulous to a fault. For want of concrete issues to discuss with his various audiences as he hops from one country to another, he has perfected the art of trivialising serious challenges of state. While it is in order to introduce pieces of humour in one�s conversations these should be done sparingly. Unfortunately President Mahama continues to hold himself as one Number One Citizen who knows better than all his compatriots. His recent discourses in both the UK and elsewhere continue to make headlines and subjects of extensive discussions on the usually heated newspaper reviews. A few weeks ago, in an engagement with a cross section of Ghanaians domiciled in the UK, he reportedly told them to disabuse their minds about so-called economic challenges in Ghana because, as he put it, Ghanaians at home in their bid to attract more remittances from their relations abroad paint the country in a negative colour. Ghana, he told them, is in a good state and nowhere near the tales being said about her by such persons. It is regrettable that the President would seek to dangle a bill of good health for the country when the contrary is the reality, as more and more persons are suffering excruciating challenges in paying their utility bills and kids� school fees. Real income is in a fast decline. In a highly globalised world where sometimes things which happen in the country are heard by those abroad before those at home, the President�s PR manoeuvres are anything but wise. That was not all. A few days ago he reportedly sought to taunt his compatriots in Ghana who he said nearly ruined the economy with their doomsday wishes. Such persons, he said, are not patriotic as he wondered why they do not see anything good in the country. The President is not more patriotic than the ordinary Ghanaian who feels the pinch of the ailing economy and do not need him to tell them when things are alright. The truth is that the economy is not in the best of shapes. Otherwise why would the government seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)? Resorting to a bailout from an international financial institution means only one thing: to shore up a declining economy. It is certainly not about a credibility test as the President said in the heat of the IMF debate. For a government basking in the transient advantages of propaganda going to the IMF for a bailout cannot be an acceptable option had they an alternative. So what is garrulousness about Ghana being out of the woods? In the first place the President and his government have never agreed that the economy is in disarray anyway. Reducing the innuendos, unnecessary talks and tackling the challenges of governance would be a better option.