<<Print>>

In the early-seventeenth century, Emperor Tokugawa Ieyasu of Japan observed closely the sins of his predecessor, the headstrong Hideyoshi, whom he served as a general, stage a rash invasion of Korea, Ieyasu did not involve himself.

He knew the invasion would be a disaster and would lead to Hideyoshi’s downfall. He was of the view that, it was better to stand patiently on the sideline, even for many years, and then be in the position to seize power when the time was right.

Nana Addo Dankwah has since 1992 been in active politics, he has watched and observed closely the trend of Ghana politics. He has had the opportunity to serve as a member of parliament for his constituency, and was latter face-lifted to the position of attorney general under the Kufour’s regime. The old man has indeed served his country well. 

The apprenticeship was over and the testament is what we saw in the run up to the 2016 December 7, general elections. Once you serve, there will be a time for you to breakaway – Michael Faraday served as an apprentice to Humphry Davy, preeminent chemist at the time, but he made no mistake to stay when the time was right.  

In the just ended polls, one thing was cessation, the elephant’s was hailed in all walks of life and the umbrellas being rejected in all walks of life because of their corrupt-nature.

They affect every living thing with their corrupt venom… it’s obvious that the president elect will scrutinize, interrogate and investigate every sector, agency and institution because the NDC young guys with sharp-teeth are thief-smart. They are corrupt. Gosh!!! Hrrrrr corruption paaa nie, that’s the sine qua non of it all.     

Nana Addo’s struggle for political power has thought us many lessons, a lesson which will water-down to the next generation and the next. The struggle was like chopping down a huge tree of immense girth. You won’t accomplish it with one swing of your axe.

If you keep chopping down away at it, though, and do not let up, eventually, whether it want to or not, it will suddenly topple down. When that time comes, you could round up everyone you could find and pay them to hold the tree up, they wouldn’t be able to do it. It would still come crashing to the ground.

Nana Addo might be the Casanova of our time, thus if he make Ghana his priority, when I talk of Casanova, I speak of the man who attributed his success in life to his ability to concentrate on a single goal and push at it until it yielded.

When Casanova was imprisoned in the treacherous leads of the doge’s palace in Venice, a prison from which no one had ever escaped, he concentrated his mind on the single goal of escape, day after day. A change of cells, which meant that months of digging had all been for naught, did not discourage him; he persisted and eventually escaped.

Nana Addo must concentrate all his remaining days of  life on making Ghana a better place again. He cannot hide in the shadows of excuses simply because his predecessors squandered the huge amounts of monies received from our donor countries.

Prior to the NPP presidential primaries, Nana Addo knew the Mahama led NDC were misusing state funds, he knew that Mahama was promoting and investing in Nigerian actors instead of the locally produced Akrobeto, Lil-Wayne etc. he knew that John Mahama and the NDC are stealing from the state purse, he knew the nation’s purse was shrinking day after day and yet he stood for the bid which he eventually won.

That alone should tell you that, Nana Addo has good plans for this country, if not he wouldn’t have ask for our mandate, knowing too well that the purse was empty. I am not saying running the affairs of an indebted country, a leftover country is going to be a kick-walk but Ghanaians will also not fall for any kind of excuses in the next four years.

John Mahama and his cronies have created, looted and shared our natural resources including our physical dough but yet still Ghanaians are going to demand for accountability when the time is due.

The old man has good plans for this country and, the evidence are crystal clear. His sip of kalyppo, is said to have boosted the locally manufactured fruit juice sales at a go, indicating that our locally manufactured product can gain strength once, our leaders put some pounds on it.

But if the faceless individuals and party financier don’t give him space to operate, then, I’m not afraid to say he will be the worst performing president Ghana has ever had, followed by the ousted John Mahama administration.

John Mahama was conned and look at where it landed him – an unprecedented defeat in the history of our democratic experience. The story of Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s financial minister teaches us a lot of lesson… “When the evening began, Nicolas Fouquet was at the top of the world. By the time it had ended, he was at the bottom.”

Power, if mastered well could be a shield but if downplayed, could be a weapon. John Mahama was whisked by the increasingly power he had at the time, he could easily insult the masses and get away with it, he disrespected authorities and still had people to defend him, he gavechiefs and all who matters with land-cruisers and huge booty’s and yet still people praised him for misusing state funds.

Yes!!! That’s power.  Ghanaians gave John Mahama power and he used it against his fellow countrymen, he spat it right in our face, how ungodly.

Nana Addo can follow suit and I bet you, Ghanaians will never spare him. The Mahama led NDC lashed us with economic hardship, unemployment, dum-sor etc. and when we were getting ready to wipe our tears, they wickedly punished us with a skyrocketing utility tariffs.  

OMG!!! When we complained, they told us we had shot-memory and even went ahead to slap us with the “yen tie obia” mantra. Hmmmm, the historic electoral defeat is a clear demonstration that, we Ghanaians have long memory and we are ready to pay each mortal in his own coin.

Nana Addo is not an exception, though the country is in shatters but in the next four years; the good people of Ghana will want to know if the energy crises have been fixed, I would personally drive through my district, peeping to see where our factory is positioned, the student teachers and nurses will be asking for their trainee allowance, the farmer in my village will want to locate a dam when there is drought.

Actually we don’t care about the political appointees and ministers he rolls out… I tell you, in just four years we would want to know, if the throat-cut utility tariffs were indeed reduced. The children in my village whose parents could not afford for their fees, will want to know if they can attend Oda Senior High School at a free cost.

Oh yes!!! The old man will be accounting to the good people of Ghana in just four years so those of you who are joining his administration just to reload your purse should give way.

 

The writer Kofi Asamoah-Ababio, is the Executive Director, Amass Ghana. The views expressed in this article are his personal opinions and do not reflect, in any shape or form, those of Amass Ghana, where he works. His email address is [email protected], please find time to visit our website www.amassgh.org