2019: An exciting year for Ghanaians

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”- Eleanor Roosevelt

People often say they hit the street running, which is another way of saying they did their prep work and were ready. One of the most obvious lessons in life is to learn to think quickly and think outside the box. Anytime one is under a time constraint to finish an assignment, it is important that he or she has a Plan B in line. One must learn to think ahead, be prepared and cover the basis. These are basic ingredients for success in any business; and governance is business. This is the style of President Akufo-Addo. That is why he told Ghanaians that he was in a hurry.

On 7th January 2017, the NDC knew they were handing over a shattered economy to President Akufo-Addo and his team. They knew the Akufo-Addo administration would not find it easy and that in no time Ghanaians would start complaining. In fact, they thought all the promises given by Nana Addo would not see the light of day because the state coffers were empty. How can you introduce free SHS nationwide when there is no money? Where will you get money to pay teachers and nurses trainee allowances when the NDC has 'eaten' all the 'meat', leaving only bones on the plate?

Where will the new government get money to pay the accumulated debt left behind at the National Health Insurance Scheme and how can the new government pay teachers whose salaries have been in arrears for so many years? Where are you going to get money to pay the numerous contractors who executed jobs but were not paid by the NDC government? These and many more questions kept lingering in the minds of the nation wreckers and they were happy the new President had his hands on hot iron. Their prayer was for the President to fail so that Ghanaians would give them another chance to come back to steal more.

It was Henry Ford, the former president of the US, who said: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress and working together is success”. When Nana Addo took over power, he surrounded himself with very competent people, and that is the hallmark of a strong leader. In fact, he formed his shadow ministers and knew very well that when he held the reins of power, everything would be alright with the group of competent ladies and gentlemen that he had assembled. The problem we have as a nation is that we usually only see the end results but not the process. Yes, I believe results matter but it is not always a straight line to achieve the results we are looking for, but rather a series of efforts that will add up to experience and achievement.

Unlike the NDC who went where the path led, our President is going where there is no path and gradually he is leaving a trail. If you decide to do something, you have to get enough experience to expect problems. Your focus should be intense enough to make the effort worth it.

Two years into the Nana Addo administration, a lot has been achieved but sadly the “incompetent one” and his cohorts think achievement as far as governance is concerned is all about building school blocks, CHPS compounds, etc. You see, achievement is bondage. It obliges one to a higher achievement. What the President and his team have achieved so far will oblige them to achieve more so that they will leave a mark after they have accomplished their job. When the achiever achieves, it is not a plateau; it is the beginning of big things to come.

Achievers move forward at all times. They always have anticipation for their next deal and have another goal immediately lined up. That is why the Vice President told Ghanaians that 2019 would be an exciting year for Ghanaians. Indeed, 2019 will not be the endless summer as opponents of the Nana Addo regime want the world to know but surely it will be the beginning of spring. Flowers will blossom and birds will sing on green leaves.

I admire people who close their ears and get focused on whatever they intend to do or what they are doing. If you allow yourself to be distracted, you will have yourself to blame if you fail to deliver. So far, Dr. Bawumia is one person who fascinates me a lot. No matter how the NDC communicators try to provoke him, he refuses to answer them because there is a job to be done and no time to lose. They call him a liar knowing very well that all that he predicted in the run-up to the 2016 general elections have come to pass.

He said about eight banks would collapse because of the then NDC government's ineptitude and mismanagement of the economy. Truly, barely two years after being in office these banks collapsed. But for the prudent management of the situation, customers would have lost their savings. He said if the NPP took over power, the government would uncoil itself from the tight grip of the IMF and that too has come to pass. He told Ghanaians to expect massive infrastructural projects when the NPP rules for four years and that too is coming to pass with the Chinese Sinohydro barter deal, the secondary city project and others.

In Defence Of National Cathedral

In the Holy Bible, if there was any king who ever had the favour of God, none could match King David. Even when he was a small boy taking care of the sheep of his father on the fields, the Lord of Host instructed His Prophet to anoint him as King of Israel. Apart from murder, there is no other sin which God detests than for one to seduce the wife of another man. Committing that sin is more than poisoning the man whose wife was seduced.

David did that and even went further to cause the death of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba. King David fought wars and was victorious in all the wars that he fought because the mighty hand of God was his portion. He even danced naked before his people in praise of God when he returned from war victorious, because it was beyond his imagination for winning that war.

As David was getting older, he decided to build a befitting temple as a tribute to the Lord God of Israel who led him in battle. The Lord Almighty denied David that honour and told him that his hands were tainted with blood and that he could not build the temple. Instead, the Lord told David that his son Solomon would build the temple.

The great temple of Jerusalem was therefore built by King Solomon. When the late President Felix Houphouet-Boigny of Ivory Coast was getting old, he decided to build a Cathedral at Yamoussoukro in honour of God who had brought him that far. God might have spoken to him in a dream to build that Cathedral. Not a voice was heard denouncing the idea. In fact, all the people of Ivory Coast bought into the idea and a mighty Cathedral, second to St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, was built in Yamoussoukro. Today, millions of tourists, from far and near, troop to Yamoussoukro to have a glimpse of that great edifice. It has straight and marvelous columns similar to that of St. Peter's Cathedral. Can you imagine how much is earned from tourists who visit the Cathedral?

Here in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo said he was going to build a National Cathedral to honour God and some Ghanaians, most of whom are Christians, are kicking against the decision. Did you hear any Muslim kicking against the great Mosque built at Kanda in Accra by the Turks? Just look at the opposite of the Mosque and see the slums around but the Muslims are not worried because salvation matters more than wealth to those who practise Islam. And did I hear people say building a National Cathedral is not a priority? Good Lord! So building a National Cathedral which will become a national monument is not a priority! But building hotels and mansions in Dubai from stolen monies from the national coffers is a top priority? No wonder when ex-president Kufuor was building the Jubilee House, Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe said when the NDC came to power, they would turn it into a hospital. Besides, Asiedu Nketia said it would be turned into a poultry farm. At the end of the day, when the edifice was completed and the NDC took over power, we found Mr. Mahama and other members of his team dwelling comfortably in the Jubilee House, which they renamed 'Flagstaff House'. Shameless tricksters!!!

When a King or President has such a laudable dream and wants it to become reality and you kick against it, you will incur the wrath of God. The NDC communicators who are very vociferous against the building of the National Cathedral should take note that believers are listening to them. When the project is completed and people start to praise the President, they will quickly change their song and begin telling Ghanaians that it is not that they were against the project, but the timing was what they were concerned with. They did same to the free SHS. When that dream became reality, they have changed their tone and are telling whosoever cares to listen that they did not kick against the free SHS but they wanted to introduce it in a progressive manner. Ghanaians can read between the lines. Progressive or no progressive, the free SHS has come to stay and so what are they telling Ghanaians again?

I was very happy when the President told some clergies he met recently that the building of the National Cathedral is a priority of all priorities. The NDC can go and burn the Atlantic Ocean but what they must understand is that the National Cathedral will be built to the glory of God. Somebody should help me say AMEN!!!