Opinions of Saturday, 1 September 2012
Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah
This message is directed at the proud, the arrogant, the manipulators and those who live in the fools’ paradise and believe that they are better than others. Many a time, we see, meet or read about people who value themselves so much so that they have no regard for anybody else. It may be their wealth, their “connections”, their “chukwuchukwus” or their strength and ability in fomenting troubles. The current President, John Dramani Mahama was somebody I respected and cherished sometime ago. He it was who said that he did not believe in the allegations that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was a drug addict and that the accusation ought to cease because it would be a dent on Ghana’s image if Nana was elected President. That was in 2007. I lauded him in one of my write ups and appealed to him to help sanitize the political landscape by bringing members of the communication team to order.
Alas, the advice fell on deaf ears and he too played a leading role by publicly deploring the politics of insults but secretly goading his devotees on to do what they know best – insulting their political opponents. I have therefore come to the conclusion that our President, together with a host of appointees has fallen into the class of such people who in their lifetime attempt to invent God.
In all walks of life, proud people abound. Frankly speaking, a man has no good reason to be proud. If we analyze man’s achievement, his worth or his possessions, we can see that he is deficient. The genius is still ignorant of many things. He is still untutored in many aspects of life for no man is all-knowing. The beginning of all knowledge is the realization that “I know nothing”. There are always people who are much wiser than ourselves whom we should consult or seek their opinion in order to improve on our knowledge and understanding of the universe. Knowledge is an endless pursuit, a life-long journey.
The President and his hawks, scavengers, hyenas, vultures, the rabid dogs, the venomous and snarling vipers, the blind bats and the “chukwuchukwus” should take a look at a woman’s body and answer this poser. Should she be proud because of it? No! It is a borrowed garment which will soon wear out or tear away. Like a flower, this beauty blooms in the morning or during her youthful days and will surely fade away in the evening or during her old age. No woman maintains her beauty till the end of her life. Therefore, no woman should bluff people because of this uncertain perishable commodity. President John Mahama and appointees like Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Omane Boamah, Fiifi Kwetey, Inusa Fuseini, Allotey Jacobs, Kobby Acheampong, Baba Jamal, Agyenim Boateng, Ama Benyiwa Doe, Kwadwo Twum Boafo, Anita de Souza, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Fred Agbenyo, Yaw Boateng Gyan and many others should ponder over this and come to the realization that their tantrums, bravado, “patapaasem”, “atuturasem”, “akakabinsem”, self edification and holier than thou attitude will one day come to an end. When their maker comes calling, where will all the strength and courage in fomenting trouble be?
Judge a man’s wisdom. Even Solomon, with all his glory wanted more wisdom. Why not? Wisdom, after all, is a spark which a man borrows from God. Look at a man’s wealth. This comes and goes and has no lasting value. Many wealthy people turn poor and miserable by sheer change of fortune. So a person like Fiifi Kwetey should not think he is the most knowledgeable person in his party and that his being in Parliament would dim the aura surrounding the “show boys” and “show girls” in the NPP. Who does he think he is?
Instead of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer seeking the face of God and asking Ghanaians for forgiveness for the unpardonable crimes they have committed against God and mother Ghana and also for broken promises, they go about issuing threats and hurling insults at their political opponents. Instead of feeling that they are the repository of all knowledge, particularly Fiifi Kwetey and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, they should learn to be humble like Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, the Rockefellers, Bill Clinton and offer voluntary service to purge themselves of all the crimes and broken promises committed against our motherland. If the NDC has any self esteem left in them, they should bow down their heads in shame, for what did Ghanaians have to show for these austerity and punitive measures foisted on them? Nothing, but poverty and denial of basic human rights!
Oh countrymen, I weep for you for men have lost their reasoning and mere anarchy and chaos have been loosed upon the earth.
Has President Mahama, together with his non performing team whose lips are droning with insults and threatening fire and brimstone on their political opponents taken time to observe a man’s might and strength? A soldier, regardless of anything, mows down lives on the battlefield like a farmer weeding his farm. Sooner or later, he too is mowed down, notwithstanding his strength. What then is President Mahama and his Special Force’s strength and Dutch Courage when they cannot conquer death. Our former President, John Evans Atta Mills said it loud and clear that he would hand over power in 2017. But he never completed even his first term. So President Mahama and his incompetent Team B Ministers should realize that so many people, indeed, their betters have lived before them. They tried to invent God. They failed because they could not possibly change nature. This should be a lesson to all such people. They should take their time and spend it better in building themselves.
President John Dramani Mahama and his incompetent Team should have some moments of reflection of the pride and power that was Great Britain. She used to rule the waves, the skies and everything. Where is she now? A shadow of her former self, living on its past glory! What about Napoleon Bonaparte? He wanted to conquer and rule the entire world. What happened? He crumbled. Talk about the former Libyan Leader, Muammar Ghadafi. He had an Armed Force which was equipped with the most sophisticated weapons on the Continent. Yet it was a teen age school drop-out who snuffed life out of him. In Romania, the Dictator, Ceausescu ordered the military to open fire on demonstrators. His order was obeyed at first. Later, they unleashed their anger and venom on the dictator and his wife. They shot both of them dead.
All those dictators who attempted to stifle popular dissent through intimidation were humbled by ordinary mortals. General Sanni Abacha felt he had the people wrapped under his palm. He had his death squad at the ready. This squad could sniff life out of any person thought to be an enemy to the late dictator. But what happened. An apple did it and within minutes, this re-incarnated devil from hell was himself at the receiving end of his own dose. He lay dead. Comatose! So let not President John Dramani Mahama, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah ad their cohorts think that they can use their Special Force to intimidate Ghanaians into submission with the aim of stealing their mandate. God is with us and the people have the will. Any attempts to stifle this will power will be fiercely resisted by the Ghanaians. Definitely, President John Mahama and his incompetent team of Ministers and appointees will surely meet their Waterloo and Armageddon if they attempt to stifle the truth. Remember Julius Caesar and his arrogance… “Danger knows that I am more dangerous than he. We were two lions littered in one day and I the elder and more terrible”. That was arrogance at its worst. And yet our arrogant Caesar was stabbed to death by his best friend.
It is in this regard that I also make a passionate appeal Dr Afari Djan and the Electoral Commission not to do anything untoward to affect the sanctity of the December 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. Mr Electoral Commissioner, what do you hope to gain by clinging stubbornly to your idea of creating 45 new constituencies with barely three months to an election? Why, Dr Afari? The saying that the “end justifies the means” and “those the gods want to destroy, they first make mad” will likely apply to you if against all wise counsel, you go ahead to create these 45 constituencies. Do you want to mar your career and go down in history as the infamous Electoral Commissioner, who like Justice Abba, allowed himself to be used against popular dissent by an unpopular government? The final results of the population census were released more than two years after the exercise and you, Mr Electoral Commissioner; you want to force this ‘creation’ on Ghanaians. What at all do you hope to gain? You have up to June next year to do so. Why now!
Remember that what you are doing amounts to “gerrymandering”. I will not say much but will take it to court of the people and God. Do not make Ghanaians change your name from Afari Djan to Afari Djammmm! Please, Afari Djan and President John Mahama should recognize the power of the Living God for God abhors lies, deceit, violence and cruelty to fellow human beings. They should reflect on the fact that they are not the first to possess such crude and inhuman traits which make people run helter–skelter the two ‘jamm’ together. Does being charismatic depend on forcing your will on another? What people term charisma will soon fade away and the real face will bear its wrinkles in its own time. It is only a matter of time.
Has President Mahama and his incompetent Team sat down to think about how apartheid crumbled in South Africa? After subjugating a group of people to a position of servitude, a De Clerk came to alter the status quo. What about Giant Soviet Union and its satellites? A surgical operation undertaken by Gorbachev with his Perestroika and Glasnost was enough to bring the Giant crumbling to its knees. A De Clerk in the person of Kufuor, the Gentle Giant came to alter the status quo. But a Gorbachev in the person of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo is lurking around the corner to administer the coup de grace and sing the requiem mass. President John Mahama and the Nefarious Destructive Cohorts should please cool their heads. They cannot invent God and overthrow the world tomorrow. There have been their betters who tried this feat and failed. They should not suppress not intimidate the masses with their threats of mayhem because they are not sure how long their power to foment trouble will last. We live in a wonderful world, where the unexpected can happen at anytime.
Man is not all that sufficient! Mr President should take note of that.
Daniel Danquah Damptey ([email protected]) ([email protected]) 0243715297